--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The autobiographer works in a treacherous…" description: "\"The autobiographer works in a treacherous terrain. The journalist has a much safer job.\" — Janet Malcolm" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/janet-malcolm-10933_job_the-autobiographer-works-in-a-treacherou_3184703.png" --- # The autobiographer works in a treacherous terrain. The… ![“The autobiographer works in a treacherous terrain. The journalist has a much safer job.” quote by Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/janet-malcolm-10933_job_the-autobiographer-works-in-a-treacherou_3184703.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/janet-malcolm-10933_job_the-autobiographer-works-in-a-treacherou_3184703.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/janet-malcolm-10933_job_the-autobiographer-works-in-a-treacherou_3184703.png) > “The autobiographer works in a treacherous terrain. The journalist has a much safer job.” [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The autobiographer navigates dangerous personal truth, while journalists report with relative safety. **In simple terms:** Writing about self is riskier than reporting others. Key Takeaway Respect the vulnerability of personal narratives. Themes truth writing risk ethics Mood critical thoughtful Type expository philosophical When to use this quote - memoir creation - profile writing - media criticism Key Concepts self‑examination journalistic distance narrative authority Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do writers have to their subjects? - How does safety affect journalistic honesty? A Different Perspective Autobiography may still be constrained by external pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) ## Related quotes > [“In moments of exhaustion, I think for some reason of writing an autobiography--proper work for tired artists--but every autobiographer must secretly believe he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/in-moments-of-exhaustion-i-think-for-some-reason-of-writing-an/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“The autobiographer, for his part, is imprisoned in his own egotism. He must always be suspect. In contrast with the other two, the novelist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-powell/the-autobiographer-for-his-part-is-imprisoned-in-his-own-egotism-he/) [Anthony Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-powell/) > [The biographer's problem is that he never knows enough. The autobiographer's problem is that he knows too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/the-biographer-s-problem-is-that-he-never-knows-enough-the/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [“Everyone is an autobiographer nowadays, it’s like everyone is actively writing their own biography all the time,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/everyone-is-an-autobiographer-nowadays-it-s-like-everyone-is-actively/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [Next to the writer of real estate advertisements, the autobiographer is the most suspect of prose artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donal-henahan/next-to-the-writer-of-real-estate-advertisements-the-autobiographer/) [Donal Henahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donal-henahan/) > [Nobody likes to be found out, not even one who has made ruthless confession a part of his profession. Any autobiographer, therefore, at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-erikson/nobody-likes-to-be-found-out-not-even-one-who-has-made-ruthless/) [Erik Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-erikson/) > [The autobiographer looks at life through the lens of his or her own life and really uses herself or himself as the jumping-off place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/the-autobiographer-looks-at-life-through-the-lens-of-his-or-her-own/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“She had all day every day to figure out some decent and satisfying way to live, and yet all she ever seemed to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/she-had-all-day-every-day-to-figure-out-some-decent-and-satisfying/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [It is quite amazing how hard the subconscious works when it is made to understand that this life is not a rehearsal, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burdett/it-is-quite-amazing-how-hard-the-subconscious-works-when-it-is-made/) [John Burdett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burdett/) > [Rather than risk starting their own businesses, most people seek safer environments, preferring job security to freedom and a steady paycheck to greater wealth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/rather-than-risk-starting-their-own-businesses-most-people-seek-safer/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I want to say that our shows are safer-spaces shows. Don't push anyone or affect anyone's space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/i-want-to-say-that-our-shows-are-safer-spaces-shows-don-t-push-anyone/) [Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/) > [America's families will be safer in a world where we're strong, where we're engaged, but where we're respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/america-s-families-will-be-safer-in-a-world-where-we-re-strong-where/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [I find myself safer running in a pack of wolves than walking through a city alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolf/i-find-myself-safer-running-in-a-pack-of-wolves-than-walking-through/) Wolf > [I ride my bike almost every day here in New York. It's getting safer to do so, but I do have to be fairly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-ride-my-bike-almost-every-day-here-in-new-york-it-s-getting-safer/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [It is so much safer not to feel, not to let the world touch me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/it-is-so-much-safer-not-to-feel-not-to-let-the-world-touch-me/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) ## More by Janet Malcolm > [The camera is simply not the supple and powerful instrument of description that the pen is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-camera-is-simply-not-the-supple-and-powerful-instrument-of/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [“The writer ultimately tires of the subject's self-serving story, and substitutes a story of his own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-writer-ultimately-tires-of-the-subject-s-self-serving-story-and/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [Society mediates between the extremes of, on the one hand, intolerably strict morality and, on the other, dangerously anarchic permissiveness through an unspoken agreement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/society-mediates-between-the-extremes-of-on-the-one-hand-intolerably/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [Something seems to happen to people when they meet a journalist, and what happens is exactly the opposite of what one would expect. