Word by Word: Editing as an Act of Love

Allied Media Conference Workshop: Editing as an Act of Love from Lisa Factora-Borchers on Vimeo.

This weekend is the almighty Allied Media Conference – a completely awesome gathering of activists, writers, media makers, shape-shifters, publishers, Troublemakers, and movement builders in Detroit!  I went a few years back and try to make it every year.  Only significant conflicts warrant an AMC absence.

This weekend, one of my dearest friends is getting married.  So, that’s the signficant conflict.

However, I am sending my spirit along to Detroit for the weekend.  I have submitted a video I made for a workshop entitled, “Editing as an Act of Love” which will be a radical collaborative effort between myself and wonderful workers of love who put their heart on the page and edit with principles that build community, affirm voice, and uplift the work of marginalized or silenced.  In my case, I based this video on my ongoing editing with Dear Sister, my anthology of letters and art, created by survivors of sexual violence for other survivors.

Editing has been a learning experience.  It’s an honor and grace to read the words of survivors who have been through unfathomable violation and witness (read) their personal resurrections. 

This is the video that will be shown at the conference this weekend.  But fear not: for those of you who view the vid, but do not engage in any editing work, the same principles apply to personal relationship :)

3 thoughts on “Word by Word: Editing as an Act of Love

  1. This is awesome. I think anyone in any sort of teaching or supervising capacity would benefit from it.

  2. “Editing is walking together and it’s even taking a rest together. Helping a writer cultivate their authentic voice is helping them take a work that is good and transform it into something vibrant.”

    Do I feel lucky to be a part of this anthology? Every day :)

    Just wanted to share how encouraged and revitalized I feel whenever I come across your blogging and videos. I think I may be taking a bit of a rest from Google Reader. I had a bit of a run-in on one of the “big feminist blogs” and it took so much energy out of me to respond, critique, drill drill drill. It’s exhausting. And, deep down, I suspect that it was not the best use of my time.

    I think I need a new way to do my social justice writing. I feel strongly that online writing is an important medium, but the poisonous comments, lack of critical engagement in the feminist blogging community between writers and commenters, and the marginalization and erasure of certain voices isn’t anywhere close to resolution. And for me? I need some resolution. I need peace.

    These are things that I’m thinking through as I work towards different answers. And I can’t begin to tell you how much your work helps me in that process.

    Thank you for your work. Thank you for your editing.

    Thank you, really and truly.

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