Before writing There Are No Children Here, Kotlowitz worked as a staff writer for the Wall Street Journal. He has written for the New York Times Sunday Magazine and The New Yorker. In his speech, Kotlowitz discussed the difficulties of writing about race. I can tell you that there is nothing more difficult for a writer than to write about absence. While his first book focused completely on a black family in a black community, The Other Side of the River tells the story of Eric McGinnis' murder from the perspectives of both white and black communities.
Race is, after all, a social construct.
If I was going to write about race, I wanted to write as much about my own community as I was going to write about the black community. Kotlowitz went on to describe the evolution of The Other Side of the River, including what he learned about race, about myths and about the effect of history on racial divisions. During his research, Kotlowitz came up against extraordinary misconceptions from both communities. Before fielding questions from the audience, Kotlowitz spoke of his hopes for those who read his book. The Johnston lecture is held annually in honor of Richard W. Johnston, '36, and is part of the Johnston project in the SOJC, which brings professional writers and editors to campus for workshops, lectures, and discussion with faculty and students.