The AWP panel entitled "Selling Out Everyone You Love: The Ethics of Nonfiction" was entirely relevant to not only our current class discussion but also my project in general. It was relevant to our current class discussion because the panelists explained the problems and ethics they've had to confront as they write about those they love. This made me realize that getting approval from IRB is important because there are ethics involved with writing nonfiction--even creative nonfiction--that I need to be aware of as I write my collection of essays. They gave a few pieces of advice that I'd like to comment on:
1. "Remain humble about recollection." One of the panelists said (only half jokingly) that there are more versions of memories about a story than there are people in the story. Because of this, everyone has their version of "the truth," which can make the writer's version of the truth be different from other's. "The truth" is a touchy topic in nonfiction because there is often so much grey space around the space of memory and recollection. Being humble about recollection will be helpful because it gives the writer an opportunity to acknowledge that their memory isn't necessarily the most correct, and to acknowledge that what actually happened ("the facts") may be different from our memory. This piece of advice wil be essential because when presenting a memory or story where other people are involved, a writer must always be careful and humble in recalling such information. A writer has to put forth his or her own perspective on the story or memory as accurately as possible, but allow other people the liberty of disagreement.
2. "Make sure you know what you are saying and why." This is essential because it emphasizes that everything you write about--especially when dealing with another person--should have a purpose. There is no use sharing personal information about other people when there isn't a clear and specific purpose for doing so. As far as my writing goes, I always try to ask myself if the meaning of the piece would change if I omitted any information, and if not, is it necessary to add to the essay or story? Unnecessarily disclosing information about others will never turn out well.
3. "Be fair when you write about others." I have to say, first off, that many of the panelists were memoirists and not essayists, which is big difference because the memoirists more often write in detail about experiences like divorce, abuse, and other such traumatic experiences that can more directly affect other people involved in the story. Essays typically focus around an idea rather than a story, but typically involve some sort of story that informs the idea. Because of this, essayists still need to be aware of these ethics, although they might not deal as directly or as often with traumatic or potentially damning information about others. However, it is always essential to be fair to other people when you write about them. Including another's story in your writing is potentially dangerous ground, so one good question to ask is this: "would I want this to be said about me?" And this leads me to my final point:
4. "Selling yourself out." One of the panelists said that he often sells himself out as much or more than he sells other people out. This is important because if the writer takes on a certain amount of responsibility in the matter, he or she won't place all of the blame squarely on another person's shoulders. A common tone in essays is self-deprecation because self-deprecation allows writers to incriminate themselves and question their own motives as much or more than other people. This goes back to the idea of humility. If writers acknowledge that they are imperfect, that their memory is imperfect, they might be more approachable and readers will be more likely to connect to their writing. No one wants to read nonfiction from an arrogant person who places blame on others without admitting their own guilt. The classical British essayists that I will be studying are many times a perfect example of humility and self-deprecation--they will be a good place to start when I attempt this attribute or tone in my own essays.
And that is the wealth of insight I received from this particular panel (:
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