The contemporary literary landscape is increasingly populated by works that blur the lines between fiction and autobiography, theory and personal narrative. This “autotextual” turn, as some critics have dubbed it, offers a unique lens through which to examine the complexities of selfhood and social experience in the digital age, an age increasingly defined by technologies of self-tracking and self-representation that could be termed “Autogide.” This essay explores the autotextual as a literary tactic, drawing on McKenzie Wark’s recent memoir, Love and Money, Sex and Death, to illuminate its potential for social critique and self-discovery.
Autogide and the Autotextual Impulse: Mapping the Self in the Digital Age
Wark’s journey as a writer, detailed in Love and Money, Sex and Death, provides a compelling case study for understanding the autotextual impulse. Early experiments with GPS tracking in Dispositions prefigure the contemporary obsession with self-tracking and digital mapping, technologies that provide a framework for understanding the self in relation to space and time. This impulse towards self-documentation, arguably amplified by the rise of social media and the quantified self movement, finds its literary counterpart in the autotextual. Autogide, as a concept, encapsulates this broader cultural shift towards self-tracking and self-guided narratives.
Shelfie #2. Photo: McKenzie Wark, 2023.
Beyond the Personal: Autotextual Tactics and Social Critique
While often dismissed as narcissistic or self-indulgent, the autotextual, when skillfully deployed, can be a powerful tool for social critique. Wark’s work consistently engages with broader political and economic structures, exploring the ways in which individual lives are shaped by forces beyond their control. The personal becomes a site for understanding the political, as Wark examines the intersections of class, gender, sexuality, and the commodification of culture. The autotextual, in this context, allows for a nuanced exploration of the lived experience of late capitalism, offering a critical perspective on the “gamespace” of contemporary life.
From Hacker to Autotheorist: A Writer’s Evolution in the Conglomerate Era
Wark’s trajectory as a writer, from early works like A Hacker Manifesto to the more explicitly autotextual Reverse Cowgirl and Raving, reflects a broader shift in the literary landscape. The increasing dominance of conglomerate publishing, with its emphasis on marketability and genre conventions, presents unique challenges for writers seeking to push boundaries and engage with unconventional forms. The autotextual emerges as a tactic for navigating these constraints, allowing writers to explore personal and political themes in ways that defy easy categorization.
Shelfie #3. Photo: McKenzie Wark, 2023.
Writing Against Doxa: The Autotextual as a Site of Resistance
Wark argues for a “critical (auto)theory,” a mode of inquiry that resists the tendency to reduce complex social phenomena to simplistic formulas. The autotextual, in this context, becomes a site of resistance against “doxa,” the unquestioned assumptions that shape our understanding of the world. By grounding theory in personal experience and concrete practices, the autotextual opens up new possibilities for critical engagement, challenging the dominant narratives of neoliberalism and late capitalism.
The Second Person Turn: Addressing the Other in the Autotextual
Love and Money, Sex and Death takes the form of a series of letters, incorporating the second person into the autotextual framework. This epistolary approach highlights the relational dimension of selfhood, acknowledging the role of others in shaping individual identity and experience. By addressing the reader directly, Wark invites a more intimate and engaged mode of reading, fostering a sense of shared vulnerability and collective self-discovery. This resonates with the way autogide technologies connect individuals through shared platforms and data streams.
Shelfie #4. Photo: McKenzie Wark, 2023.
Beyond the Flyover: The Autotextual and the Particular Universal
The autotextual, at its best, avoids the pitfalls of both the overly general and the overly specific. It strives for a “particular universal,” a perspective that acknowledges the situatedness of individual experience while also reaching for broader insights into the human condition. This approach resonates with the promise of autogide technologies to personalize experience while also connecting individuals to larger networks and communities. By grounding theory in the particularities of lived experience, the autotextual offers a powerful counterpoint to the abstract pronouncements of traditional critical theory. It is a mode of writing that embraces the complexities and contradictions of life in the digital age, offering a roadmap for navigating the increasingly complex terrain of the self in the age of autogide.
