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

by Kirin Narayan

Anton Chekhov is revered as a boldly innovative playwright and short story writer—but he wrote more than just plays and stories. In  Alive in the Writing —an intriguing hybrid of writing guide, biography, and literary analysis—anthropologist and novelist Kirin Narayan introduces readers to some other sides of his pithy, witty observations on the writing process, his life as a writer through accounts by his friends, family, and lovers, and his venture into nonfiction through his book  Sakhalin Island . By closely attending to the people who lived under the appalling conditions of the Russian penal colony on Sakhalin, Chekhov showed how empirical details combined with a literary flair can bring readers face to face with distant, different lives, enlarging a sense of human responsibility.

Highlighting this balance of the empirical and the literary, Narayan calls on Chekhov to bring new energy to the writing of ethnography and creative nonfiction alike. Weaving together selections from writing by and about him with examples from other talented ethnographers and memoirists, she offers practical exercises and advice on topics such as story, theory, place, person, voice, and self. A new and lively exploration of ethnography,  Alive in the Writing  shows how the genre’s attentive, sustained connection with the lives of others can become a powerful tool for any writer.

Genres: Anthropology, Ethnography, Writing, Nonfiction, Academic, 21st Century, School

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2012

About the author

Kirin Narayan was born in India to an American mother and Indian father, and moved to the United States to attend college. As a graduate student, she studied cultural anthropology and folklore at the University of California—Berkeley, writing a dissertation on storytelling as a form of religious teaching through an ethnography of a Hindu holy man in Western India who often communicated teachings through vivid folk narratives. The book that resulted, Storytellers, Saints and Scoundrels: Folk Narrative in Hindu Religious Teaching (1989), won the first Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing from the American Anthropological Association and was co-winner of the Elsie Clews Prize for Folklore from the American Folklore Society. She then wrote a novel, Love, Stars and All That (1994) that was included in the Barnes and Nobles Discover Great New Writers program. In the course of researching women’s oral traditions in Kangra, Northwest Himalayas, she collaborated with Urmila Devi Sood to bring together a book of tales in the local dialect with discussions of their meaning and ethnographic context in Mondays on the Dark Night of the Moon: Himalayan Foothill Folktales (1997). An interest in family stories and diasporic experience inspired her to write My Family and Other Saints<?i> (2007), a memoir about spiritual quests. Her most recent book is Alive in the Writing: Crafting Ethnography in the Company of Chekhov (2012).

Kirin Narayan has received support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Institute of Indian Studies, the School of American Research, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the University of Wisconsin Institute for Research in the Humanities, and the University of Wisconsin Graduate School. She received a Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Wisconsin in 2011. Since 2001, she has served as an editor for the Series in Contemporary Ethnography at the University of Pennsylvania Press. She currently serves on the Committee of Selection for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

(from https://researchers.anu.edu.au/resear...)

Reviews

[Margaret Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a breath of fresh air and a perfect mix of the theory and practice of writing autoethnography and evocative ethnography. The writing style was accessible, and the activities are ones that I can see myself doing on a day when I feel stuck. I also think it would be a helpful read for those interested in writing creative nonfiction, whether or not it has an autoethnographic focus. I loved this book, and reading it made me feel like I was having coffee with a writing buddy to discuss our research and our art. Also, I loved the references to other literary ethnographers and found the examples helpful for scene building and sensory detail development, the writing skills that I most need to further develop.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want a writing help book, I’m sure this would be good. This was assigned reading and maybe I will come back to it to practice with one day.

[Pepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm mesmerized by this book. Combining theory and a practical guide for aspiring ethnographers, creative nonfiction writers, or even any writers.

The book is very neat and well-written, it uses many exquisite words that you often find in literature - making this a literary gem in nonfiction world. Although it looks like a guide, Narayan says it's more like "how-about" rather than "how-to". But the most favorite thing about this book is the whole point of the practical guide/prompts written is to make sure that your work is not just about you, scrutinizing your assumptions, and giving justice to the people/things/elements that you write about.

[mimo · Rating 4 out of 5]

My professor for a course on ethnography had us read this entire book across different weeks. When I read the first chapter, I thought it sounded fluffy and not very helpful. But now, having finished the book near the end of the semester - during which I've read excerpts from numerous ethnographies, prompting much class discussion - I can better appreciate the insights offered by Narayan. I actually feel kind of energised by the thought of writing ethnographically myself.

Also, I lowkey want to read Chekhov now.

[omz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirin gets it. Her writing is clear, engaging, and convincing. She navigates the choices ethnographic should make, gets you writing as you read her work, and makes clear why Chekov is brilliant. Read this book if you're beginning a writing project soon!

[Gabby R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for anyone who writes professionally or personally. It’s definitely geared towards the ethnographer, however, it’s a great text combining theory and practice in a way that gives you tools to take with you. The writing prompts are great for projects but also self reflection.

[Edvald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indispensible guide to ethnographic writing!

[Tami Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading through this book and taking on the writing exercises.

[Diana McCutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for writers of any genre, but especially ethnography. The book also includes writing prompts and exercises to help with crafting stories.

[Crispin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A writing guide exploring creative tensions between (dry) ideas/theory and (juicy) narrative/story. The cultural reflections from ethnography seem good for any writing.

[Toni Kptz · Rating 3 out of 5]

assigned reading in class, richtig gute Schreibprompts, alles drum herum hätte man auf einem Viertel der Seiten schreiben können, I’m sorry 🙂‍↕️

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may be geared for ethnography but it’s really just a great writing book. Had to read too fast so will definitely give this another and deeper read later.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to write a personal thank-you note to Ms. Narayan. I barreled through this book and got a lot of writing done--probably an amount of pages half the size of her book!--that I know will somehow end up in my memoir project. I'm not writing ethnography, but I am working from memory and journals and her prompts really helped me wade through that material to get to the core of what I want to say.

[Bri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great resource for any writer who needs some exercises and inspiration to enrich their nonfiction or "faction" as Narayan calls it. I really enjoy a lot of her insights into the imaginative process that tries to tell people's stories ethnographically and creatively.

[Mills College Library]

305.8 N2186 2012