Foreword, by Mira Jacob
Introduction
CHAPTER 1
Why We Write: Interrogating Our Motivations for Writing About
Social Issues
· “Why I Write,” by George Orwell
· “Autobiographical Notes,” from Notes of a Native Son, by James
Baldwin
· “Ellaji and Lakshmiji,” by Kavita Das
CHAPTER 2
How We Are All Connected: Understanding the Relationship Between
the Writer, Reader, and Subject
· “Tramp,” by Kavita Das
· “Jyoti’s Rainbow,” by Kavita Das
· “Black and Blue,” by Garnette Cadogan
· “Football, Free on the Streets,” by Garnette Cadogan
CHAPTER 3
Diving In Deep or Casting Wide: Considering Context Versus
Narrative to Shape Our Stories
· “Red Ink of Revisionist History,” by Kavita Das
· “Selective Perception of Disinformation,” by Kavita Das
· “Introduction: This Land,” from An Indigenous Peoples’ History of
the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
· From “Fear” in Breathe: A Letter to My Sons, by Imani Perry
· “How Could I Write About Women Whose Existence Is Barely
Acknowledged?” by Gaiutra Bahadur
CHAPTER 4
Writing from Outside In or Inside Out: Reporting, Personal
Narrative, or a Hybrid Approach
· “COVID-19 Vaccine: What White Conservatives Can Learn from Black
Americans,” by Kavita Das
· “A Virulent Privilege,” by Kavita Das
· “La Otra,” adapted from Ordinary Girls, by Jaquira Díaz
· “The School-to-Prison Pipeline Is Getting Worse for Black and
Brown Girls,” by Jaquira Díaz
· “99 Years After the Tulsa Race Massacre, an Artist Reflects,” by
Crystal Z Campbell
CHAPTER 5
Staking a Claim: Writing Opinion Pieces (Op-Eds)
· “The Anti-Vaxxer Threat amid a Pandemic,” by Kavita Das
· “Tolerance Has a Fatal Flaw. This Is the Solution,” by Kavita
Das
· “Stories of Transracial Adoptees Must Be Heard—Even Uncomfortable
Ones,” by Nicole Chung
· “The Specter of Caste in Silicon Valley,” by Yashica Dutt
CHAPTER 6
Are You the Right Storyteller for This Story?: Understanding
Cultural Sensitivity and Avoiding Cultural Appropriation
· Introduction and Conclusion from White Negroes: When Cornrows
Were in Vogue . . . and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation,
by Lauren Michele Jackson
· “Who Gets to Write What?” by Kaitlyn Greenidge
· “How to Unlearn Everything: When It Comes to Writing the
‘Other,&rsrquo; What Questions Are We Not Asking?” by Alexander
Chee
· “Who Gets to Write About Whom: Examining Authority, Authenticity,
and Appropriation in Biography,” by Kavita Das
CHAPTER 7
Ripple Effects of Making Waves: Implications (Good and Bad) of
Writing About Social Issues
· “Writers Shouldn’t Romanticize Rejection,” by Kavita Das
· “Recovering My Fifth Sense,” by Kavita Das
· “There Is No One Way,” by Alice Wong
· “Stepping on a Star,” from We Wear the Mask: 15 True Stories of
Passing in America, by Gabrielle Bellot
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Recommended Resources
About Kavita Das, Author
About Mira Jacob, Foreword Writer
About the Contributors
Notes
Permissions
Kavita Das has taught nonfiction writing at the New School and Catapult and has written about social issues for ten years. Previously, she worked in the social change sector for fifteen years, addressing issues ranging from community and housing inequities to public health disparities and racial injustice. Das is also the author of the biography Poignant Song- The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar. Find her online at kavitadas.com and on Twitter (@kavitamix).
“Through concise language and well-chosen excerpts, Das delivers a
one-of-a-kind writing guide that’s pitch-perfect for her niche.
Activists ready to put pen to paper won’t want to miss this.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Das’s rare gift is her ability to demystify a subject of so much
anxiety and debate.”
—Ali Sharpe, LIBER
“A useful primer for writers who are newer to writing about social
change, regardless of their overall writing experience . . . Those
steeped in social justice discourse will encounter many familiar
concepts and references, all of which can lead to new or deepened
insights upon being revisited.”
—Hippocampus Magazine
“Craft and Conscience is that rigorously researched and lushly
written ‘How-to’ book that every single human who has dared to
write needs in our lives. . . . Rarely do we get books that
encourage readers to reconsider how we read and write.
Intellectually and soulfully invigorating.”
—Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy
“A gift to writers and justice seekers everywhere! Craft and
Conscience is a handbook for how to wield words to shape culture
and inspire change.”
—Valarie Kaur, civil rights leader and author of See No
Stranger
“Das constructs a vocabulary, a methodology, and an ethics for
socially engaged writing, while bringing together a staggering
range of writers and issues. . . . This book has restored my faith
in the written word.”
—Lacy M. Johnson, author of The Reckonings
“Das gathers up a wide-ranging and whip-smart array of thinkers
while serving us a feast of timely advocacy and learning.”
—Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders
“Kavita Das has assembled a vital primer on writing with purpose, a
guidebook that our turbulent times demand.”
—Jabari Asim, author of We Can’t Breathe
“A book of phenomenal intelligence, generosity, and wisdom, and
indispensable for the classroom and for anyone who wants to make
words matter.”
—Marie Mutsuki Mockett, author of American Harvest
“Brilliant! A must-read for anyone who cares deeply about social
and political issues and wants to make their own voice heard.”
—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, author of The Stowaway
“Kavita Das orients us with great precision to the many
contradictory considerations that nonfiction writers face. . . . I
found myself reading and nodding in agreement, thinking: yes,
that’s exactly right!”
—Daisy Hernández, author of The Kissing Bug
“A fascinating and forceful guide to stepping up and speaking out
on the page.”
—Susan Shapiro, author of The Byline Bible
“An instructive guide for writers hoping to move the needle.”
—Matthew Salesses, author of Craft in the Real World
“Kavita Das’s book is part how-to, part call to action. . . . It is
more needed than ever.”
—S. Mitra Kalita, founder and publisher of Epicenter NYC and
cofounder of URL Media
“For writers seeking guidance on how to write about social justice
with compassion and insight.”
—Tanaïs, author of In Sensorium
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