Undoing the Silence offers guidance to help both citizens and professionals influence democratic process through letters, articles, reports and public testimony. Louise Dunlap, PhD, began her career as an activist writing instructor during the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s. She learned that listening and gaining a feel for audience are just as important to social transformation as the outspoken words of student leaders atop police cars. "Free speech is a first step, but real communication matches speech with listening and understanding. That is when thinking shifts and change happens." Dunlap felt compelled to go where the silences were deepest because her work aimed not just at teaching but also at healing both individual voices and an ailing collective voice. Her tales of those adventures and what she knows about the culture of silence -- how gender, race, education, class, and family work to quiet dissent -- are interwoven with practical methods for people to put their most challenging ideas into words. Louise Dunlap gives writing workshops around the country for universities and social justice, environmental, and peace organizations that help reluctant writers get past their internal censors to find their powerful voice. Her insight strengthens strategic thinking and her "You can do it!" approach makes social-action writing achievable for everyone.
"An insightful look at the historical damages early colonizers of America caused and how their descendants may recognize and heal the harm done to the earth and native peoples. Louise Dunlap tells the story of beloved land in California's Napa Valley: how the land fared during the onslaught of colonization and how it fares now in the drought, development, and wildfires that are its consequences. She looks to awaken others to consider their own ancestors' role in colonization and encourage them to begin reparations for the harmful actions of those who came before. More broadly, the book offers a way for readers to evaluate their own current life actions and the lasting impact they can have on society and the planet"--
A look at the history of the idea of the objective journalist and how this very ideal can often be used to undercut itself. In The View from Somewhere, Lewis Raven Wallace dives deep into the history of “objectivity” in journalism and how its been used to gatekeep and silence marginalized writers as far back as Ida B. Wells. At its core, this is a book about fierce journalists who have pursued truth and transparency and sometimes been punished for it—not just by tyrannical governments but by journalistic institutions themselves. He highlights the stories of journalists who question “objectivity” with sensitivity and passion: Desmond Cole of the Toronto Star; New York Times reporter Linda Greenhouse; Pulitzer Prize-winner Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah; Peabody-winning podcaster John Biewen; Guardian correspondent Gary Younge; former Buzzfeed reporter Meredith Talusan; and many others. Wallace also shares his own experiences as a midwestern transgender journalist and activist who was fired from his job as a national reporter for public radio for speaking out against “objectivity” in coverage of Trump and white supremacy. With insightful steps through history, Wallace stresses that journalists have never been mere passive observers. Using historical and contemporary examples—from lynching in the nineteenth century to transgender issues in the twenty-first—Wallace offers a definitive critique of “objectivity” as a catchall for accurate journalism. He calls for the dismissal of this damaging mythology in order to confront the realities of institutional power, racism, and other forms of oppression and exploitation in the news industry. The View from Somewhere is a compelling rallying cry against journalist neutrality and for the validity of news told from distinctly subjective voices.
