Resources as part of the narrative in biography. A study of the extent to which letters contribute to the narrative in biography, with reference to JC Kannemeyer’s biography Leroux : ’n Lewe and Charles Bukowski by Barry Miles

Abstract

The primary research question in my study is "[t]o what extent resources such as letters contribute to the narrative in biography?. With reference to JC Kannemeyer's biography Leroux: 'n Lewe and Charles Bukowski by Barry Miles. The secondary research questions are: ? What roles do fact and fiction play in the construction of a biography? ? When can letters be trusted as the truth. Amd therefore as a 'vehicle', so to speak, to convey an accurate account? ? To what extent does an author have the right to manipulate or use official / authentic documents such as letters to complement his / her work of fiction? ? Seeing as the biographer makes a selection of letters he / she uses in the telling of the life story, does this not mean that the biographer inadvertently becomes a creator of a specific storyline? My research is comprised of three elements: an unpublished manuscript of a novel under the working title Vier en veertig, agtien, an edited collection of letters by Etienne Leroux written to famous writers and artists, and lastly a thesis written in English on the extent to which letters play a role in establishing a narrative in biography writing.