Decolonizing Nonfiction: What it Means to Write in an ‘American Invention’

November 9, 2018

NonfictionNOW featured a slew of diverse writers and panels this year. During the panel “Decolonizing Nonfiction,” four Southeast Asian authors brought a perspective to nonfiction that I had not yet seen as a young, Latina woman growing up in the Southwestern United States. They began the panel by introducing which parts of Southeast Asia they had come from so that the audience could understand the circumstances that had informed their writing. I found it interesting as writers Daryll Delgado, Lawrence LacambraYpil, Wilfredo Pascual, and Ruihe Zhang sat before an audience of predominantly white writers and explained their journey into the world of nonfiction–an “American invention,” as Zhang calls is. … More Decolonizing Nonfiction: What it Means to Write in an ‘American Invention’

NFN2018: “Sub/urban Environmental Writing”

November 6, 2018

Sub/urban environmental writing is not simply blurry-eyed nostalgia for a greener past, spewing anger for a potentially bleak future, or ruminating guiltily over our less-than-conscientious, human activities. It can be humorous, charming, and contemporary. And these five, accomplished authors and activists are calling all writers to action. … More NFN2018: “Sub/urban Environmental Writing”

A Clogged Drain, Box of Rocks, a Fish’s Heart: How Writers Structure their Collections

November 1, 2018

In a conference for writers, metaphors will rule. Do text and textiles share more than just a Latin root? Are collections like dead fish or disgusting birds? Are they like unruly orphans, clogged drains or music albums? … More A Clogged Drain, Box of Rocks, a Fish’s Heart: How Writers Structure their Collections

Writing the Diné Presence into Existence: An Interview with Laura Tohe

October 17, 2018

Laura Tohe is a distinguished poet, author, and editor from the Diné community whose creative work challenges the public perception of the Diné experience. Tohe has been published extensively and won myriad awards, including being named Navajo Poet Laureate in 2015. … More Writing the Diné Presence into Existence: An Interview with Laura Tohe

Science Confirms: The Aesthetic Sublime is Pretty Right On

October 12, 2018

Caspar David Friedrich’s “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” (1818) is one of the most famous paintings of the 19th century, and is often used to describe the era’s cultural concerns, as well as to highlight how damn well they dressed. The painting is often used to illustrate 18th and early 19th century notions of … More Science Confirms: The Aesthetic Sublime is Pretty Right On