A Christmas Carol, a New York Times Bestseller

How do you tell the story of your life? Do you focus on meaning, accomplishment and hope — or on failure and loss? Psychologists say telling a good life story can make you happier. But do we also create an inauthentic version of ourselves if we turn everything into a narrative? We explore the idea of life stories, and hear why poet and singer Patti Smith chose to "write about nothing" when writing about her own life.

Original Air Date: October 23, 2016

Guests:

Timothy Wilson — Charles Monroe-Kane — Galen Strawson — Alissa Quart — Patti Smith

Interviews In This Hour:

How to Edit Your Life Story — The Terminal Bar: A Tale of Smuggling Money to Post-Communist Prague — The Problem with Life Stories — Alissa Quart On 'Days of Abandonment' and 'Sleepless Nights' — Patti Smith's Mind Train

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