Writing Across Difference

“Can I write about that?” The question of cultural appropriation is a complicated one, and so too are its answers. We'll examine strategies for researching and portraying lives unlike our own that reflect social and historical context and the fullness of a character’s humanity. We'll work on writing exercises and discuss texts by Viet Thanh Nguyen, Toni Morrison, and Elaine Castillo, among others, who write responsibly and respectfully across race, age, gender, class, and other elements of identity.