AWP Panel–The Way & Why to Say No: Women in Academia

Event Description:

Historically, in order to succeed, women have had to create opportunities to say yes. Maybe we can do it all, but we shouldn’t have to. In this panel we’ll discuss examples of how, when, and why we have decided to set clear boundaries and to deny some of the endless (often unpaid) demands on our time. We have juggled teaching, writing, publishing, and editing, while living our lives, so now let’s discuss how to give ourselves permission to say no, and how to decide what stays and what goes.

Statement of Merit:

This panel knows the difficulty of saying no in our diverse experiences and with a range of strengths and limits. We offer concrete analogies and takeaways from collective experiences as women who teach writing at state schools (some under budgetary siege) and private universities, in low-res MFAs, as adjuncts, as pre- and tenured professors, as women with families and without, as first-generation college students, and as women impacted by the additional demands placed on marginalized bodies.

Panelists:

Sandra Beasley

Lillian-Yvonne Bertram

Chloe Honum

Rebecca Meacham

Moderator:

Lisa Fay Coutley