My Name Is Barbra

How does Streisand portray the press and the media in her memoir? What impact do they have on her public image?

Streisand often discusses the difficulties of fame. What rhetorical techniques does she use to avoid being seen as whining about good fortune? Are there blind spots to her assertion that she is just a regular person?

Streisand’s interest in politics and philanthropy often bleeds into the art she makes. How do these interests come through in her memoir?

Though most of her memoir is chronological, Streisand also jumps around in time to discuss specific topics. How does her manipulation of chronology affect reader experiences of the text?

Streisand includes letters, reviews, song lyrics, and other written ephemera. What impact do these insertions have on the memoir? What is Streisand trying to convey about her art by making these additions to the text?

My Name Is Barbra is dedicated to Streisand’s parents. What role do her parents play in shaping her life, career, and memoir? How does her relationship with her parents translate into how she sees other mentors and parental figures?

Streisand ends the last chapter of her book with a political call to action. How does this affect the tone of the book?

How does Streisand’s subjectivity as the narrator affect how facts and rumors about her appear in her memoir?