From Notes to Narrative

"In these troubling times, it is the obligation of social scientists to produce knowledge that confronts social and political complexity with a clarity and verve that promotes the common good. Through enviably crisp and concise prose, Ghodsee crafts a variety of chapters, some conceptual ("Choose a Subject You Love," "Integrate Your Theory"), some more practical ("Embrace Dialogue," "Master Good Grammar and Syntax"), that show us how to write compelling ethnographic narratives. What's more, Ghodsee provides well-integrated examples from ethnographic texts that are models of 'how it is done.' Given the challenges of our times, this work should be required reading for all social scientists."--Paul Stoller, author of Yaya's Story: The Quest for Well-Being in the World "Thank you, Kristen Ghodsee, for offering an absolutely essential guide to ethnographic writing. I fervently hope From Notes to Narrative will be read by every aspiring ethnographic writer, and, most of all, that its lessons will be put into practice. I can't wait to read the books that will come from this book!"--Ruth Behar, author of Traveling Heavy: A Memoir in between Journeys "Ethnography lives and dies in its writing. Wide-eyed graduate students and field-wary scholars alike will find useful tips in From Notes to Narrative. There are valuable strategies within these pages, for every stage of the process, and sparkling examples all along the way."--Jonathan R. Wynn, author of Music/City: American Festivals and Placemaking in Austin, Nashville, and Newport

Kristen Ghodsee is professor of gender and women's studies at Bowdoin College and a former Guggenheim Fellow in Anthropology and Cultural Studies. She is the author of five books, most recently Lost In Transition: Ethnographies of Everyday Life after Communism and The Left Side of History: World War II and the Unfulfilled Promise of Communism in Eastern Europe.