“My Insides Feel Like Keith Richards’ Face”: A Narrative Analysis of Humor and Biographical Disruption in Young Adults’ Cancer Blogs

ABSTRACT

In this thematic narrative analysis, I examine how three young adult (YA) cancer survivors use humor and the five functions of illness-related storytelling in personal blogs maintained across the cancer trajectory to describe and counter their age-distinct biographical disruption. In 370 blog entries, YA narrators employed humor to facilitate biographical reconstruction and achieve “aligning moments” with audiences. Researchers and practitioners can use YA blogs to better understand the interpersonal health communication challenges associated with medical decision-making, altered social identities, the “void” following the completion of primary treatment, uncertainty about disclosure, and social isolation from other YA survivors.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Drs. Tom Lindlof, Allison Scott Gordon, Sara Shaunfield, Rashmi Luthra, and Troy Murphy for their guidance and edits on drafts of this project.