Writing the Things We Don’t Talk About: A Lecture By Ramona Emerson

As a writer, we always tackle things that are difficult to confront. But in Native communities, the things we are told not to share are even more consequential and can have ramifications far beyond our page. In this lecture we will talk about writing about those things that we are told not to talk about. Taboos, ceremonies, teachings - how do we navigate these topics without revealing too much? How does tackling these issues translate to the page?

Ramona Emerson is a Diné writer and filmmaker from Tohatchi, New Mexico. She holds a degree in media arts from UNM and an MFA in fiction from the IAIA. She is working on her eighth and ninth film projects, Crossing the Line and Through Her Lens. She is an Emmy nominee, Sundance Native Lab fellow, Time Warner Storyteller fellow, Tribeca All Access grantee, and WGBH Producer fellow. Her second novel, Exposure, is the follow-up to her debut, Shutter (Soho Press, 2022), which was longlisted for the National Book Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, PEN Open Book Award, Edgar Award, and others. She lives in Albuquerque, where she and her husband/producer, Kelly Byars, run Reel Indian Pictures. She is an assistant film professor at UNM.