{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2011463279","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/cli.0.0051","title":"Making Things Present: Tim O\u2019Brien\u2019s Autobiographical Metafiction","display_name":"Making Things Present: Tim O\u2019Brien\u2019s Autobiographical Metafiction","publication_year":2009,"publication_date":"2009-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2011463279","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/cli.0.0051","mag":"2011463279"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1353/cli.0.0051","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/cli.0.0051","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/cli.0.0051","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S70019389","display_name":"Contemporary Literature","issn_l":"0010-7484","issn":["0010-7484","0146-4949","1548-9949","2326-148X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","jufo-3","norway-2","poland-200","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315918","host_organization_name":"University of Wisconsin Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315918","https://openalex.org/P4310315897"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["University of Wisconsin Press","University of Wisconsin\u2013Madison"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Contemporary Literature","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5009692784","display_name":"Robin Silbergleid","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5189-5578","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5189-5578"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I87216513","display_name":"Michigan State University","ror":"https://ror.org/05hs6h993","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I87216513"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Robin Silbergleid","raw_affiliation_strings":["Michigan State University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Michigan State University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I87216513"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5009692784"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I87216513"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":14,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.35449337,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":88,"max":97},"biblio":{"volume":"50","issue":"1","first_page":"129","last_page":"155"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12461","display_name":"Narrative Theory and Analysis","score":0.5077999830245972,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1208","display_name":"Literature and Literary Theory"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12461","display_name":"Narrative Theory and Analysis","score":0.5077999830245972,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1208","display_name":"Literature and Literary Theory"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13474","display_name":"Autobiographical and Biographical Writing","score":0.19169999659061432,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1208","display_name":"Literature and Literary Theory"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12130","display_name":"Contemporary Literature and Criticism","score":0.12269999831914902,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1208","display_name":"Literature and Literary Theory"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/tim-o-brien","display_name":"Tim O'Brien","score":0.996999979019165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/the-things-they-carried","display_name":"The Things They Carried","score":1.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/fact-and-fiction","display_name":"fact and fiction","score":0.7049999833106995},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/narrative-truth","display_name":"narrative truth","score":0.6179999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/vietnam-war","display_name":"Vietnam War","score":0.5099999904632568},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/vietnam-veterans","display_name":"Vietnam War veterans","score":0.4860000014305115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/literary-nonfiction","display_name":"literary nonfiction","score":0.33399999141693115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/epigraphs","display_name":"epigraphs","score":0.33899998664855957},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mimesis","display_name":"mimesis","score":0.5490000247955322},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/short-story-collection","display_name":"short story collection","score":0.4050000011920929},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/vietnam-war-films","display_name":"Vietnam War in film","score":0.38199999928474426}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777080597","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q906118","display_name":"Disclaimer","level":2,"score":0.8258876800537109},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781041973","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q531067","display_name":"Metafiction","level":3,"score":0.7269641160964966},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17192189","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1347059","display_name":"Epigraph","level":2,"score":0.7132697701454163},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199033989","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1318295","display_name":"Narrative","level":2,"score":0.6825910806655884},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C135068731","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1169049","display_name":"The