Happy Archives Month and welcome to a new season of Archiving AK! For the second episode of Season 2,Arlene interviews Erin Wahl, a librarian at New Mexico State University, creative writer and former archivist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Erin recently co-wrote an article with Pamela Pierce on how creative writers and archivists can work together.
Mentioned in this episode:
How Creative Writers can work with Archivists: A Crash Course in Cooperation and Perspectives
Erin Renee Wahl, New Mexico State University
Pamela Pierce, Oregon Health & Science University
Abstract
This article connects the creative writing discipline to archives, and talks about why and where these areas intersect. Topics covered include: common struggles of researchers coming into the archives, concepts necessary to understanding archives that creative writers may not yet know (for instance, how archives apply copyright, use fees, etc.), how to approach archives for help with workshops or classes, and how to approach archives for creative writing projects. The authors also surveyed a handful of writers with experience working with archives. The result is a portion of this article that compiles the best advice from these writers on using archives for their work. The article also includes a discussion of how the context and genre of a writing project can determine what archival materials may be important to view, and the advantages and complexities of digital archives for creative writers.