# Has anyone every read about themselves?



## jackokent (Nov 24, 2006)

I know this isn't fantasy (well it might be I haven't read it yet), but my mum's just had her autobiography printed and I've just received the book in the post.

This is the weirdest experience, I know my life is in there.  I'm almost scared to read it as it will be from her viewpoint.  Has anyone else had this experience?

PS I am very proud of her of course.


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## Paige Turner (Nov 24, 2006)

Read about myself? Just the once, you know. "Mystery Woman Sought for Questioning." I still have the clipping.

Well done, your mom, though! Woo-hoo!


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## Teresa Edgerton (Nov 24, 2006)

Well, yes, as a very minor sort of public figure I have read about myself in a handful of articles.  And it's ... rather creepy, actually.  It wouldn't happen if I didn't grant the interview of course, but it's expected that a writer will do some publicity, so when somebody asks I say yes, and then brace myself to cringe when I read the eventual article.

I would think that being written about by one's own mother would be both better and worse -- she's bound to be partial, but that can be embarrassing, too.


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## mosaix (Nov 25, 2006)

jackokent said:


> I know this isn't fantasy (well it might be I haven't read it yet), but my mum's just had her autobiography printed and I've just received the book in the post.
> 
> This is the weirdest experience, I know my life is in there.  I'm almost scared to read it as it will be from her viewpoint.  Has anyone else had this experience?
> 
> PS I am very proud of her of course.



Congratulations to your Mum Jacko! I wonder if you're going to find out things about your family that you didn't know - now that would be weird.


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## Carolyn Hill (Nov 25, 2006)

Yes, I've read about myself.  My brother was a journalist and wrote an ongoing newspaper column in which he covered many details of our family life.  Sometimes it was embarrassing.  Sometimes it made me proud of him and myself.  He writes in other media now, and I am occasionally mentioned.

Mostly, I find it fascinating to see past events through his eyes instead of my own (imperfect) memories.


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## jackokent (Nov 25, 2006)

I've read the book now and it was a really emotional experience.  I don't know why but I didn't expect that side of it.  After reading it I realise how much history and experiences are lost with people's lives.  Maybe everyone should write an autobiography for thier grand children (that's why my mum did it).  There was so much I didn't know about my own family.

It really was fantastic and very humbling.


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## Rosemary (Nov 25, 2006)

That's really marvellous Jacko!   Well done Jacko's Mum...

I have something written about me in a book by an English author.  Well, he didn't actually write it, I did!  The author of the book actually advertised for people who had lived in Hamshire during a certain decade, to write and tell him about their life there.  

It was an interesting experience...and I also recevied a signed copy of the book...


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## Teresa Edgerton (Nov 25, 2006)

I think when we discussed this before I said you would be in for some surprises along the way (I hope they were mostly good ones). This is something that later generations will almost certainly regard as a great family treasure.  I wish my parents had done something along the same lines.


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## nixie (Nov 25, 2006)

That is something else, congratulations to your mum.


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## steve12553 (Nov 25, 2006)

It's good that the information about you was accurate. I had my name in the paper many years ago as the only witness to an industrial accident resulting in a death. After reading the article in the paper, I doubted that I was actually there. My other experiences with news media has also made me wonder if they ever get anything right. I do think that more thought and effort goes into an autobiography than a newspaper article.


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## Marky Lazer (Nov 25, 2006)

I once read a book about me. It was called something like "The Great and Nobel Deeds of Mankind."


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## jenna (Nov 25, 2006)

I haven't read about me per se, but a few years ago someone wrote a book about the history of my family in Australia (we have a very famous last name here). It was really really really interesting to read. I did get a mention in the family tree in the back though!


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## jackokent (Nov 26, 2006)

Marky Lazer said:


> I once read a book about me. It was called something like "The Great and Nobel Deeds of Mankind."


 
That's uncanny ! Surely there can't be two of us ??


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## littlemissattitude (Nov 26, 2006)

Never about myself, really.  But I have read things that were about events I was at or that I know about from knowing someone who was there or because the events occurred locally to where I lived when they took place.  Even that can be very strange, so I really can't imagine reading about myself.

The only time that I was every really mentioned in print by name, it was because I had written a letter to the editor of a local weekly newspaper where I used to live.  The paper printed the letter, but the publisher took exception to what I said in the letter and called me some rather unflattering things in print.  It was actually pretty funny, but weird all the same.

My father is briefly mentioned in a couple of books about the history of where he grew up, and it was fun to read about him there.


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## Nesacat (Nov 26, 2006)

Congratulations to your Mom jack.  Have been written about a couple of times and it was always wierd reading about it. Almost like reading about someone else someimes.


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## Triceratops (Nov 27, 2006)

Oh, gosh.  Two non-fiction books got me about 20 radio interviews, 15 magazine and newspaper interviews, and three network tele appearances.  But that was back in 1988--1990, when things were so much nicer for marketing and promotion.  

Didn't mind reading so much about myself unless the reporter slipped in something sly, but when I saw myself on the news channel, I yowled, "Look at that fat toad!  When am I coming on?  Uh oh, that IS me...                 