In love with Presence, Stuart's vision is radically "non dual" - a perfect foil for the thoroughly conditioned, dualistic image maker, story teller called the mind. At first, his approach to mind might appear too pithy. "Your mind is not your friend. Leave it alone." And "if you want a quiet mind, don't listen." But wisdom often hides behind simple, direct phrases. Most of Stuart's verse offerings included in the five chapters of this book have arisen out of silence during the past few months, while others have appeared over a longer period of time. While the words and phrases themselves could not be more modern and colloquial, the poems have arranged themselves nicely into classical yogic themes: Vedanta's 'world-as-object' or Illusion; Attachment to the Illusion brought about by wrong identification with 'body/mind'; the separate, isolated Me as the centerpiece of limited, egoic 'becoming'; Mind, which is merely another word for thought which conditions all existence; and, finally Awakening to and in no-thing. Some of the aphorisms are presented from the first person perspective of the individual who at times exults in new found freedom and at others awakens only to a new found appreciation of his or her awful predicament as a body/mind. Others bespeak teachings directly from the mouth of the Impersonal Itself. Whatever the form, these Western sutras are uncompromising in their spirit and message. Characteristically, when asked, Stuart describes them simply as 'disarming.' They are both a map of Advaita's 'pathless path' and a statement beyond fact. "The Great Undoing is a remarkable book, tender and fiercely direct, it feeds discernment! Thank you, Stuart." Pamela Wilson
From “one of the bravest, smartest writers about addiction anywhere” (Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author)—the untold story of harm reduction, a surprisingly simple idea with enormous power Drug overdoses now kill more Americans annually than guns, cars or breast cancer. But we have tried to solve this national crisis with policies that only made matters worse. In the name of “sending the right message,” we have maximized the spread of infectious disease, torn families apart, incarcerated millions of mostly Black and Brown people—and utterly failed to either prevent addiction or make effective treatment for it widely available. There is another way, one that is proven to work. However, it runs counter to much of the received wisdom of our criminal and medical industrial complexes. It is called harm reduction. Developed and championed by an outcast group of people who use drugs and by former users and public health geeks, harm reduction offers guidance on how to save lives and improve health. And it provides a way of understanding behavior and culture that has relevance far beyond drugs. In a spellbinding narrative rooted in an urgent call to action, Undoing Drugs tells the story of how a small group of committed people changed the world, illuminating the power of a great idea. It illustrates how hard it can be to take on widely accepted conventional wisdom—and what is necessary to overcome this resistance. It is also about how personal, direct human connection and kindness can inspire profound transformation. Ultimately, Undoing Drugs offers a path forward—revolutionizing not only the treatment of addiction, but also our treatment of behavioral and societal issues.
The dozen personal essays in this collection, from patients and their caregivers, nurses, social workers, and physicians, address the devastating human results that can occur from a lack of communication and understanding among those in the health care profession. Medical error--much of it traceable to simple lack of communication--costs billions of dollars each year, in addition to the less quantifiable costs of the loss of trust in doctor-patient relationships and the decline in morale among health care professionals. These powerful stories illustrate the need to find ways to break these potentially lethal silences. In "Mrs. Kelly," a doctor obeying his superior's order sends a man home from the emergency room against his better judgment, agonizes over his decision, and later calls the man's widow to apologize. In "In Praise of Osmosis," a critical-care nurse pressures a hospital's hierarchy to authorize the continuous renal replacement therapy her patient needs to prevent imminent and irreversible damage to his kidneys. In "You Have the Right to Remain Silent," an inmate's sister must fight her way through miles of red tape to get treatment for the Hepatitis-C her brother contracted in prison. Inspired by groundbreaking research by VitalSmarts, a global leader in organizational performance and leadership, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and supported by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Lee Gutkind, editor of the journal Creative Nonfiction, has collected the essays in this volume--with the hope that these voices, speaking out, taking action and risks, will inspire others to make changes that will improve communication within our troubled health caresystem.
Undo Motherhood explores the reasons why a significant number of women around the world today regret becoming mothers. The women in this project love their children and are excellent mothers when judged according to society's standards, and yet they hate the oppressive mother role that robbed them of their own existence and suffer through it in silence, feeling it to be the worst mistake they have made. In this book, Diana Karklin combines two narrative languages: her photography and her interviews with women. It is divided into seven chapters: anger, fear, isolation, exhaustion, guilt, resignation and acceptance. The last chapter stresses the importance of accepting regret in order to be able to deal with it in a constructive way without harming the children. Diana chose to present the seven stories from seven different countries as separate booklets - each with a 'closed' cover - in a slipcase, to highlight the loneliness of these mothers trapped in their homes and condemned to silence. As much as Diana would want to see them as a collective voice, the reality is different. ,,An honest, courageous, and radical book that without passing judgement gives a voice to women struggling with the experience of a social role that they do not want, experiencing guilt and the burden of moral expectations. A book that allows us to explore the other dimension of motherhood, a dimension that is always hidden in the shadow. It is necessary to look at motherhood as it is in all its aspects, in order to free it from prejudices, and to present vital options to both mothers and children who find themselves in this situation," --Ana Casas Broda, photographer and author of Kinderwunsch, that explores the complexity of motherhood and the relationship with her two sons.
