Mandy Van Deven, Independent Writer and Activist | India

MVD: After working in grassroots organizations in Atlanta, GA and Brooklyn, NY for over a decade, I moved to Kolkata, India to support my partner's educational goals. This trans-global relocation presented an opportunity for me to explore an career that would never have been financially possible for me while living in the United States: full-time freelance writing. I'd worked previously as an editor and publisher of small, independent publications, but I had never written for any other media. This career change was a pretty significant leap of faith, and I feel enormously fortunate to have had the opportunity.

AB: What types of media do you use in your work?

MVD: ** I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're asking here. **

AB: How has online journalism played a role in your career?

MVD: Quite frankly, online journalism is what made it possible for me to gain the success I have as a writer. Much of my writing is published in online media--from RH Reality Check to The Women's International Perspective to Bitch Magazine's blog--and the emergence of web-based media opened up the world of journalism to those of us who may not have formal training in the field, but know how to rock the written word. Journalism is in a particularly dynamic place right now, and a lot of that can be attributed to the Internet.

AB: What do you think is the future of print journalism?

MVD: If print journalism fails to reinvent itself, then it will surely continue to decline as it has in recent years. That being said, there are several independent media projects--like Bitch and Make/Shift magazines--that use innovative, community-centered models and are doing quite well for themselves. One of the downfalls of Big Media conglomerates is that they are so out of touch with what is happening at the local level; they crank out generic stories that lack depth and connection, and then wonder why people aren't buying their newspapers and magazines. Well, people aren't homogeneous and shouldn't be force fed as though we are because we'll eventually figure out a way to cater to our own needs, sans Big Media.

AB: Have you experienced any gender bias(es) in your career?

MVD: It's hard to say definitively, mostly because I tend to write for feminist-oriented publications that are particularly cognizant of such things. I can say that the most frustrating experience I have had as a writer was demanding the payment I was promised for a piece I wrote for a publication whose male publisher largely ignored my phone calls and e-mails for an entire year. My tenacity literally paid off, as I finally did get the promised sum, but who can say if the hassle was as a result of my being a woman? Perhaps he just treats all freelancers this way.

AB: You spoke about not feeling a ton of gender bias because you work mostly for feminist publications. Do you think women in general experience gender biases in journalism?

MVD: Of course. It's been proven time and time again that women journalists
experience gender bias. All marginalized groups are under-represented in media, both behind-the-scenes and on the page. A recent example of the "outing" of gender bias was the piece exploring discrimination faced by women at Newsweek written by its own female staff and published in the magazine itself. I must say that I am highly suspicious of media that publish an article that claims to be
self-critical because they're the ones who have the final say on how the story is framed, and obviously they're going to do that in a way that makes them look as good as possible; however, the piece does bring an issue back into the public eye that is in need of further scrutiny.

AB: How have international experiences impacted your career?

MVD: Many of the pieces I have written in the past two years have had an international focus. There is a dearth of accessible writing in the U.S. about international issues. As this is something I pay close attention to, I used the gap to my advantage by pitching stories to editors that others aren't or pieces that reflect an uncommon perspective.

AB: What do you think are the differences in journalism between India and the U.S?

MVD: ** I don't feel like I am qualified to answer this question, as I have
only written for one Indian publication. **

AB: What made you decide to move to India?

MVD: ** See #1 **

AB: What have been the hardest adjustments, personally and professionally?

MVD: When you begin a new career path, there is always a significant learning curve to overcome. I spent the first six months just learning the ropes, mostly by trial and error, and I continue to learn new things every day. In the beginning, I took on far too many assignments because I just didn't know what the right balance was for me, and it took me a minute to learn the right combination of simultaneous pitching, writing and revising. I've got a pretty good handle on it now, but there is an unpredictable element to the juggling of these things that continues to pose a challenge from time to time.

AB: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

MVD: I have spent the past two years in India trying to unlearn my propensity for planning--which results in nothing but frustration and disappointment since it is a rarity for things to happen here as you intend them to--so I can't possibly answer this question. LOL! I can tell you this, though; I recently turned 30 and on my birthday my partner asked what 20-year-old Mandy would have thought of 30-year-old Mandy. I immediately laughed and told him that 20-year-old Mandy never would have believed she would have the opportunity to live in India OR become a freelance writer, so 30-year-old Mandy would have blown her freakin' mind. I hope 40-year-old Mandy has the same effect.

AB: What piece of work are you most proud of and why?

MVD: This fall The Feminist Press is publishing "Hey...Shorty!: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Public Schools and on the Streets," a book I co-wrote with Joanne Smith and Meghan Huppuch about the grassroots organizing work I led at Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), a Brooklyn-based nonprofit whose mission is to encourage women and girls to be agents of social change and lead self-determined lives. The publication is a guide for youth activists and their allies to use to end gender-based violence in their communities. It details the work that has been done by teen women of color in GGE's Sisters in Strength youth organizing program and provides a model that can be replicated in other cities. We're putting the finishing touches on it now, and I'm very excited about the book's release.

AB: What is journalism like for women in India?

MVD: ** I'm not qualified to answer this question either. **

AB: Would you suggest international journalism to everyone? Why or why not?

