Mimi Khúc, "dear elia: Letters from the Asian American Abyss" (Duke UP, 2023)
Mar 3, 2024
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The podcast explores Asian American unwellness and collective care, challenges the myth of wellness, reflects on the pandemic's impact on student wellness, and discusses ableism in syllabi and creating nurturing educational spaces.
Unwellness is a collective experience influenced by societal norms and institutional structures.
A pedagogy of unwellness in education advocates for mutual care and challenges productivity norms.
The pandemic reshaped teaching practices, emphasizing the need for sustained inclusive approaches post-pandemic.
Deep dives
Recognizing Unwellness as Structural
The podcast episode delves into the concept of unwellness and the structures that perpetuate it, challenging the traditional notions of wellness. The speaker highlights the significance of assuming unwellness as a collective experience rather than an individual challenge. By examining the impact of institutions like universities on mental health and well-being, a critical reflection is prompted on how societal norms fail to accommodate diverse experiences of unwellness.
Pedagogy of Unwellness
The conversation shifts towards a pedagogy of unwellness, emphasizing the need to acknowledge and address collective care within educational settings. The speaker discusses the effects of assumptions around wellness within academic spaces, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by students and instructors amidst the pressures of productivity and conformity. By advocating for a pedagogy centered on mutual care and support, a call is made to reevaluate existing educational norms and structures.
Navigating Pandemic-Induced Changes
The episode explores the impact of the pandemic on teaching practices and educational environments, highlighting the transformation in perceptions of access and accommodation. The speaker reflects on the shifts brought about by the pandemic, suggesting that while temporary policy changes opened up avenues for access, a subsequent reversion to pre-pandemic norms raises questions about sustaining inclusive practices in the long term.
Revisiting Teaching Practices
A significant aspect of the discussion involves a critical review of pre-pandemic teaching practices, specifically examining syllabi for hidden ableism and outdated policies. The speaker recounts the process of scrutinizing past syllabi to identify and address ableist practices, emphasizing the importance of continuous self-reflection and evolution in teaching approaches.
Engaging in Book Promotion and Self-Care
Lastly, the podcast touches on the current focus of the speaker on promoting their recent book and managing the associated labor and demands. The speaker shares insights into navigating the book tour and ensuring self-care amidst the extensive promotional activities. By drawing attention to the balancing act between external commitments and personal well-being, a nuanced perspective on managing professional responsibilities emerges.
Mimi Khúc is a PhD, writer, scholar, and teacher of things unwell. She is currently the Co-Editor of The Asian American Literary Review and an adjunct lecturer in Disability Studies at Georgetown University. Her work includes Open in Emergency, a hybrid book-arts project decolonizing Asian American mental health; the Asian American Tarot, a reimagined deck of tarot cards; and the Open in Emergency Initiative, an ongoing national project developing mental health arts programming with universities and community spaces.
Her new creative-critical, genre-bending book on mental health and a pedagogy of unwellness, dear elia: Letters from the Asian American Abyss (Duke University Press, 2024), is a journey into the depths of Asian American unwellness at the intersections of ableism, model minoritization, and the university, and an exploration of new approaches to building collective care.
Julia H. Lee is professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine. She is the author of three books: Interracial Encounters: Reciprocal Representations in African and Asian American Literatures, 1896-1937 (New York University Press, 2011), Understanding Maxine Hong Kingston (University of South Carolina Press, 2018), and The Racial Railroad (New York University Press, 2022). With Professor Josephine Lee, she is co-editor of Asian American Literature in Transition, 1850-1930 (Cambridge University Press, 2021), a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2022. You can find her on Instagram @julia.x.lee.