Commitment to Diversity And Inclusion Statement

Diversity and Inclusion in the Creative Composition Classroom

A creative writing classroom is a place for young artists to find and develop their artistic voices. Creating a personal aesthetic requires space for guided experimentation. But first, the creative student must reckon with their vulnerability to build confidence. A sense of empowerment is critical for their aesthetic consciousness to develop. In the past, creative writing courses have leaned towards imitation to develop a student’s personal aesthetic awareness. White male writers have been the standard for literary excellence in the past and, as such, are widely read and held as the standard for imitation. The imitation method becomes problematic when universally applied to students who don’t reflect their imitating writers’ cultural perspectives or ideologies. Being taught that there is only one way for students to write a character or present expository information is narrow and limiting when considering the students might approach the artistry of writing through a different cultural or biological lens.

To encourage my students to find their authentic artistic voices, I provide a variety of perspectives in the literature we read and study in class. For example, I include traditionally marginalized writers on the reading list in my creative courses so the students can encounter a variety of approaches to telling a story, writing a poem, or crafting a memoir. Some books I’ve found helpful in the classroom are Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz, Cool for You by Eileen Myles, and Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer. Providing a variety of voices helps the students gain the confidence to write their own truth.

Gaining confidence in their voice also requires a community that will support the student while they practice their authentic voice and develop their personal aesthetic. To create a sense of community and to encourage discussion among the students, instead of fostering a reliance on my input, I like to arrange the desks in a circle. This way, we can face each other, and the students can participate in discourse as equals without turning to the front of the classroom to look for guidance. Letting go of the lecture positioning in the creative classroom frees the student from the burden of wondering if they are “doing it right.” It allows them to foster a community of writers and build relationships they can turn to for meaningful aesthetic conversations inside and outside the classroom. Letting go of the lecture dynamic also encourages creative students to take risks they might not otherwise take without the support of their colleagues.

Another way I foster confidence in my students is by focusing workshop discussions around the writer’s intentions rather than focusing on what might be problematic if a particular piece were compared to a canonized work of fiction or poetry that might be attempting a similar effect. Instead of focusing on prescriptive comments, I encourage questions about the piece itself. Offering questions allows the author to retain a sense of empowerment in their artistic abilities. It allows them to consider critiques that might not align with what they want to say.

While teaching at Georgia State University for the past five years I have encountered a variety of students. As a commuter school, GSU offers courses to students who are multilingual and from various cultural backgrounds. Serving a predominantly black population of students, I encourage conversations about systemic oppression as well as offer literature that evokes culturally important conversations. I choose literature that is written from traditionally under or unrepresented populations such as BIPOC and LGBTQIA authors.

I am sensitive to the difficulties of learning a new language and therefore I do not grade grammar. This isn’t to say I won’t correct grammar to fit the standardized American vernacular.  I like to have a conversation about the differences in vernacular. What is academic vernacular? What is conversational vernacular? What is code-switching? It is important that students are aware of the systems they are participating in, as much as it is important that they understand the power structures that created these systems. I teach the students to adopt the Academic Vernacular while acknowledging the cultural inequalities that come along with these structures. I have taught many multilingual students who are self-conscious of their grammatical skills. Instead of expecting a student to know English grammatical structures, I incorporate a few lessons here and there to address common mistakes. While teaching at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, I encountered several immigrant students. To help the students who needed more than my mini-lessons on comma splices, I asked the tutoring center to come in and speak to the students about how to utilize the tutoring program which offers more individualized attention. I also invite students to come chat during office hours or virtual office hours.

I am careful to know what technology software any college or university I am working for offers to the students. Often students don’t know they already pay for these tools. I usually will announce where the students can find these things in class and show them how to access them on the computer. I’ve often dealt with students who have children or jobs and full lives outside of school. I am sympathetic to the needs of non-traditional students. I will not penalize a late paper or two if life happens. But I do ask that students hold themselves accountable to reach the high standard of the university level student.