Doing Autoethnography

In 2011, Doing Autoethnography--the first conference to focus solely on autoethnographic principles and practices--was held in chilly Detroit, Michigan on the campus of Wayne State University. The conference has since occurred four additional times (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). Across the five conferences, thousands of attendees from more than ten countries have participated in hundreds of presentations, more than a dozen workshops, and multiple keynote addresses. The chapters in this collection represent outstanding work from the five conferences. Together, authors interrogate autoethnography ethically, theoretically, relationally, and methodologically. Readers will encounter many overlapping themes: identity norms and negotiations; experiences tied to race, gender, sexuality, size, citizenship, and dis/ability; exclusion and belonging; oppression, injustice, and assault; barriers to learning/education; and living with/in complicated relationships. Some chapters provide clear resolutions; others seemingly provide none. Some authors highlight conventionally positive aspects of experience; others dwell in what might be understood as relational darkness. Some experiences will likely resonate with many readers; others will feel unique, unusual, exceptional. In its entirety, the collection will take readers on an evocative, reflexive, and insightful journey Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Doing Autoethnography (Sandra L. Pensoneau-Conway, Tony E. Adams, Derek M. Bolen)....Pages 1-5 Bitter Sweet(Water) (Robin M. Boylorn)....Pages 7-17 The Consumed Self (Keith Berry)....Pages 19-27 Pleasures and Paradoxes of New Media (Kathryn Thompson)....Pages 29-36 Critical Collaborative Performance Autoethnography (Durell M. Callier, Dominique C. Hill, Hill L. Waters)....Pages 37-44 Marriage or Mirage? (John Marc Cuellar)....Pages 45-53 My Body Knows Things (Allison Upshaw)....Pages 55-65 Learning How to be a Man the Hard Way (O. J. Duncan)....Pages 67-79 Making a Big Deal out Of Nothing (Chris Godsey)....Pages 81-93 Hit Him Again (Stephen Henry)....Pages 95-104 Going Home (Christina L. Ivey)....Pages 105-113 Lost in Hope (Dianah Mcgreehan)....Pages 115-126 Teaching While Lesbian (Sondra S. Briggs)....Pages 127-137 Remember Who You Belong To (Sarah Helps)....Pages 139-147 Not an Alice (Mindy Ralston)....Pages 149-154 There is No Home Like Place (David Purnell)....Pages 155-162 Learning to Care (Molly Wiant Cummins)....Pages 163-171 Academic Pimping (Igor Vinicius Lima Valentim)....Pages 173-185 A Ghostly Presence (Claire Smith)....Pages 187-196 Are you Legal? (Amy Arellano)....Pages 197-203 Secrets (Lee Murray)....Pages 205-215 The Art of Faking a Smile (Devin Collins)....Pages 217-227 Autoethnography as Object-Oriented Method (Desireé D. Rowe)....Pages 229-232