Imaginary","level":2,"score":0.5826907157897949},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124952713","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8242","display_name":"Literature","level":1,"score":0.5370274186134338},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781426709","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1414572","display_name":"Ransom","level":2,"score":0.49964308738708496},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95457728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q309","display_name":"History","level":0,"score":0.44567254185676575},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777026412","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2684591","display_name":"Statement (logic)","level":2,"score":0.437327116727829},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138885662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891","display_name":"Philosophy","level":0,"score":0.34550046920776367},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C142362112","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q735","display_name":"Art","level":0,"score":0.29448437690734863},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.17495471239089966},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.14398574829101562},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11171543","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41630","display_name":"Psychoanalysis","level":1,"score":0.14018487930297852},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199539241","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7748","display_name":"Law","level":1,"score":0.13672620058059692},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17744445","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36442","display_name":"Political science","level":0,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C166957645","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23498","display_name":"Archaeology","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1353/cli.0.0051","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/cli.0.0051","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/cli.0.0051","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S70019389","display_name":"Contemporary Literature","issn_l":"0010-7484","issn":["0010-7484","0146-4949","1548-9949","2326-148X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","jufo-3","norway-2","poland-200","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315918","host_organization_name":"University of Wisconsin Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315918","https://openalex.org/P4310315897"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["University of Wisconsin Press","University of Wisconsin\u2013Madison"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Contemporary Literature","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:muse.jhu.edu:/article/269651","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://muse.jhu.edu/article/269651","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4377196299","display_name":"Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I145311948","host_organization_name":"Johns Hopkins University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I145311948"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"text"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":37,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W66720603","https://openalex.org/W256767295","https://openalex.org/W355276263","https://openalex.org/W375934590","https://openalex.org/W592001317","https://openalex.org/W599518122","https://openalex.org/W616992682","https://openalex.org/W651064403","https://openalex.org/W654250820","https://openalex.org/W844348117","https://openalex.org/W1500952994","https://openalex.org/W1566330369","https://openalex.org/W1582196126","https://openalex.org/W1583757370","https://openalex.org/W1765863614","https://openalex.org/W1969774822","https://openalex.org/W1972934292","https://openalex.org/W1977846580","https://openalex.org/W1980586250","https://openalex.org/W1983128162","https://openalex.org/W1992600178","https://openalex.org/W1994246305","https://openalex.org/W2015540487","https://openalex.org/W2022894129","https://openalex.org/W2025669836","https://openalex.org/W2032531993","https://openalex.org/W2044976423","https://openalex.org/W2064238000","https://openalex.org/W2080943250","https://openalex.org/W2095501396","https://openalex.org/W2325090742","https://openalex.org/W2328199560","https://openalex.org/W2797277161","https://openalex.org/W3009179759","https://openalex.org/W3158820556","https://openalex.org/W4250212066","https://openalex.org/W4285719527"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W6989464004","https://openalex.org/W2807701036","https://openalex.org/W4220953542","https://openalex.org/W7025316531","https://openalex.org/W6996278420","https://openalex.org/W1977846580","https://openalex.org/W2080951745","https://openalex.org/W7002192656","https://openalex.org/W2897570241","https://openalex.org/W2591036557"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Making":[0],"Things":[1,23,169,545,647],"Present:":[2],"Tim":[3,15,255],"O\u2019Brien\u2019s":[4,16,222,343,405,496],"Autobiographical":[5],"Metafiction":[6],"Robin":[7],"Silbergleid":[8],"(bio)":[9],"Beginning":[10],"with":[11,107],"its":[12,130,307,383,453,468],"front":[13,184,398],"matter,":[14,399],"collection":[17],"of":[18,33,42,80,92,96,102,145,175,196,202,215,228,324,390,404,412,442,459,465,474,495,511,522,534,555,572,577,606,645,660],"interlinked":[19],"short":[20],"narratives":[21],"The":[22,168,386,544,646],"They":[24,170,546,648],"Carried":[25,171,547,649],"(1990)":[26],"raises":[27],"fundamental":[28],"questions":[29,605],"about":[30,581],"the":[31,44,58,63,71,78,90,108,126,154,159,183,191,205,213,236,240,302,319,333,349,379,396,402,409,426,435,440,449,472,479,565,593,604,616,658],"nature":[32],"truth":[34,466],"and":[35,66,104,134,234,261,277,289,376,388,430,518,528,597,640],"narrative":[36,457],"authority.":[37],"Published":[38],"as":[39,125,142,158,193,199,251,346,348,392,408,455,485,552,575,611,613,619,627],"a":[40,47,54,97,143,163,173,180,194,200,252,259,262,265,280,290,296,456,475,553,578,637,653],"\u201cwork":[41],"fiction,\u201d":[43],"book":[45,72,303,450,566],"includes":[46],"fairly":[48],"standard":[49],"disclaimer":[50,165],"that":[51,84,167,327,656],"\u201c[e]xcept":[52],"for":[53,345,448,525],"few":[55],"details":[56,445],"regarding":[57],"author\u2019s":[59,480],"own":[60,481],"life,":[61],"all":[62,136],"incidents,":[64],"names,":[65],"characters":[67,88,535],"are":[68],"imaginary.