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Op-eds are an important vehicle for anthropologists to bring their ideas and arguments to a broader audience. Over the past 20 years, Mark Mansperger (professor, Washington State University-Tri-Cities) has published more than 45 op-eds in the Tri-City Herald, on topics ranging from politics to economics to the environment. The Journal of Northwest Anthropology (JONA) has just released Mark’s memoir, My Ideological Battle: Confronting Social Dogma with Anthropological Op-Eds. In an effort to inspire other anthropologists to share their perspectives with others, JONA is making the memoir open access: www.northwestanthropology.com/open-access-memoirs. Readers are encouraged to download and share with others interested in writing for other audiences. Below is a conversation on writing op-eds between Mark, Darby Stapp (coeditor, Journal of Northwest Anthropology), and Victoria Boozer (production editor, Journal of Northwest Anthropology).
Darby: Mark, you’ve spent the last two years writing this memoir, going through the dozens of op-eds you have written, and thinking about how your life experiences and education have influenced your positions. Was it an enlightening experience? Did you learn anything about yourself, anthropology, or newspaper writing?
Mark: Yes, I have learned numerous things over the nearly two years of this project. My op-eds are a coalesces of my life experiences. Coming together in my pieces are my formal training in both economics and anthropology. Also, my formative years growing up in so many different locations (particularly the two years living in Iran) permeate the substance and motivation of much of my thinking. I would not have as much of the insights and curiosity about culture and foreign affairs (especially Middle Eastern issues) without my Iranian experience. Writing this memoir, moreover, has made me focus more on the particulars of the op-ed writing process. I can now articulate better what I was doing right to get so many op-ed proposals accepted. It’s also interesting to see how one’s thoughts and writing evolve through the years. Reading all my op-eds again helps me to understand better what I was saying and put it all in a comprehensive worldview.
Darby: How do you come up with topics you want to write about?
Mark: I come up with topics by paying attention to current events, looking up specific issues, and reading articles and books. I’ll often pick up a new book to read based on evolving events in the world, such as the rise of fascism, and then I’m ready to fire out a new column. An idea slowly percolates in my mind until I can’t resist its expression any longer, and then I sit down and write the op-ed. Sometimes it only takes about an hour of writing at that moment of epiphany, but then I take about two weeks of editing to get the piece ready for submission.
Darby: How has anthropology influenced your op-ed positions? We noticed you rarely explicitly use any anthropological concepts in your op-eds. Is this intentional? Do you use anthropological theory to develop your positions and then dumb it down for the audience? Or is anthropological theory just embedded in you and comes out implicitly in your writings?
Mark: Most of my op-eds do not contain an explicit mention of specific anthropological data and theories. Yet, anthropology is there embedded in my analysis and contributing to my overall motivation. If I limited myself to only writing when I can explicitly talk about the A, B, and Cs of anthropology, I wouldn’t have nearly as many publications. Given nearly everything about people is anthropological, I feel that the sky is the limit.
Darby: What advice do you have for someone who wants to begin writing an op-ed?
Mark: Write about subjects on which you are passionate. Let that passion appeal to your readers. Hence, while using data and critical thought, put your heart into your work. Be guided by your training in anthropology along with all the other things you’ve learned and experienced in your life. Tell a good story, for that is what really interests and moves people.
Start your op-eds with a good hook. Make them interesting. Remember you’re writing for Mr. and Mrs. Jones, not a scientific audience. Say something of value to them, and feel free to write, at times, in first or second person to give it a personal touch.
As editors want, be concise, timely, and relevant. Develop good relationships with your potential or established editors. Don’t argue. Give them what they need. Submissions by local citizens are what many editors seek, so submit your potential op-eds to local newspapers first. Rewrite and edit your op-eds over and over until they are publishable. And let editors alter your pieces within reason, if they wish.
Write to change the world in a manner that you think is beneficial. Remember that to accomplish your goals you must inform people, not insult them. Show your objectivity and understanding, but don’t be pedantic. Find common ground with people who will disagree with other things you have to say. Win them over.
Write something that is lively, captivating, and useful to your fellow citizens.
Darby: Do you plan on continuing writing op-eds?
Mark: I absolutely will continue to write op-eds and anything else I can. I have a passion for gaining new insights, sharing them with people, and trying my best to contribute to making a better world.
Mark: I have a question for you, Darby. What made you want to add a memoir on op-ed writing to your JONA catalogue of memoirs?
Darby: Ever since I learned that anthropology could be used to actually help people, I’ve been interested in how that could be done. The more I looked into it, the more I got frustrated by how little impact anthropology seems to have on society. Anytime I see an anthropologist trying to make a difference in the real world, I take notice. So I was immediately impressed by your op-eds. The more you kept writing the more impressed I was. Two years ago it occurred to me that we needed to document all the work you have done and then I thought, maybe we can use your accomplishments to inspire others to write. The JONA Memoir Series seemed like the perfect venue.
Darby: Victoria, as an editor and one who specializes in the art of writing, what did you learn from reading all of Mark’s op-eds and his techniques for influencing people’s attitudes on important topics?
Victoria: I learned the significance of writing for the layperson. My professional editing experience has solely been with JONA, an independent, peer-reviewed scholarly journal with a regional focus. Our subscriber base is quite niche and much smaller than that of the Tri-City Herald. A new subscriber to the journal makes for a happy day at the office. That being said, I was rather astounded that Mark’s op-eds reached nearly a half-million readers. His publishing of 45 op-eds over nearly 20 years to such a large audience is impressive.
While publishing in an academic journal is rightly held with high esteem in the discipline, writing for the public may garner more influence and increase the impact of anthropology on society through increased readership alone. The reach of an op-ed in a local newspaper is vast, and the op-ed can function as a vehicle for the anthropologist to spread their message and make a difference. Perhaps the best technique for anthropologists to influence people’s attitudes on important topics is simply to write informed pieces on relevant issues and publish with various venues geared toward the public.