Peggy Orenstein, an internationally renowned author on feminine issues, spoke Thursday afternoon at the School of Journalism and Communication’s annual Johnston Lecture, titled “Writing about the politics of everyday life.”
A writer of literary nonfiction, Orenstein has written three books and many essays and articles for magazines, including The New York Times Magazine. Her most recent book is titled “Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, An Oscar, An Atomic Bomb, A Romantic Night and One Woman’s Quest to Become a Mother” and details her personal six-year struggle to have a child. The New York Times Magazine calls her pieces “the way we live now” stories, detailing societal issues at their cores. Orenstein described herself as being “unscrupulously honest” about her personal experiences in the book.
Describing the “politics of everyday life” means to “rip off the polished surface” of any small idea that can be seen as important in society, and to examine what its meaning is in the grand scheme of things, Orenstein said.
“I love the joy of creating stories from the randomness and chaos of life and finding those hidden patterns that say something about how we live right now,” Orenstein said.
Orenstein addressed many issues facing women and girls and what inspires her to write, including motherhood, childhood, infertility, feminism and balancing the duties of being both a mother and writer.
Literary nonfiction is especially important in today’s complicated world because of its ability to tell complex stories of real life and unearth significant issues facing society, Orenstein said.
“I think stories are always important,” Orenstein said. “The time we live in now is such a sound-byte time. It’s really hard to find something that delves into people’s lives in a meaningful way.”
Lauren Kessler, director of the Literary Nonfiction Program at the School of Journalism and Communication, describes literary nonfiction as an inventive way to “engage readers both emotionally and intellectually” about important topics of the day.
“Literary nonfiction presents important issues in a compelling, narrative style,” Kessler said. “It gets readers and viewers to not only think about whatever these issues are, but to feel them, to have an emotional resonance about them. And that separates them from traditional information-only reporting.”
Orenstein said digging deep and concerning herself with issues people are afraid to discuss is one of her compulsions for writing literary nonfiction as opposed to fiction.
“There’s so much richness in human experience,” Orenstein said. “I don’t feel the need to make up things.”
Jeremy Ohmes, a graduate student of literary nonfiction, appreciated Orenstein’s lecture because she highlighted “the way you can take a personal experience and turn it into a story.”
“People have the desire to read about personal experience and to relate to the story,” Ohmes said. “It gives voice to people who aren’t usually given voice.”
Kessler said Orenstein exemplifies an authenticity and genuine nature that journalists can embody.
“(She reflected that) being a journalist and being a human being are not two different things,” Kessler said. “I think that she was wonderfully transparent. People who aren’t writers just see the person behind the writing.”