Course Feminist Theories of Life Writing and ‘Limit-Cases’: Masterclass with Professor Leigh Gilmore

Course description

This masterclass introduces students to a feminist critique of autobiography and offers an opportunity to explore key concepts in life writing and trauma studies with one of the leading voices in the field, Leigh Gilmore, Professor Emerita of English at The Ohio State University. Gilmore has made significant contributions to the theorisation of testimony and the politics of women’s self‑representation, most recently through works such as The #MeToo Effect (2023) and Tainted Witness (2017), both of which examine how women’s stories are heard, believed, or dismissed in public discourse and legal courts.

Gilmore is also the author of one of the most foundational texts in trauma studies, The Limits of Autobiography, first published in 2001 and reissued in 2023. Recalling Virginia Woolf’s claim that “fiction is likely to contain more truth than fact”, Gilmore offers the concept of limit-cases to analyze how self-representational texts about trauma “reveal and test the limits of autobiography” (Gilmore 2023, 14). Gilmore explores how the self-representational ‘I’ travels different media and genres and thereby “traverse the boundary between fiction/non-fiction” (Gilmore 2023, xii). In the masterclass, we will discuss her theoretical framework in relation to students’ individual projects and open a dialogue about narrative activism, feminist theory, and how literature and life writing can function as important resources for addressing and challenging sexual violence.

The masterclass is divided into two sessions. Between the two sessions, there will be a one‑hour lunch break. Lunch will be provided.

Session 1: Keynote lecture by Leigh Gilmore + discussion of assigned reading(s)

In the first part of this session, Gilmore will do a presentation on her current research followed by a round of questions and discussion. The second part of the session will be a plenum discussion of a selected article/chapter from the assigned readings (to be shared after the application deadline).

Session 2: Short presentations of PhD projects in relation to assigned readings

In this session, students make 10-minute presentations of their projects in relation to the assigned readings. Each presentation will be followed by a 5-10-minute discussion.

All students who see connections between their research and the themes of the masterclass, or who are simply interested in exploring the theoretical perspectives presented, are warmly encouraged to attend.

Preparation

Prepare a 10‑minute presentation on your research project with reflections on how one or more articles from the assigned readings contribute to or inform your work. The presentation can be thought of as a work-in-progress and a chance to reflect and get feedback on how your project relates to different theoretical perspectives on life writing.

Aim/Learning outcomes

• Develop a deeper understanding of life writing and feminist theories of self-representation, drawing on insights from one of the leading scholars in the field
• Strengthen the ability to critically reflect on the limits of autobiography and different modes of self-representation
• Explore how theories on life writing and concepts of trauma, credibility, and narrative authority contribute to and inform your own PhD project

Target group/Participants

• 6-8 PhD students from any stage of their PhD studies

Workload

• Course/ teaching hours: 5,5 hours
• Preparation hours: 20 hours

Language

• English

Lecturer

• Leigh Gilmore, Academy Professor Emerita of English at The Ohio State University.

Literature

• Gilmore, Leigh. “Graphic Witness: Visual and Verbal Testimony in the #MeToo Movement” New Feminist Studies: Twenty-First Century Critical Interventions. Ed. Jennifer Cooke. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020, pp. 31-47.
• Gilmore, Leigh. “Preface to the 2023 Edition”, “Introduction” & “Chapter 1: Represent yourself” in: The Limits of Autobiography: Trauma and Testimony, Cornell University Press, 2023, JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctv2zmkbvc.4
• Gilmore, Leigh. “NEOLIBERAL LIFE NARRATIVE: From Testimony to Self-Help.” Tainted Witness: Why We Doubt What Women Say About Their Lives, Columbia University Press, 2017, pp. 85-118. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/gilm17714.7
• Gilmore, Leigh. “Jurisdictions: I, Rigoberta Menchú, The Kiss, and Scandalous Self‐Representation in the Age of Memoir and Trauma.” Signs, vol. 28, no. 2, 2003, pp. 695-718. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1086/342594

Venue

• Langelandsgade 141, 8000 Aarhus C. Building 1586, room 114

Course dates:

• 08 June 2026 10:00 - 15:30