As writers, we are eager for feedback and validation that something we’ve birthed has value and waiting for it, to paraphrase the late Tom Petty, is sometimes the hardest part. Today’s guest, Ali Michael, Ph.D. echoed that in something she said during our conversation, but make no mistake, this really isn’t a conversation about the writing process. It’s a conversation about her path to working towards racial equity through her writing. I really enjoyed this conversation and learned so much from Ali, and I hope you do too. Meet Ali Michael, Ph.D.: Ali Michael works with schools and organizations across the country to help make research on race, Whiteness, and education more accessible and relevant to educators. She is the author of Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Inquiry and Education, which won the 2017 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award. She recently joined me on Uncorking a Story to talk about her latest book, Our Problem, Our Path: Collective Antiracism for White People, which she co authored with Elenora Bartoli. Key Topics: Why, even though she has multiple books published, Ali does not identify as an author. How Ali’s experience in an African American Literature class helped her talk about race without freezing up. Her path to working towards racial equity. How we can have better, more productive conversations about race without “knocking people out.” Why sometimes the waiting is the hardest part of the writing process. “I guess, because right now I'm just sitting around waiting for people to read what I wrote and I'm not writing anything right now, so I feel very adrift. I'm just sitting around waiting to hear the response. I don't feel like a writer right now, I just feel like I'm just in this writer's purgatory waiting for feedback.” — Ali Michael, Ph.D. Buy: Our Problem, Our Path Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xJ2Obk Bookshop.org:https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781071851326 Corwin.com: https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/our-problem-our-path/book278155 Connect with Ali Website: https://www.alimichael.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ali.michael.3726 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alimichaelphd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/alimichaelphd?lang=en Connect with Mike Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.