MVD: Absolutely. The world is a vastly complex place, and the best way to learn about both it and yourself is to go out into the world and try to make sense of it by making connections with others. Your perspective of your own social, cultural, and political systems is broadened by being exposed to the way other societies function. Understanding something theoretically and actually experiencing it firsthand are two very different kinds of knowledge, and the latter enormously enriches the former.

AB: What are some misconceptions Americans have about India?

MVD: This question is tricky because misconceptions are always rooted in truth, right? So, a lot of Americans probably think India is this massively impoverished country where women are horribly oppressed and people worship cows. And there is certainly some truth to those claims, but none of them accurately represent the full scope of India.

The Indian economy has been rapidly growing over the past 10 years, which has created a large number of people who are upper and middle class. So alongside the dhabas and bazaars are these newly erected, posh, air conditioned malls that sell Louis Vuitton and KFC. In cities like Delhi and Mumbai, you hardly see a middle class woman under 30 wearing a sari or salwar kameez. Women wear the same jeans and tops that you'd see in America. And many of them go to college and work in fields like journalism, academia, graphic design, and fashion.

My point is that India is enormously diverse, and unfortunately, most Americans aren't exposed (and don't expose themselves) to the country's diversity, let alone the debates that are had within India about whether "development" is eroding Indian culture. This is one reason I have written so much about India while living here, particularly the role Indian women play in these cultural shifts. I want Americans to know that there's more to people in this country than simply not eating beef (which some people do eat, actually). I want them to know that, just like in the U.S., India has its own rich and complex history that has shaped what it is today, and a thriving democracy that is actively shaping

AB: What has been your fondest memory while living in India?

MVD: The ability to travel is a luxury enjoyed by those with both privilege and a desire to live without fear. If you are able to obtain the means, the hardest part of leaving one's homeland is simply gaining the courage to get on the plane, train, bus, or whatever other method of transportation is taking you into the unknown. My fondest memories are getting on those planes, trains, and buses.

AB: What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

MVD: Is it too nerdy to say learning Bengali? It's super frustrating, but also greatly rewarding to learn another language. The process really challenges you to investigate what you thought you knew about your own language and expands your understanding of communication (which are obviously key elements of journalism) in ways that are unparalleled. Multilingualism is a survival skill for the majority of the planet, and it's something most Americans take for granted. Aside from simply being respectful, being able to communicate with people in their mother tongue, even though my ability is very basic, has opened a lot of doors for me.

AB: What is your favorite food and custom of Indian culture?

MVD: Well, Indian food and culture are in no way homogeneous, but one thing I appreciate is the importance people place on community, in part because it reminds me of my own upbringing. Reliance on one's family, friends and neighbors is a necessity for people who live in underprivileged places and--without wanting to romanticize poverty because it is an unenviable way to live--this kind of interdependence is something that has become devalued in our own culture of individualism. It must be said, however, that among the middle and upper classes in India, a demographic that is growing, individualism is becoming more and more popular, and the ideological shift is causing a lot of social conflict in the country.

Interviewee: Mandy Van Deven

Mandy Van Deven is a progressive activist, social worker, and independent writer. She is the founding editor of the Feminist Review blog and the Associate Editor of GirlFuture. Mandy co-authored the forthcoming Hey, Shorty!: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and on the Streets and contributed to the Cultural Encyclopedia of Vegetarianism. Her writing focuses on gender, sexuality, popular culture, health, and religion, and has been published in various online and print media—including AlterNet, Bitch, ColorLines, Curve, Herizons, Make/Shift, Marie Claire, RH Reality Check, Religion Dispatches, SexIs, $pread, and The Women's International Perspective. Mandy has Bachelor's degrees in Sociology and Women's Studies from Georgia State University and a Master's in Social Work from Hunter College. She has worked for over a decade with grassroots organizations in Brooklyn, Atlanta, and Kolkata, such as Girls for Gender Equity, Red Hook Initiative, YouthPride, and Blank Noise. Her work can be found at www.mandyvandeven.com.

Interviewer: Amy Baxter:

I was born on May 26th 1989 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. When I was two, my family moved to Warrington, Pennsylvania, which is a suburb 30 minutes North East of Philadelphia. I grew up in Warrington, where I attended two elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools. During my childhood, I participated in many sports such as field hockey, soccer, swimming, basketball, and track. I also took piano and violin lessons. I graduated from Central Bucks High School South in May of 2007. I began college at The University of Iowa in August of 2007 as an open major. I came to Iowa on a field hockey scholarship and played for two years. Field hockey became too time consuming and I chose to stop so I could focus on schoolwork. I declared my major my sophomore year, majoring in Communication Studies and minors in American Sign Language and Journalism/Mass Communications. I spend a lot of my time volunteering. Currently, I am volunteering with the American Cancer Society. I am an avid TV and watcher; I really like Grey's Anatomy, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, and Glee. I also enjoy reading; my favorite books are the Twilight Saga, anything written by Chelsea Handler, the Sookie Stackhouse novels, and anything written by Nicholas Sparks. I reside in Iowa City, Iowa with 3 roommates. I am also obsessed with celebrity gossip. I will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in May of 2011 and aspire to find a new city to call home.