ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces readers to various analytical perspectives on the concept of authorship, as well as the role of culture in our personal development of a sense of self. The first section explores the concepts of authorship and selfhood, drawing upon traditions from Romantic literature, the Auteur Theory, post-structuralism, and fan studies. It references examples from children's book author/illustrator David Macaulay and filmmaker Agnes Varda. The second section uses this framework in an analysis of the Star Wars franchise and its fan cultures. The third section introduces an activity called Textual Poaching, in which participants remix a piece of popular culture as a means of deconstructing the media's representation of some characteristic or community with whom they identify. The activity encourages participants to reflect on how they have been represented in media culture as well as how media has contributed to their identity-formation.
