Autotheory is a literary tradition involving the combination of the narrative forms of autobiography, memoir, and critical theory.
Works of autotheory involve a first-person account of an author’s life blended with research investigations.
Works of autotheory might bring in broader questions in philosophy, literary theory, social structures, science and culture to interpret the politics and history within personal experiences.
[1] Lauren Fournier suggests autotheory is rooted in creative and critical practice in feminist contexts.
[3] Ralph Clare suggests autotheory is adjacent to the literary movement autofiction, but distinct in that it is a direct response and form of resistance to the institutionalization of theory.