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

Doing Diversity in Writing

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

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