Why we write about ourselves

I recently read an interesting think piece by the author Edmund White about ‘life writing’ and the differences between autobiographical novels and memoirs (and even a third category of writingI’ve never heard of before, novelistic memoirs). White writesabout how he uses hisexperiences in his novel writing –how he has transforms them into something that appeals to a broader audience – buthow in his memoir writing he is morally bound to tell the truth. As he writes, “If I lose someone’s friends...