Article begins

The Association for Feminist Anthropology (AFA) welcomes feminist anthropologists to join us for cowriting in our newly launched initiative AFA Writes, an online bimonthly writing group hosted in our collegial AFA virtual lounge in Gather. The first AFA Writes session, with cohosts Annie Wilkinson and Alix Johnson, begins on Friday, April 9, 12:00 p.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. GMT and will continue every two weeks through the spring and summer. Those interested in joining can RSVP for details.

Why AFA Writes? Our work frequently demands individual writing tasks. But writing individually doesn’t mean we can’t write collectively! For decades, feminist anthropologists have changed how we write—from theorizing ethnographic representation to innovating ethnographic form, interrogating our writing conditions and practices, and modeling feminist modes of collaborative knowledge production. By creating opportunities to write in community even while apart, to write together even while individually, and to create opportunities to offer and receive mutual support and mentorship in our collective practice of writing, AFA Writes hopes to again change how we write.

Credit: Annie Wilkinson
Screenshot capture of map of AFA Writes Lounge.
Screenshot capture of map of AFA Writes Lounge, a virtual representation of four room lounge with break room, conference room, meeting room, and central space with individual workstations.

No preparation is required—participants are welcome to bring their dissertation, term paper, grant proposal, half-finished article, field notes, job application, or whatever writing they are working on. Writing groups are open to all current or prospective AFA members, and we particularly encourage graduate students, recent PhDs, and junior scholars to join us.

The AFA Writes lounge on Gather offers individual work stations, lounge space, a shared conference room and break room, and even a special thinking tent for those working through writer’s block. Groups will take place every other Friday 12:00 p.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. GMT and are cohosted by an AFA board member and a rotating guest cohost who will offer brief tips and reflections drawn from their own writing practice. Groups feature two 45-minute cowriting sessions with a group opening, break, and closing. Participants can stay after to connect with fellow AFA community members over table games or a session of yoga for writers.

Contact AFA board member Annie Wilkinson with any questions about AFA Writes.

María Lis Baiocchi, Leyla Savloff, and Megan Steffen are contributing editors for the Association for Feminist Anthropology’s Section News column.

Authors

Annie Wilkinson

Annie Wilkinson is a PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of California, Irvine, and a board member of the Association for Feminist Anthropology. Her research on anti-gender/anti-feminist movements in Mexico explores the intersections of gender, security, post-truth politics, and right-wing populism in Latin America.

Cite as

Wilkinson, Annie. 2021. “Introducing AFA Writes, the New Online Writing Group for Feminist Anthropologists.” Anthropology News website, April 7, 2021.