Academic Duality

Having a BA in English while holding a minor in Anthropology I am sometimes asked why I chose such seemingly polar opposites in academia? After all, English is the study of words; a liberal art while Anthropology is the study of people; a social science. My answer is that they are both connective in so many ways. Cultural anthropology is a study of human societies and their cultures and within that realm it deals with their beliefs, religions, rituals & practices, and folklore. For those of us who enjoy writing fiction, this is right in our wheelhouse! Both disciplines include communication and linguistics studies; both tap into psychology, philosophy, symbolism, and rhetoric; both travel the entire scope of the universe through theology and literature.

The study of people begets a study of self. The creative writer examines existence through multiple lenses; experiences, thoughts, psyche and we read about them, journal them, document them, philosophise about them, share them through essay, twist them into short stories, expose them through poetry or lyrics. In researching human lives and cultures, the writer gains knowledge to write about unfamiliar places or otherworldly ideologies, things frightening or magical, monsters and madmen. We examine the world more closely and ourselves more deeply and we connect it all through words. Even when writing fiction we are still exploring internal processes and exorcising beliefs and summoning psychological crossroads; all while battling hairy creatures or giant robots or sea monsters. Creative is the key word in the title here, right?

These two disciplines are a perfect match in my opinion, one I chose carefully with the idea of better understanding the world as well as myself, so that ultimately, I could become a better writer.