Write Where It Hurts – an online forum for scholars doing deeply personal teaching, research and / or activism within and beyond the academy – invites guest blog posts (500 – 1500 words generally) regarding navigating the emotional, political and inequitable aspects of scholarly practice and experience. As part of our ongoing efforts to shine a light on the personal elements of academic and applied experience as well as provide a space for voices from a variety of backgrounds and groups, we seek those wishing to share their experiences, educate others, and encourage debate around such issues. We thus encourage contributions from people from various backgrounds, disciplines, perspectives, and careers. We further welcome and encourage anonymous posts by scholars seeking to draw attention to important issues while lacking the institutional, financial or other forms of security often necessary to speak out in one’s own name. Submissions should be emailed to wewritewhereithurts@gmail.com. Please briefly describe your own biography, your decision to be anonymous or named in your post, and how your post fits into the focus of the blog. You can gain more information at our contributor page or by emailing us directly at the aforementioned address.

Suggested Contributions

 

Personal narratives concerning the following:

Conducting research in an area that is personally salient

Managing negative and / or positive emotions that arise in the course of research

Teaching subjects that resonate with lived experience and / or trauma

Engaging in activism within the context of the academy

Engaging in activism via the use of personal experience

Conducting research in marginalized or controversial areas of study

 

Experiences navigating the following:

Gender and sexual nonconformity in the academy and beyond

Racial marginalization and / or empowerment in the academy and beyond

Neuro-atypical experiences in scholarship and advocacy

Experiences with chronic mental and / or physical health conditions

Navigating intersections of race, class, sex, gender, sexualities, relationships, religion,

age and / or nationality in the academy or activist settings

Navigating familial, personal, work, and / or romantic life balances and trade offs

 

Graduate student experiences with:

Publishing and job market concerns

Navigating PHD programs and academic structures

Interacting with other scholars at conferences or in other settings

Participating in campus efforts at reform or change

Building online and other public profiles

Balancing the needs of a graduate program with aspects of personal, political, and occupational

experience

 

Advice concerning the following:

Completing PHD programs (i.e., comprehensive exams, thesis and dissertation, networking, etc.)

The Job Market (i.e., academic and applied)

Challenges in the classroom

Challenges to research endeavors

Challenges to activism endeavors

Department and conference politics

 

Personal experiences and advice regarding the following:

Dating in academia

Parenthood / Pregnancy in academia

Nonreligion / Religion in academia

Race, class, gender, and / or sexual marginalization in academia

Discrimination in academia

Me-search and / or Imposter Syndrome and / or Insecurity in academia