Isen writes, “I need a refrain that does more open-ended, unexpected work than just announcing the color of my skin as the intellectual bottom line” (par. 7) and asks, “How might we help usher in more...

Isen writes, “I need a refrain that does more open-ended, unexpected work than just announcing the color of my skin as the intellectual bottom line” (par. 7) and asks, “How might we help usher in more nuanced ways of writing identity, ones that don’t always demand that writers of color perform their suffering on the page?” (par. 11).

Why do you think Isen values open-ended and more nuanced ways of treating identity, particularly for writers of color and those from marginalized groups?

As a reader, what assumptions do you make about writers of color and writers from marginalized groups? Do you expect them to address their own identities or the concept of identity in their writing? Explain your answer.