DDW - S3 Ep01 – How to Write Hair and Head Coverings

In this first episode of Season 3 of Doing Diversity in Writing, we—Bethany and Mariëlle—discuss how to write hair and head coverings.     Here’s what we talk about: That hair, hair care, and head coverings are often ethnically dictated and gendered That there is no such thing as “ethnic” hair: we all have ethnicity! How to describe different natural hair colors How to describe different hair textures Whether dreadlocks are cultural appropriation Who wears wigs and weaves, and for what reason That head coverings for men and women come into play in many ways that go beyond religion and what one’s culture dictates  How you can use descriptions of hair and head coverings to add layers to your POV characters  And here are the (re)sources we mentioned on the show: “Untangling the Symbolism of Art History’s Most Famous Redheads” by Sarah Dotson: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-untangling-symbolism-art-historys-famous-redheads  “Seeing red: why we need to be sensitive about using the word ‘ginger’” by David Marsh: https://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2014/jan/24/mind-your-language-red-hair  “3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Address Redheads As ‘Gingers’” by Kali Hanson: https://www.howtobearedhead.com/3-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-address-redheads-as-gingers  “Writing About Hair: The Thick and Thin of Descriptions” by Sharla Rae: https://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/07/writing-about-hair-the-thick-and-thin-of-descriptions  “The East Asian women + colored hair trope” by Jess: https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/101115852994/the-east-asian-women-colored-hair-trope-an  “The Ultimate Black & Natural Hair Glossary” by Joanna Samuels: https://afrocenchix.com/blogs/afrohair/the-ultimate-black-natural-hair-glossary  How to Write Black Characters by Salt and Sage Books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087ZSJ9BN  “Dear white people with dreadlocks: Some things to consider” by Emanuella Grinberg: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/31/living/white-dreadlocks-cultural-appropriation-feat/index.html  “Once in a Lifetime: The village of Huang Luo in China’s Guangxi Region is famous for the dramatically long hair worn by its female residents” by Linn Yaeger: https://www.vogue.com/projects/13548460/women-of-huang-luo-china-long-hair-tradition  “Niqab, How Does It Work? | THE BASICS, how to wear the niqab” by Niqabi Nextdoor: https://youtu.be/KAbsPFS8gus  “What are the differences between a niqab, a chador, an abaya, a burkha and a hijab?”: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-differences-between-a-niqab-a-chador-an-abaya-a-burkha-and-a-hijab  “Women’s safety clothing not fit for purpose” by Matthew Gunther: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/womens-safety-clothing-not-fit-for-purpose/1010138.article  “Employers Exposed When Women’s Safety Equipment Doesn’t Fit” by Fatima Hussein and Jaclyn Diaz: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/safety/employers-exposed-when-womens-safety-equipment-doesnt-fit  Tina from Glee: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327801/characters/nm3206118  Mako Mori from Pacific Rim: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/characters/nm0452860  GoGo Tomago from Big Hero 6: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2245084/characters/nm1512166  Einayim Petukhoth or Eyes Wide Open: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424327 Unorthodox: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9815454  Crazy Rich Asians: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3104988  Steel Magnolias: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098384  Luke Cage: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322314  Barbershop: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303714  Coming to America: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094898  The Boondocks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Mly_Zj6gg Hair Love: https://youtu.be/kNw8V_Fkw28  Tamora Pierce’s work: https://www.tamora-pierce.net  Mulan: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120762  V for Vendetta: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409  The Boys: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190634  The Wolverine: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430132  The Princess Diaries: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247638  Jason Elliot’s An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Unexpected_Light  Bethany’s Editing Your Novel's Structure: Tips, Tricks, and Checklists to Get You From Start to Finish: https://theartandscienceofwords.com/new-book-for-authors/   This week’s episode page can be found here: https://representationmatters.art/2022/04/30/s3e1   Subscribe to our newsletter here and get out Doing Diversity in Writing Toolkit, including our Calm the F*ck Down Checklist and Cultural Appropriation Checklist: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r3p6g8    As always, we’d love for you to join the conversation by filling out our questionnaires.    Our Doing Diversity in Writing – Writer Questionnaire can be filled in at https://forms.gle/UUEbeEvxsdwk1kuy5   Our Doing Diversity in Writing – Reader Questionnaire can be filled in at https://forms.gle/gTAg4qrvaCPtqVJ36    Website: https://representationmatters.art Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doingdiversityinwriting YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtHfIaeylIgbAWVy3E66lmw