Composting: A Writing Practice of Wellness for Academics of Color

Abstract

Despite documented accounts from academics of color, literature about academic writing often overlooks their experiences as racially minoritized writers. This article addresses this limitation by situating Natalie Goldberg’s (2016) composting as a writing practice of wellness. I begin by defining composting as an active process of leveraging patience and trusting time writers of color can use to liberate themselves from the academy’s hyper-competitive and racialized standards. I then describe my personal journey with composting as an illustrative case to consider how the practice aligns with the needs of writers of color. Thereafter, I name three practical approaches to composting designed to push a writer’s work forward and simultaneously care for their wellness. I conclude with a discussion of composting’s significance for not only academics of color but also understandings of academic writing more broadly.