The Dangers of Biography
By Charles Foster
A friend of mine has written a brilliant and justly celebrated biography. I am worried about her, and about her readers.
The biography is brilliant and engaging precisely because of the degree of rapport the author has established with her subject, and the rapport she brokers between her subject and her readers. What is the cost of that rapport?
My friend has had to keep the company of her (dead) subject for years. Her book is an invitation to others to keep that company for hours. Two ethical questions arise.Read More »The Dangers of Biography