Using personal narrative and essay form to articulate how multiple identities, systems, and experiences intersect in shaping individual and collective reality.
Sor Juana's letters and autobiographical writings—particularly her response to the Bishop of Puebla—used personal narrative to make philosophical and theological arguments. Her life story was her evidence. Contemporary intersectional practice increasingly recognizes the essay and personal testimony as valid forms of knowledge production. When a woman writes about navigating sexism in her profession while also managing racial microaggressions and caring for an aging parent, she's documenting intersectionality in practice. When someone shares how their disability, class background, and neurodivergence have shaped their intellectual development, they're generating knowledge. The personal essay form honors the specificity of individual experience while making broader structural arguments. It refuses the false universality of abstract theory that doesn't account for lived reality. Sor Juana modeled this by making her defense of women's education inseparable from her own particular story. Intersectional practitioners today can follow her lead, using personal narrative as a rigorous form of analysis and testimony.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
Explore related journeys or tell Peri what you're working through.