Tri


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## The Ace (Nov 27, 2006)

Marky Lazer said:


> I once read a book about me. It was called something like "The Great and Nobel Deeds of Mankind."


Did you invent dynamite then ?


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## The Ace (Nov 27, 2006)

Seriously, as a member of the antonine guard, I have appeared in several newspapers (including front page on two local papers simultaneously) as well as 2 TV appearances.  Mind you, they can spell neither my real name nor my latin name correctly.


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## Sketti (Nov 28, 2006)

No...never read anything about me. They wanted to interview me on TV once (about my Pagan group, the largest women's group in the city) but the show was cancelled >.< I shall never be famous! *sigh* 

I hope my parents never write autobiographies. It would be too creepy. Although, I don't think they'd say anything too bad or embarassing about me... I've always been a rather steady person... 

Still, I'd like for someone to write a book about me  If only peripherally so...


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## littlemissattitude (Nov 28, 2006)

Sketti said:


> No...never read anything about me. They wanted to interview me on TV once (about my Pagan group, the largest women's group in the city) but the show was cancelled >.< I shall never be famous! *sigh*



Oh, I've been on TV before, locally.  Sometimes in the background, sometimes being interviewed for one of those sound bite things.  That's not nearly as big a deal as reading about oneself, in my opinion.  Print is forever, even if it is just in the newspaper's files.


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## jackokent (Nov 28, 2006)

Sketti said:


> I hope my parents never write autobiographies. It would be too creepy. Although, I don't think they'd say anything too bad or embarassing about me... I've always been a rather steady person...


 
I was terrified. For a while I couldn't even open the book for fear of what she would have written. I have not ever been a steady person so she had plenty of amunition. However after a while I was so absorbed in reading about my mum's childhood I kind of forgot all about the fact it was anything to do with me. Even the bits about me didn't feel like me. It was completely weird. There was so much I never knew.

I think it's really helped me understand where she is coming from. We were never really close but I am starting to realise that's a mistake and this Christmas I intend to do something about it. All because of a book.

It is extremly well written and also interesting. Her life reads like something out of a Catherine Cookson novel, only more exciting. I wish I could post bits up but she's had it printed, not published so I am guessing she wants it kept private.


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## Curt Chiarelli (Nov 28, 2006)

First order of business: Congratualtions are due Jack on your mother's successful write up! 

Secondly, to answer your question: Yes. The emotions that best represent what I've endured when reading others' comments about myself and my work have hovered somewhere north of relief, appreciation and embarassed delight and someplace south of revulsion, anticipatory dread and cold rage. 

Everybody's a hayseed critic when it comes to art, but things can take a vile turn for the worse when _a portion* (I repeat, A PORTION, NOT ALL)*_ of your fan base happens to be a throng of poorly socialized, developmentally stunted and narcissistically disturbed fanboys. Essentially, the problem boils down to that I am constitutionally incapable of ordering my life for the immediate and fickle gratification of complete strangers - especially ones with poor manners and even worse hygeine. 

But on the bright side, for every toad still living at home with his mommy, sitting around in his underwear all day flaming his favourite authors and artists on public forums there's always 2 or 3 other intelligent people of substance who appreciate me as a person, respect my perspective and what I'm trying to achieve as an artist. The artist's life has never been an easy one, but supportive folks like this make all the struggles worthwhile!


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## Tau Zero (Nov 29, 2006)

Congratulations to your mother, Jackokent! 

As a state official (of sorts) i regularly see my name in the papers after interviews.  It always seems strange to me, even when they get the quotes right.  Even weirder is hearing myself on radio interviews.  And the weirdest is seeing myself on TV News (which has happened only once).  I often feel like i'm reading someone else's comments.


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## chrispenycate (Nov 29, 2006)

Yeah, I've been interviewed a couple of times for television (in french and in english, done a series of radio programs about the evolution or recording techniques - I hate my recorded voice, but they won't let me do my own settings - and even been written up (with the studio, I was onla a footnote) both for french and english specialist magazines; not very deep, I know, and I probably wouldn't have recognised me if I hadn't been there.


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## billbunter (Nov 29, 2006)

Well done your mum Jacko. Writing anything longer than an e-mail always strikes me as a miracle.  I've had the unfortunate experience of being written about and reviewed. Initially, I believed everything they said when it was   nice and disbelieved all the nasty stuff. Nowadays I can just about stand back and ignore it - except that ..... fellow who said 'don't give up your day job'. I still want to meet him...


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## Spartan27 (Nov 30, 2006)

jackokent said:


> I know this isn't fantasy (well it might be I haven't read it yet), but my mum's just had her autobiography printed and I've just received the book in the post.
> 
> This is the weirdest experience, I know my life is in there. I'm almost scared to read it as it will be from her viewpoint. Has anyone else had this experience?
> 
> PS I am very proud of her of course.


 
Well yes actually, when I fell and hit my head rather hard, and then awoke on a bed reading a story about me hitting my head.....

hey just kidding nice to hear about your mom...


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