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/something-seems-to-happen-to-people-when-they-meet-a-journalist-and/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [The ‘I’ character in journalism is almost pure invention. Unlike the ‘I’ of autobiography, who is meant to be seen as a representation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-i-character-in-journalism-is-almost-pure-invention-unlike-the-i/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [I don't want to manipulate actuality; I want to record it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/i-don-t-want-to-manipulate-actuality-i-want-to-record-it/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [The journalistic 'I' is an overreliable narrator, a functionary to whom crucial tasks of narration and argument and tone have been entrusted, an ad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-journalistic-i-is-an-overreliable-narrator-a-functionary-to-whom/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [“The subject of a piece of writing has not suffered the tension and anxiety endured by the subject of the "Eichmann experiment" (as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-subject-of-a-piece-of-writing-has-not-suffered-the-tension-and/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [People talk in ungrammatical, unwriterly ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/people-talk-in-ungrammatical-unwriterly-ways/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [This is what it is the business of the artist to do. Art is theft, art is armed robbery, art is not pleasing your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/this-is-what-it-is-the-business-of-the-artist-to-do-art-is-theft-art/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [The journalist confines himself to the clean, gentlemanly work of exposing the griefs and shames of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-journalist-confines-himself-to-the-clean-gentlemanly-work-of/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [The dominant and most deep-dyed trait of the journalist is his timorousness. Where the novelist fearlessly plunges into the water of self-exposure, the journalist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-dominant-and-most-deep-dyed-trait-of-the-journalist-is-his/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [If I write a page a day, I feel very good about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/if-i-write-a-page-a-day-i-feel-very-good-about-it/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [“Something seems to happen to people when they meet a journalist, and what happens is exactly the opposite of what one would expect. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/something-seems-to-happen-to-people-when-they-meet-a-journalist-and-2/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [You could say that any book that takes a position is not fair, unless you keep saying, 'On the one hand, on the other...'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/you-could-say-that-any-book-that-takes-a-position-is-not-fair-unless/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) [Explore all 62 Janet Malcolm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) ## More Job quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [My very first real job in the industry was as a production assistant on a show called 'Infinity Factory' in 1976.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/my-very-first-real-job-in-the-industry-was-as-a-production-assistant/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [As much as you want to improve or help the team, as a centre-back your job is to go under the radar and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/as-much-as-you-want-to-improve-or-help-the-team-as-a-centre-back-your/) [Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/) > [Every coach in the league does an unbelievable job, and they're prepared and think you're going to outcoach people, or you think that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d-antoni/every-coach-in-the-league-does-an-unbelievable-job-and-they-re/) [Mike D'Antoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d-antoni/) > [In 2008, Barack Obama did a phenomenal job of reaching out to minority groups, to younger people, and a lot of newer voters, Hispanics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/in-2008-barack-obama-did-a-phenomenal-job-of-reaching-out-to-minority/) [George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [I was with Dre when he was just selling tapes. He didn't have a car, a license or a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-le/i-was-with-dre-when-he-was-just-selling-tapes-he-didn-t-have-a-car-a/) [Michel'le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-le/) > [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/) [Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. 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He is dependent upon the roles which are given him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/an-actor-doesn-t-have-a-regular-job-he-is-dependent-upon-the-roles/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) [Browse all 7,753 Job quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The autobiographer works in a treacherous terrain. 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