\u201d":[69],"Yet":[70],"is":[73,140,172,258,370,490,548],"also":[74,224,491],"\u201clovingly":[75],"dedicated":[76],"to":[77,89,135,153,189,211,219,232,272,306,317,342,353,381,438,451,529,563,569,585,603,630,635],"men":[79],"Alpha":[81],"Company\u201d\u2014a":[82],"statement":[83,144],"elevates":[85],"these":[86],"imaginary":[87],"level":[91],"real":[93],"people":[94],"worthy":[95],"dedication.":[98],"Such":[99,599],"slippery":[100],"negotiation":[101],"fact":[103],"fiction":[105,216,375],"continues":[106],"epigraph,":[109],"taken":[110],"from":[111,651],"John":[112,503],"Ransom\u2019s":[113],"Andersonville":[114],"Diary,":[115],"which":[116],"reads,":[117],"\u201c[t]hose":[118],"who":[119,150,257,270,477,536],"have":[120],"had":[121],"any":[122],"such":[123,250],"experience":[124],"author":[127],"will":[128,329],"see":[129],"truthfulness":[131,441],"at":[132,275,592],"once,":[133],"other":[137,416],"readers":[138,188,315],"it":[139,361,369],"commended":[141],"actual":[146,197],"things":[147],"by":[148,493],"one":[149],"experienced":[151],"them":[152],"fullest.\u201d":[155],"Thus":[156],"even":[157],"copyright":[160],"page":[161],"provides":[162],"legalistic":[164],"specifying":[166],"work":[174,201,454,554],"imaginative":[176],"literature":[177],"rather":[178,400,433],"than":[179,401],"historical":[181],"document,":[182],"matter":[185],"encourages":[186],"\u201cinexperienced\u201d":[187],"appreciate":[190],"text":[192,380],"\u201cstatement":[195],"things,\u201d":[198],"\u201ctruth.\u201d":[203],"If":[204,292],"epigraph":[206],"reads":[207],"like":[208,267],"an":[209,523,587],"attempt":[210],"authorize":[212],"use":[214,227,533,659],"in":[217,295,310,332,366,395,422,446,471,558,567,615,633],"order":[218,447],"write":[220],"history,":[221],"narrator":[223,350,436],"makes":[225],"liberal":[226],"history":[229,364],"(his":[230],"story)":[231],"develop":[233],"organize":[235],"fiction.":[237],"Indeed,":[238],"despite":[239],"collection\u2019s":[241],"self-consciously":[242],"fictional":[243],"status,":[244],"O\u2019Brien":[245,256,268,424],"incorporates":[246],"undeniably":[247],"autobiographical":[248],"elements,":[249],"character":[253],"named":[254],"writer":[260],"Vietnam":[263,556],"vet,":[264],"writer,":[266],"himself,":[269],"went":[271],"graduate":[273],"school":[274],"Harvard":[276],"then":[278,641],"published":[279],"novel":[281],"entitled":[282],"Going":[283],"After":[284],"Cacciato":[285],"[End":[286,539],"Page":[287,540],"129]":[288],"memoir,":[291],"I":[293,418,561,583],"Die":[294],"Combat":[297],"Zone.1":[298],"In":[299,415],"this":[300,336,372,413,488,559],"way,":[301],"calls":[304,601],"attention":[305,602],"apparent":[308],"basis":[309],"reality,":[311],"reasserting":[312],"what":[313,582],"many":[314,494],"take":[316,584],"be":[318,330,354,586,631],"central":[320,410],"premise,":[321],"or":[322,444],"promise,":[323],"mimetic":[325,337],"representation,":[326],"life":[328],"mirrored":[331],"book.":[334],"However,":[335],"gesture":[338],"inevitably":[339],"frustrates":[340],"newcomers":[341],"work,":[344],"soon":[347],"declares":[351],"something":[352],"true,":[355],"he":[356,359],"invariably":[357],"confesses":[358],"made":[360],"up,":[362],"putting":[363],"itself":[365],"question.":[367],"Arguably,":[368],"precisely":[371],"liminal":[373],"space\u2014between":[374],"nonfiction\u2014that":[377],"allows":[378],"do":[382,452],"critical":[384],"work.":[385],"declaring":[387],"undoing":[389],"\u201ctruth,\u201d":[391],"set":[393],"up":[394],"book\u2019s":[397],"\u201ctruthfulness\u201d":[403],"tale,":[406],"serves":[407],"impetus":[411],"essay.2":[414],"words,":[417],"am":[419],"not":[420],"interested":[421],"whether":[423],"tells":[425],"truth\u2014an":[427],"inexorably":[428],"frustrating":[429],"unanswerable":[431],"question\u2014but":[432],"why":[434],"needs":[437],"declare":[439],"events":[443],"account":[458],"Vietnam.":[460],"This":[461],"performative":[462],"gesture\u2014the":[463],"staging":[464],"through":[467],"very":[469],"utterance\u2014begins":[470],"creation":[473],"protagonist-narrator":[476],"bears":[478],"name.":[482],"Characterized":[483],"here":[484],"\u201cautobiographical":[486],"metafiction,\u201d":[487],"technique":[489],"adopted":[492],"contemporaries\u2014including":[497],"Carole":[498],"Maso":[499],"(The":[500],"Art":[501],"Lover),":[502],"Edgar":[504],"Wideman":[505],"(Philadelphia":[506],"Fire),":[507],"Paul":[508],"Auster":[509],"(City":[510],"Glass),":[512],"Mark":[513],"Leyner":[514],"(Et":[515],"Tu,":[516],"Babe),":[517],"Kathy":[519],"Acker":[520],"(Portrait":[521],"Eye)\u2014who":[524],"diverse":[526],"reasons":[527],"different":[530],"ends":[531],"make":[532],"\u201care\u201d":[537],"themselves.3":[538],"130]":[541],"Consequently,":[542],"while":[543],"most":[549],"frequently":[550],"discussed":[551],"literature,":[557],"essay":[560],"want":[562],"resituate":[564],"relation":[568],"another":[570],"group":[571],"contemporary":[573],"narratives,":[574],"part":[576],"larger":[579],"conversation":[580],"emergent":[588],"postmodern":[589],"genre":[590],"situated":[591],"boundary":[594],"between":[595],"autobiography":[596],"metafiction.4":[598],"classification":[600],"literary":[607],"mode":[608],"raised":[609],"formally":[610],"well":[612],"thematically":[614],"text.":[617],"If,":[618],"Fredric":[620],"Jameson":[621],"suggests":[622],"(145),":[623],"genres":[624],"operate":[625],"pragmatically":[626],"intellectual":[628],"\u201cscaffolding\u201d":[629],"put":[632],"place":[634],"support":[636],"particular":[638],"analysis":[639],"disassembled,":[642],"my":[643],"reading":[644],"benefits":[650],"delineating":[652],"generic":[654],"category":[655],"highlights":[657],"autobiography...":[661]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2015,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2014,"cited_by_count":2}],"updated_date":"2026-11-04T10:54:05.112534","created_date":"2016-06-24T00:00:00"}