Introducing the Anthropologist as Writer : Across and Within Genres

Taking existing conversations in anthropology as a point of departure, the mission of this volume is twofold: first, to identify different writing genres that anthropologists actually engage with; second, to argue for the usefulness and necessity for anthropologists of taking writing as a craft seriously and of writing across and within genres in new ways. This introductory chapter contextualizes anthropological writing historically and theoretically, moves on to my own experience of writing cultural (dance) journalism as one instance of broadening anthropological writing, and concludes by offering an overview of ways of writing anthropology as discussed in the following chapters: in relation to the making of an anthropological career, ethnographic writing, journalistic and popular writing, and writing across genres.