Every month, this newsletter will include an investigation, some explorations, and an activity.
INVESTIGATION: Examining your subject (yourself)
So often, we think more about what we are writing about rather than from where we are writing. Our own bodies and perspectives are a place that we can (and probably should) explore.
This month, we will explore our identities and positions as writers of creative nonfiction. Most people talk about the "I" versus the "eye" as a way of SHOWING a story rather than TELLING it. An easy example:
"He cried." (telling) versus "His face was wet." (showing)
This month, we are going to think about the “I” versus “eye” in the context of our own subjectivity.
When we write from the "I," we write a story as we remember it with a commitment to our own perspective. There's nothing wrong with that, but there also might be more to explore.
When we write from the "eye," we consider our own identity in relation to the scene and the “others” who may be present. Think of: looking at your own experience from the outside with an actual, external eyeball.
Think about power dynamics. Take a step outside your own perspective. Recognize that truths are plural.
Before we enter the page, we have the opportunity to excavate the "lenses" we see through. We have a really thrilling opportunity to ask ourselves: What position am I writing from? Why am I writing from that position? And how am I writing it?
For example:
Am I writing from the position of the hero or the victim?
Am I writing from the position of a lived experience? Or something I witnessed in the external world? Is this more of an ethnography, where I was immersed in something that felt like it belonged to some other group of people? (We will focus on ethnography next month).
Am I writing from a position of power? Where is my/the power in the scene I am writing about, in relation to me?
And what lenses am I seeing this scene through? Some of my common lenses are my mother lens, my daughter lens, my (white) woman lens, my working class lens, my southern American lens, etc.
EXPLORATION: On the outside, looking in
Below, you'll find a series of videos that explore different topics. As you're watching, take note of your position as a viewer, the position of the main "actors" in the videos, and the position of the storytellers in each.
How to explore:
Watch as much of each video as you need to find a scene that moves you, then pause. This can be 5 seconds or the whole video.
Write one paragraph about each video (scene). Begin your paragraph with: The difference between the actors and observers in this video is…
If you want to go one layer deeper, write a second paragraph about this video. Begin this paragraph with: When I watch this video, I feel _____ and am reminded of ______. Then write a scene from your own life.
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