Periodization of life / chapter organization

Most memoir writers think of a life in terms of discrete periods – and accordingly structure the memoir in parts and chapters that correspond to these periods.

I’m no exception. To the right is a preliminary chapter outline. Actually, this is not the first time I’m thinking about my life course in chapters; I have looked back on my life now and then and structured it in periods (chapters) — see forthcoming for some of earlier periodization attempts.

Current chapter outline

Ch. 1: Out of wedlock, 1946-1953.

Ch. 2: Only child, 1953-1959.

Ch. 3: Birder, 1959-1966.

Ch. 4: Budding scientist, 1966-1970

Ch. 5: Naive political activist, 1971-1979

Ch. 6: New class theoretician, 1980-1988

Ch. 7: Scientist biographer, 1989-1996

Ch. 8: Metabiographer, 1996 – 1999

Ch. 9: Museionist, 1999-2015

Ch. 10: Emeritus, 2016-