Living in Writing

Alive in the Writing: Crafting Ethnography in the Company of Chekhov

Recommended by Howard S. Becker, Lonato Rosaldo, George Marcus, James Clifford, Ruth Behar and other famous scholars!
Included in the reading lists for courses on ethnographic writing, ethnographic research, and cross-cultural analysis at universities such as Lund University in Sweden, Rutgers University in the United States, and the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.
More than just a guide, this book serves as a gentle companion and bright encouragement during your writing process, helping you cope with the isolation, lack of inspiration, uncertainty, and self-doubt that every writer may experience during their writing process.
A highly inspiring journey of writing exploration. It does not teach you "you have to do it this way", but encourages you to "give it a try this way".
"Anyone with a story to tell should own this book"
This guidebook cleverly juxtaposes ethnographic study with creative writing. Through meticulous analysis of the master writer Chekhov's "Sakhalin Travels" and numerous ethnographic texts, this book demonstrates how to capture and present the vivid human experience of everyday life with keen observation, refined narrative techniques, and empathetic description. Even more valuable, author Kiren Narayan also shares his own experiences as an anthropologist and writer, making this a fascinating text that combines writing guide, biography, and literary analysis, presenting a vivid and innovative exploration of ethnographic writing.
Throughout, there are also numerous writing suggestions and exercises covering themes such as story, theory, place, people, voice, and self. From ethnographic writers to creative writers, nonfiction writers, and writers in general, this book can provide a practical skill in text construction that perfectly combines creativity, literary quality, and academic rigor.
【Expert Recommendation】
Narayan skillfully weaves together the threads of Anton Chekhov's investigations of Sakhalin and his literary and ethnographic output, her selection of contemporary ethnographic works, and her personal experiences as an anthropologist and professor. This book will be useful to anyone considering writing an ethnography. Read it, use it. You won't find anything better.
——Howard S. Becker, famous American sociologist and representative of the Chicago School The comfort brought by this book is that people realize that in those seemingly lonely moments, when ethnographers strive to transform the invisible, difficult to measure, and sometimes unspeakable powerful existence of field work - caused by ethical concerns for protecting interviewees - into understandable text, they are not alone.
—Michael Herzfeld, Professor of Anthropology at Harvard University "Narayan draws patterns from ethnographic writing and provides an inspiring model for future ethnographic writing. I am eager to teach this book in my classroom and equally eager to learn from it."
—Leila Abu-Lughod, Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University "Living in Writing" is a pleasure to read. It provides rich exercises for cultivating ethnographers, and the story about "Chekhov as an ethnographer" is a pleasant surprise.
—Ronato Rosaldo, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at New York University, author of The Ilonggo Headhunters Narayan’s writing sparkles with all the brilliance of Chekhov’s work—succinctness, precision, boldness, a desire to tell things as they are, and interspersed with love, humor, and an unwavering curiosity about what makes humans so interesting.
—Ruth Behar, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan Ethnographers will find solace in this book, a haven from loneliness and suffering. This guide, written by one of the most distinguished ethnographers, offers readers a one-on-one writing workshop. It's captivating, therapeutic, and incredibly practical. The author's mother, a keen reader, once told her, "A lot of people I know have no problem continuing to write. The big question I want to know is, do you know how to help people actually put the pieces of their minds together?" With the help of Anton Chekhov, her muse and a writer of her own, Narayan did just that.
—George Marcus, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine “This is a short but brilliant book that explores what it means to be an ethnologist and how to do that work responsibly and effectively.
--James Wood, renowned British critic and professor of literature at Harvard University "Wise, clear, and loving, this insightful guide will inspire and motivate students, teachers, and anyone else lost in the writing process."
—James Clifford, Professor Emeritus of the History of Consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz "Living in Writing" is a gem. Insightful and engaging, it will benefit beginners, experienced ethnographers, and anyone seeking to improve their writing about social life. Inspired by his own work as an anthropologist and folklorist, Narayan draws on Chekhov's life and his ethnography, Sakhalin, as well as the work of other ethnographers, to offer a series of imaginative, engaging, and deeply practical exercises and suggestions for bringing ethnographic writing to life.
—Elizabeth Fein, Professor of Humanities, Virginia Tech

2024-08-01

华东师范大学出版社

Mint Experiment

320

9787576044768