The Body in Writing (Holly Schinder)

Okay, so not 100% the topic of the month (embodiment) but it has been on my mind lately: representations of the body in lit. It's a combination, I think, of my age and the fact that I've gotten back into my art. 

On age: As a reader, it irks me that every single time a writer wants to describe someone as looking young for their age, they say they have naturally kept from going gray. Everybody goes gray. They just do. I'm 47, and I have plenty. 

On illustration: Now that I'm working my way through character creation in illustration, I wonder: Isn't there a way to depict a smart character without putting glasses on them? Some other visual cue? 

 

We all make split-second decisions about people when we meet them--and so many times, those decisions are informed by what we've been taught to think. Stories teach us--whether that's in word or pictures. 

More and more, it feels as though it's on all of us creatives to chip away at those stereotypes by finding those new ways to depict characters. 

It feels like an enormous responsibility each time I pick up a pen--but one that I can't wait to take on. 

~

Holly Schindler is the author of The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky