Northwest Writing Institute

Student Voices

In the workshop "Bearing Witness: Writing, Social Justice and Documentary Studies," writers gather to record their responses to the social issues of our time.  We document scenes we've observed, stories that fired our imaginations, engaged our emotions and sometimes, changed our vision.  Each participant reminds us of the necessity of readiness. Carolyn Forche, editor of the collection Against Forgetting, talks about the writer as witness.  "To bear witness is not a single decision you make," she says. "It's the result of the hundred and daily decisions that make you a person able to bear witness." 

We all carry stories we need to share. Perhaps we overhear a conversation on a street corner or observe a moment of revelation in a classroom or a ritual in another country. Perhaps a father or grandmother finally reveals a tale they’ve been afraid to share. We wrestle with ethical questions and aesthetic ones: is the story ours to tell? What form should it take – writing, photography, a short film or a combination of media?

"Bearing Witness" is one of the foundational courses in a new documentary studies program to be launched in 2010 at The Center for Community Engagement’s Northwest Writing Institute. Please join us to explore oral history, radio, or documentary film this spring, and watch this page for new stories from our workshop participants.

For samples of writing from previous workshops, see http://www.lclark.edu/livewhale/content/downloads/2848_nwivoicemonroe.doc.