From Personal to Academic Journals

May 14, 2019
EXPOS students.

As students at Harvard are taking writing classes focusing on health disciplines, one may wonder how recreational and personal writing can contribute to the more structured writing style needed in academic journals, papers, and books. Such was the case for the students of Dr. Eve Wittenberg, one of the Senior Scholars in Residence at GHELI and preceptor for the first-year writing seminar, Expos 20: What is Health? Wittenberg called upon one of her colleagues at GHELI, Professor Alicia Ely Yamin, also a Senior Scholar in Residence at GHELI and an Adjunct Lecturer on Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to share her journey in becoming a renowned author, lawyer, and tenacious advocate for economic and social rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the right to health.  

Yamin spoke fondly about her own experiences with writing in her childhood—how she used reading and writing as a way to reflect and “think clearly and express thoughts clearly.” She admitted that in her childhood, these activities were the activities that came to the rescue in times of boredom. She noted that while youth currently have different types of technology and gadgets at their disposal growing up, for her, reading and writing were the primary avenues for self-exploration and connection.

Yamin encouraged students to focus on journaling, and using those issues and topics surfacing frequently in their writing to contribute to broader social, political, and cultural debates. While writing about complex theories and issues from an objective stance, this can add a unique voice that reflects the writer’s own personal journey. 

She emphasized that it is equally important for students to take time away from intaking information, and reflect and formulate their own thoughts, ideas, and beliefs around a specific topic. The students of this class took great interest in Ali’s current work, where she must constantly think about questions such as, “What does accountability and sense of justice imply? What does it look like?” She admits that the answers to this are not straightforward, but must be thought about critically and addressed by students who will be future working professionals and writers. 

As the dynamic conversation wrapped up, she noted that writing can be used not only as a positive force, conveying the truths of our reality and the world in which we live, but also as a tool for spreading positive messages and keeping people’s morale high.