A Taxonomy of Life Writing
Exploring the Functions of Meaningful Self-Sponsored Writing in Everyday Life
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21560486 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Heather Lindenman (0000-0002-5097-1388, Elon University, corresponding author), Dana Lynn Driscoll (0000-0003-3152-9698, Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Andrea Efthymiou (Writing Center, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), Flushing, NY, USA), Andrea Rosso Efthymiou (Queens College, CUNY), Matthew Pavesich (0000-0002-8103-5402, University Writing Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA), Jennifer Reid (0000-0003-0853-2661, Alumni Memorial Union and Student Engagement, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 70-106 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Written Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0741-0883 • E-ISSN: 1552-8472 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/07410883231207106 |
| OpenAlex | W4389617595 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 34 |
This essay takes as its focus the everyday writing that people compose: the self-sponsored, nonobligatory texts that people write mainly outside of work and school. Through analysis of 713 survey responses and 27 interviews with accompanying writing samples, this study provides a panoramic view of the functions of self-sponsored writing and rhetorical activity for U.S. adults, ages 18 to 65+ years, from a range of geographic, cultural, and professional backgrounds. The Taxonomy of Life Writing presented in this essay demonstrates the range of ways that writing functions in people’s daily lives. It includes 19 key functions of life writing, organized into six metafunctions: Creativity and Expression, Identity and Relationships, Organization and Coordination, Preservation and Memory, Reflection and Emotion, and Teaching and Learning. Based on our findings, we affirm the important and diverse functions that life writing serves and propose expanding the threshold concepts of writing to include greater focus on nonobligatory, self-sponsored writing activity
Aesthetics · Creative writing · Creativity · Epistemology · Everyday life · Linguistics · Pedagogy · Professional writing · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Visual arts · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Literacy, Media, and Education · Psychology · Social Psychology · Writing and Handwriting Education
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |