developing writers
Anna Smith, educational researcher & teacher educator blogging about composition in the digital age, contexts for learning, theories of development, and global youth.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Dangers of the Single Story and Teju Cole’s Small Fates Series
“Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.”
“It is impossible to talk about the single story without talking about power.”
“All of these stories make me who I am, but to insist on only these negative stories is to flatten my experience and to overlook the many other stories that formed me.”
“Stories matter. Many stories matter.”
(Again, I have nothing to add. She’s said it all. And said it beautifully. I happened to watch this while working on my syllabus for the Literature and the Adolescent Experience course next semester. It was perfect timing for me. I hope it is perfect timing for you, too.)Edit: I do have something to add…
Teju Cole’s Small Fates Series: A Source for Such Stories
Today Teju Cole tweeted his composing processes for his Small Fates Series. If you don’t know about the series, here is the most recent Small Fates tweets he published:
Since his tenant Edith wouldn't volunteer to leave, Onukafor released a snake in her apartment to encourage her. In Ago-Okota.—
Teju Cole (@tejucole) January 08, 2013
In that single tweet, he’s amplified an otherwise missing story. Thank you for sharing these otherwise missing stories, Teju, and thank you for sharing the processes. This is a great response to those who think there is little to no real composing in tweets. I recommend watching the following in a slideshow format to get the full effect, but they are also listed below from my Storify version of his tweeted processes:
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More from Teju Cole. This time commentary on the Twitter hashtag #firstworldproblems. Very appropriate to this topic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/11/whats-wrong-with-firstworldproblems/248829/