Amy Leshinsky (Curry College)

In a political climate that seeks to remove texts from classrooms and libraries, educators have a responsibility to remember what Toni Morrison so aptly articulated – that “access to knowledge is superb, the supreme act of truly great civilizations.” While states like Florida and Texas receive more press regarding censorship than our northeast states, the problem is widespread. The Boston Public Library lists memoirs on their banned books webpage like Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle and Patrick Moore’s Tweaked, as well as literature based on lived experience like Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Educators empower students through narrative nonfiction and writing that allows for empathy, candid discussion, and articulation of self. This roundtable will seek to examine how narrative nonfiction literature and writing is used in a variety of contexts and courses to engage students and empower them to embrace facets of their identities and strengthen their ties to our national and international community.

The implications of this roundtable are multifaceted. First, educators will leave the session with fresh, unique ideas to bring into their classrooms and courses. Second, through telling their own experience as educators, this session models what it seeks to empower educators to do in their classrooms: use first-person experience to inspire and engage. Finally, this discussion of narrative nonfiction opens the dialogue to challenges and censorship concerns that arrive from the diverse voices we have a responsibility to share within our classrooms.

This roundtable seeks collegiate voices that will contribute to a robust conversation on narrative nonfiction literature and writing with a focus on how we help students navigate conceptions of their identity and negotiate their place in the world. Topics can include, but are not limited to:

The Role of Narrative Nonfiction Literature and Writing in one of the following:

(1) Building Empathy

(2) Identity Exploration

(3) Social Justice Education

(4) Empowerment

Cross-disciplinary approaches to Narrative Nonfiction Literature and Writing

Digital Literacy and Narrative Nonfiction Literature and Writing

Censorship challenges to Narrative Nonfiction Literature

Global Perspectives in Narrative Nonfiction Literature

This roundtable seeks collegiate voices that will contribute to a robust conversation on narrative nonfiction literature and writing with a focus on how we use narrative nonfictiton and writing to help students navigate conceptions of their identity and negotiate their place in the world. Topics can include, but are not limited to: Building Empathy, Identity Exploration, Social Justice Education, Empowerment, Cross-disciplinary approaches, Digital Literacy, Censorship challenges, and Global Perspectives.