Over at Econ Talk, Zach Weinersmith, author/illustrator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal and the Open Borders graphic novel, discussed my approach to writing. This is what Zach said:
Fabio Rojas, I don't know if you've ever interviewed him: he's a sociologist. And, he said he always tells his students, 'Write for the library, write for the library. Write thinking that I'm going to do this right so that in 40 years, this lonely book of mine, someone's going to pick it up and say: Ah, this answers the question I needed answered. And, the conversation can continue in the future.'
Absolutely correct. So often, we write in response to the issues of today, which are passing. Honestly, who will care 50 years from now about your opinions on Trump or Biden? Almost no one. This also applies to a lot of academic writing as well. But instead of pop culture fads, we write in response to disciplinary fads.
Instead, take a different approach. Do not ask, “What is hot today?” or “What is the trendy topic in my field?” Instead, ask, “What is an enduring question? Will my answer stand the test of time?” Write so that when people in the future ask, “What is the answer to my question?,” they will pick up your book and say, “that’s solid, that’s interesting, now I can have a conversation about that.”
It’s a tall order and, admittedly, most of my own writing fails this test, but I am pleased to see that some of it has staying power. To my surprise, my book on Black Studies has been an enduring answer in a longer conversation about Black education. I am also hopeful that a few other pieces will pass the bar.
That is my advice to all of you. Don’t write for peer review and don’t write for Twitter. Write for the future.
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My books: Grad Skool Rulz - cheap advice manual for grad students / The history of Black Studies / Obama and the antiwar movement / A Social Theory book you will enjoy reading / Intro Sociology for $1 per chapter
Sound advice 🙌 The world would probably be a better place if more people took this outlook.