Blog #27: Guest Lecture
A few weeks ago, I had one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life and it did not involve jumping out of an airplane or swimming with sharks. :)
I was the Guest of Honor at a Stanford University class called “Environmental Justice (EJ) Storytelling” where I got to share my truth as Elvia Maya, author of The Ethereal Environmentalist. <3
The opportunity to speak to Dr. Emily Polk’s class was a seedling that was planted during the climate writer’s retreat to Chamonix, France. We both stayed in the attic of our chalet and bonded over how unexpectedly hot it was in the Alps (especially up there where all the heat rose). I felt comfortable enough to send Emily my essays for feedback; her kind and confident words affirmed my presence within our new writing family. She became a huge fan of my work and I became an even bigger fan of hers. Being in Chamonix with Emily reminded me that “home” is wherever I am.
On the last day of the retreat, when all the writers were preparing for a live reading, I asked Emily which piece I should read. The socially-charged essay I freshly got off my chest, called “Brown Skin, White Mind”? Or the empowering love letter I wrote to myself from my mother, with undertones of my “why” in fighting for environmental justice? Emily bubbled with excitement when she said: “The second one, definitely the second one.” As scared as I was to bear my soul in front of a crowd, I felt like anything was possible. I took her advice.
Performing a public reading of “A radical act of self love” in Chamonix, France.
I experienced that same gut feeling when Emily asked if I would be the Guest of Honor at her EJ Storytelling class for a lesson on blogging. I never stepped foot on the Stanford campus before, and my first time would be to give a guest lecture!! My heart widened and eyes watered when I considered the weight of her offer. It would be the biggest honor of my life to have an opportunity like that, so perfectly in alignment with two of my greatest passions.
We started the conversation about guest lecturing in July and it finally became a reality three months later. Emily’s students had prepared for my arrival by reading “Art of Basketweaving” which helped me develop an enriching presentation. Matthew and I drove up from LA a couple days prior to get settled in. Luckily, I had countless hours to practice during our long drives in the car. Matthew would listen to me give a 30-minute speech, then coach me on how to be more concise. It felt like bootcamp for public speaking at times, but it gave me a huge boost of confidence when I finally got it down. Most of the time I speak publicly, it’s in the writing format, after all.
On Monday, October 31st, I stood up before a class of Stanford students and finally presented what I had prepared for them.
Presenting to the “EJ Storytelling” class on vulnerability as your greatest strength.
The presentation started with the reminder that vulnerability is your greatest strength. That was my way of preparing the class to hear my life’s story -- from grieving daughter to environmental justice writer. Anyone who knows me, knows that the loss of my mother changed me forever. That I am perpetually motivated by the flame she instilled in me. And that my commitment to environmental justice is tied to my empathetic heart as a motherless daughter.
I brought up my mother’s definition of success that continues to guide me: “Success is living in alignment with your goals and values, without having to sacrifice your values to accomplish those goals.” I shared my truth without hesitation. Talked about cultural shifts that challenge our societal structures to be better. Advocated for the people and planet who often go without a voice. All in light of co-creating the world my mom would want me and my sisters to live in. This is what success looks like to me.
Per Emily’s request, I also dissected the blog to help people understand my inspiration, style, tone, structure and process. I never had to analyze my own work before, but it was equally enlightening as it was simple. The short answer to all of those technicalities is that I don’t consider style, tone, structure or any sort of format when I’m in the writing process. I simply follow my intuition. My blogs started out as journal entries, where the only “structure” I followed was stream of consciousness. What makes the blog unique is that my stream of consciousness is led by an EJ agenda. I may start out with a strong feeling, memory, or story, but I always find a way to weave in environmental conservation messages, eventually leading my readers to a “call to action.” It’s easy to float between personal narratives and existential social issues because I see the interconnectedness in all things. This is the spiritual learning journey I take readers on with me, so we can all be better stewards to the land we exist on.
Presentation slide I developed to help explain my writing structure and process.
After the presentation, the students had the most insightful questions and affirming comments. We started off talking about the intersections of my identity as an Asian American and EJ advocate. We had lively discussions about the importance of decolonization, especially in the context of Stanford which is heavily influenced by colonial powers. We talked about what a “decolonized society” would look like and how to achieve it. We talked about how I use my blog voice to amplify the important research I do during my day job. We even talked about the students’ own interests in blogging, and the brave ideas they wanted to amplify, like healing generational trauma through environmental writing. It was beautiful to be in relation with so many young people that share the same passion for environmental justice. Talking through their questions gave me a deep sense of comfort; this is the community I want to stand alongside in our fight for EJ.
Me and Dr. Emily Polk’s “EJ Storytelling” class.
When I look back on the whole experience, I am simply blown away. The only intention I set when I started The Ethereal Environmentalist was to process my grief so I could be a better contributor to my field, but the Universe had bigger plans. This blog has taken me to some incredible places -- a magazine feature, an Earth Day art show, the French Alps, and now a Stanford classroom. Each opportunity has affirmed that writing from my heart is not only good for me, but also the people I share it with. We are the dreamers and weavers of the new society we want to create. One where every human is guaranteed the right to clean water, air and land. I’m infinitely grateful for every person who has interacted with my work, and considered the role we must embody to manifest this reality.
For anyone who is reading this, and might be inspired to start their own blog, just remember:
Write like no one’s watching and people will listen. <3
Me and a lovely autumn tree on the Stanford campus.
