Telling A Life

How do you tell the story of your life? Do you focus on meaning, accomplishment and hope — or on failure and loss? Psychologists say telling a good life story can make you happier. But do we also create an inauthentic version of ourselves if we turn everything into a narrative? We explore the idea of life stories, and hear why poet and singer Patti Smith chose to "write about nothing" when writing about her own life. Original Air Date: October 23, 2016 Guests: Timothy Wilson — Charles Monroe-Kane — Galen Strawson — Alissa Quart — Patti Smith Interviews In This Hour: How to Edit Your Life Story — The Terminal Bar: A Tale of Smuggling Money to Post-Communist Prague — The Problem with Life Stories — Alissa Quart On 'Days of Abandonment' and 'Sleepless Nights' — Patti Smith's Mind Train Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.