In our October face-to-face session on “Conversations about the Work,” one shared concern was how to engage with Problematic Statements in Creative Work. Microaggressions and problematic and offensive statements are everywhere. This will be a much, much longer, harder conversation that needs due consideration and space. For now… Here are suggestions if you are willing to have these conversations. If, however, you are negatively impacted by the content, one option is to have the instructor intervene. I have definitely done so – something that I felt I had to carry alone (because I love my job and care about my students!) became a moment of connection and mutual support.
Ask for Clarification:
- “I want to make sure that I understand. When you wrote [X], were you saying that […]?”
- “Can you please clarify what you mean by [x].”
- “Can you tell me what you were you hoping to communicate with [this line, that comment, etc.]?”
- Questions from journalism: Why are you the person to write this story? And why now?
Explore Impact:
- “Who do you imagine is the audience for this piece? And how do you think they will receive it?”
- “When you are writing about [x], what impact do you think it has? And why?
- “I’m concerned that some might take that to mean [x]. What might be another approach?”
- “I understand that you intend to convey [x] and I believe that your intentions are good, and perhaps consider that it might have the unintended consequence [y].”
- “I see your intention, what do you hope this adds to the conversation around [x]?”
Send Resources & Insight (more to come!)
- Alicia Elliott https://roommagazine.com/writing/seeing-and-being-seen-difference-between-writing-empathy-and-writing-love
- Elijah Anderson https://penniur.upenn.edu/index.php/publications/black-in-white-space
- Gwen Benaway https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/the-power-and-the-violence-of-being-an-indigenous-trans-woman/
- Rachael Sullivan’s Resources (from TA Orientation) https://forum.creativewriting.ubc.ca/index.php?/topic/21529-ta-orientation-videos/
- Robin DiAngelo https://bigthink.com/videos/how-to-solve-racism