In the course of her study, Schmidt extensively analyzes each represented genre: the degree of proximity to the author's lived experience, how each forms a relationship with the imagined reader, and its advantages and risks as a vehicle for exploring one's own illness. By connecting illness writing to disability studies—a field rapidly gaining attention in (feminist) scholarship—Schmidt further frames the reading and writing of these texts as political: "To share the knowledge gained from an experience of illness with the reading public—against convention and despite the artistic and personal risks this involves—is recognized here as an ethical act" (6). Examining these two unconventional literary works (Schlingensief's published diary includes transcriptions of audio recordings and then a series of blog posts; Herrndorf's is a blog that was later published as a book), Schmidt remains attentive to form, their relationship with the reader, and what possibilities they might offer the illness narrative.