The mirror and the veil : : an overview of American online diaries and blogs / / Viviane Serfaty.

• Superior document: Amsterdam monographs in American studies ; 11
• VerfasserIn: Serfaty, Viviane,
• Place / Publishing House: Amsterdam ;, New York, New York : : Rodopi,, [2004]; ©2004
• Year of Publication: 2004
• Language: English
• Series: Amsterdam monographs in American studies ; 11.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource.

The Mirror and the Veil offers a unique perspective on the phenomenon of online personal diaries and blogs. Blending insights from literary criticism, from psychoanalytical theory and from social sciences, Viviane Serfaty identifies the historical roots of self-representational writing in America and studies the original features it has developed on the Internet. She perceptively analyzes the motivations of bloggers and the repercussions their writings may have on themselves and on American society at large. This book will be of interest to specialists in American Studies, to students in literature, communication, psychology and sociology, as well as to anyone endeavoring to understand the new set of practises created by Internet users in America.

Table of Contents

Introduction -- Chapter One -- Offline and Online Diaries -- Chapter Two -- Social Functions of Online Diaries in America -- Chapter Three -- Humor in Cyberspace -- Chapter Four -- The Private-Public Divide -- Chapter Five -- Male and Female Cyberbodies -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index.