I am going to call out the Midwest Writers workshop for fatphobia.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
One would think that in the areas of academia, publishing, and literature, a person could be free from toxic, arbitrary beauty standards and fat-shaming. Alas, you’d be wrong, and writer Roxane Gay is using her name and platform to call out an institution with which she’s had a relationship … until they decided not to give someone a particular position for being too fat.
The person in question is writer Sarah Hollowell, who has worked for the Midwest Writers Workshop for five years. Gay herself was on the faculty back in 2013, and so is well-connected to its goings-on. Here’s what Gay had to say about Hollowell’s situation:
Sarah Hollowell, who I met through MWW has worked with them for five years. She was voted to be on the organizational committee.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
But then someone said “do we really want someone like her representing us?” That person elaborated “someone so fat. It’s disgusting.” Only two people in that room spoke up for Sarah.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
They committee decided to NOT bring Sarah on board. Because of her body. But because she is “so talented” they are willing to hire her for less public things.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
This is unacceptable. And cruel. And cowardly, Midwest Writers Workshop. And you thought you could get away with it. You very nearly did.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
I guess I too am too fat and disgusting for your workshop. Which is fine. But Sarah was a tireless worker on your behalf. She is intelligent, passionate, and brave. You would be LUCKY to have her.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
You owe Sarah a public and genuine apology. And then those of you who objected to her fatness or were silent in the face of this fat phobia need to really take yourselves to task. It’s horrifying what you’ve done.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
Also, Midwest Writers Workshop, never use my name as a past faculty member in your promotional materials, ever again. I’m too fat and disgusting to be associated with you.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 10, 2018
As of this writing, Gay’s name is still listed on the workshop’s Past Faculty page, and a cursory Google search yielded nothing to do with an apology from the Midwest Writers Workshop.
It’s one thing if there’s a specific dress code for a job, or if one’s grooming is lacking in such a way that it’s affecting others (like you never shower, or wash your clothes). It’s quite another thing to call someone’s actual physical form “disgusting.” You know what’s disgusting? A cabal of literary elitists sitting around a table in a closed meeting making disparaging remarks about a woman’s body. That’s disgusting.
Especially since Hollowell is apparently “so talented.” So, this person is good enough to take work from, but she’s not good enough to be treated with respect. GOT IT, Midwest Writers Workshop. GOT. IT.
P.S.—according to Gay, this group of employers specifically did not give this woman a position because of her physical appearance. This could be a legal matter, depending on the workplace discrimination laws in Indiana, where MWW is located, and depending on whether or not Hollowell would want to pursue something like that. Just sayin’.
Gay then elaborated on the kind of work Hollowell has been doing for MWW:
And I am going to tell you a story about Sarah. I taught at Midwest Writers Workshop several years ago. And at the end they asked for feedback. I was really scared to speak up but I said it would be nice for there to be bigger seats for bigger people.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 10, 2018
And Sarah backed me up and elaborated on the seating issue. I have never forgotten that kindness and that visible support for fat bodies. She taught me a lot about speaking up for the space you deserve to take up with comfort and dignity.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 10, 2018
Conscientious, compassionate, and inclusive. But she’s fat so, you know, we have to keep her in the closet with the rest of the trolls. WHAT?!
One of the awesome things about Gay’s tweets is that, in the responses to them, someone asked about how people could support Holloway, and someone else provided an answer. Hollowell has a Patreon page for her fiction work, which you can visit HERE if you are so inclined.
And yes, Midwest Writers Workshop, we’re all still waiting on that apology.
(featured image: kellywritershouse/Flickr)
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