Entry 236 - "Do Writers Have a Code of Ethics?"

Stephanie Spector of Roanoke Review (online) spoke with me (January 2015) about my thoughts about Ethics in Writing.  As I said, I can’t speak for anyone but myself. But here are a few thoughts that I shared with her. To read more of this interview, go to Roanoke Review’s beautiful new squarespace online website for more.

Stephanie:    Do you think there is a code of ethics in writing?

Jan:    I would hope that writers, just like good people in any line of work, have an inner compass that causes them to use their talents for good and ethical behaviors. John Gardner had some lovely things to say about that in his Art of Fiction. I can’t speak for others, but I am a writer who believes, for example, that writers have an obligation to dig deep, find truth as they can tell it, and help people feel more connected, alive, compassionate, and relevant. I believe writers have an obligation to share their knowledge. Writers are privileged when they can help other writers grow in their writing skills.  I try to do that on my website and when I teach or attend workshops. I believe we have an obligation to help each other on this planet.

This entry was posted by Jan Bowman on Saturday, May 23, 2015.
Filed under: Interviews, On Writing, Reflections
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.