The Personal Essay Is Back. The Internet Isn’t Ready.
The personal essay is experiencing a resurgence with new memoirs from Lena Dunham and Lindy West, signaling a revival of confessional writing in the 2020s. However, the internet's reaction to personal essays has grown more hostile, making such writing riskier than in the past. The shift raises questions about whether personal essays have changed or whether cultural and digital norms have evolved.
- ▪Lena Dunham and Lindy West have released new memoirs that reflect a renewed interest in personal essay writing.
- ▪Reactions to personal essays in outlets like The Cut illustrate the increasingly hostile nature of social media.
- ▪Leigh Stein, a writer who emerged during the 2010s personal essay boom, discusses how the landscape for confessional writing has become more dangerous.
- ▪The ICYMI podcast episode explores how internet culture has transformed the reception of personal narratives.
- ▪Writing personal essays today is considered more fraught due to the potential for online backlash.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
ICYMI May 02, 20263:00 AM The Personal Essay Is Back. The Internet Isn’t Ready. Reactions to new memoirs from Lena Dunham and Lindy West show how much the internet has changed. Copy Link Share Share <div class="slate-megaphone__slot"></div> View Transcript Advertisement Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Pocket Casts RSS Feed For questions about subscriptions or your Slate Plus feed, check our FAQ. <p class="slate-notification--error podcast-how-to-listen__notification">Please enable javascript to get your Slate Plus feeds.</p> All Slate Plus Podcasts Get Your Slate Plus Podcast If you can't access your feeds, please contact customer support. Thanks! Check your phone for a link to finish setting up your feed. Please enter a valid phone number.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Slate Magazine.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Slate Magazine
