Left off the Act

by lharriso

This work has been commented by 1 editor(s). Read the comments

Title

Left off the Act

Concept author(s)

Lesley Harrison

Concept author year(s) of birth

1948

Friendly Competition

Radical intimacies: dialogue in our times (2014)

Competition category

Critical writing

Competition field

nonacademic

Competition subfield

activist

Subfield description

I am a social activist fictional writer

Check out the Radical intimacies: dialogue in our times 2014 outlines of Memefest Friendly competition.

About work

Abstract

Social action writing is powerful when there is no dialogue. It bears witness and breaks silence and calls for action. It is often the only tactic available for those experiencing injustice and permits their voice to be heard. Being ‘heard’ by the reader is not only important but meaningful for the writer. The authority and power of the story comes from the mysteries of the creative process when the writer arranges dissimilar elements into something comprehensible and significant. The story is significant when it transforms the reader by raising consciousness of the injustice.

Keywords

Social action writing. Injustice. Raising consciousness. Narrative power.

Editors Comments

Eric Louw

This narrative reveals the frustration of someone trying to find the solution to having her voice ignored by the political process. It is a narrative about being heard and not being heard. Since direct appeals to the political machine failed the author considers social action writing instead. The resultant narrative not only takes us into the world of caravan park residents, it also takes us into the consciousness of the author as one of these residents. It is a journey that compels the reader to confront the questions being grappled with.

At the end of the day what really concerns the author is how to make oneself heard. As someone who has been a media activist it is a question that has long concerned me as well. From the perspective of a media activist I would say the following – if you want to change someone else’s mind, the place to start is what they think, not what you think. You need to get into their consciousness to change their consciousness. Once you know what they think, you have the starting point for taking them on a journey to what you think. A novel that works takes the reader on such a journey. So if you only focus on what you think and ignore the reader’s position/s you are less likely to get them to participate in your journey.

Comments