Grace Reinhart Sachs is living the only life she ever wanted for herself. Devoted to her husband, a pediatric oncologist at a major cancer hospital, their young son Henry, and the patients she sees in her therapy practice, her days are full of familiar things: she lives in the very New York apartment in which she was raised, and sends Henry to the school she herself once attended. Dismayed by the ways in which women delude themselves, Grace is also the author of a book You Should Have Known, in which she cautions women to really hear what men are trying to tell them. But weeks before the book is published a chasm opens in her own life: a violent death, a missing husband, and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only an ongoing chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster, and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and herself.
The runaway New York Times bestseller--over half a million copies in print It happens quietly one hot August morning in Iowa: two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark suffers from selective mutism brought on by a tragedy when she was a toddler. Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend--and her voice. But neither girl has been heard from since they vanished. Now, Calli and Petra's parents are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.
Engage your readers and boost your impact! Do you write--a little or a lot--for a socially responsible organization, business, or program? Wish you had an accessible writing coach to help you quickly craft potent pieces that move your readers to act? This feisty one-stop-shop of distilled wisdom will show you-step by step-how to turbocharge your marketing and fundraising documents. Start getting the results you want, right now! Whether you're an accidental or emerging writer or a seasoned wordsmith, this comprehensive resource will help you build and manage the invaluable skills behind writing values-driven copy. You will find advice on everything from advancing your brand to storytelling to minding the devilish details. Discover how to painlessly: - Write and edit a full spectrum of clear, concise, creative pieces that will reach and influence your diverse intended audiences - Streamline and strengthen your writing process-from planning to proofreading - Develop your own confident, expert writing voice Included in these pages you will find: - More than 500 real-life examples from nonprofits, green businesses, government agencies, and others - Hundreds of stimulating questions and exercises that help you apply the lessons to your own work - Numerous guide sheets, checklists, and handy appendices - Dozens of warnings about potential pitfalls ... all this delivered with a generous helping of fun illustrations, cultural references, and humor. If you've ever had trouble expressing your passion in writing, or telling your story in a fresh and compelling way, this powerhouse of a book is for you! ADVANCE PRAISE: "This book should be on the shelf of every nonprofit administrator, community organizer, and advocate. There is literally nothing else of its kind on the market; it is 'The Elements of Style' for the grassroots fundraising and marketing world." -- Leif Wellington Haase, Director, California Program, New America Foundation "'Writing to Make a Difference' is a great balance of both instructional and interactive tips, tools, and exercises...and helps to lower the barrier for organizations that desire to tell their story in a way that captures both head and heart." -- Alandra L. Washington, Deputy Director, W.K. Kellogg Foundation "If you think your work is important, if you feel you have a message to deliver, if you have people who need to understand how this is done - this is the book. Massachi is the perfect guide and a tremendous coach." -- Jeff Hamaoui, CEO, Origo Inc. and social investment and enterprise specialist "Massachi has drilled down to all that is important about good writing. I recommend this book for those of us who write regularly, and for those of us who don't write because we don't think we can. "-- Kim Klein, author, 'Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times' "This is an outstanding work, one of the best I have read in the genre, and of possible use in the university, for public relations and organizational communication courses. The writing lessons are succinct, the methods to convey them effective, and the style itself an example of professional brilliance. I recommend 'Writing to Make a Difference' because I know that it will."-- Michael Bugeja, author, 'Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age' and Director, School of Journalism & Communication, Iowa State University AUTHOR BIO: Dalya F. Massachi, M.A. began writing for publication as an adolescent interested in social justice. Now, Dalya draws on her nearly 20 years of professional experience writing and editing for hundreds of socially responsible organizations. With passion and fresh insight, she reveals the top strategic insider techniques she has honed through her work as a successful grantwriter, editor, journalist, workshop instructor, and writing coach.
