Steinberg, Michael, Thomas Larson, Mimi Schwartz, and Phillip Lopate. "The Persona in Personal Narrative: Crafting the Made-Up Self." Association of Writers and Writers Programs. Chicago, 2012.
This AWP panel was one of my favorites. The panelists are all essay superstars, so it was interesting to see them talk about how they construct themselves in their essays. They speculated on their own writing and other authors' writing to consider whether or not the self on the page was just a construction of the author. They varied in opinion--for example, Phillip Lopate (who is delightfully snarky, by the way) talked about his own writing, reading two different pieces that were written decades apart, but are both clearly written in a singular voice. I think they'd all agree that no matter what the essayist does to construct his or her persona in writing, the self is multifaceted, thus leading to a large variety of voices and tones and "selves" that can come from one individual while still remaining true to the author's identity. This was a helpful source because I am always seeking understanding of my genre, and knowing the current discussion on the creation of self in personal essays will help me to be more aware of how I construct and portray myself on the page.
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