--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When your work is nonfiction about…" description: "\"When your work is nonfiction about low-income communities, pretty much anything that's not nonfiction about low-income communities feels like a guilty ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/katherine-boo-7467_about_when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-i_2781742.png" --- # When your work is nonfiction about low-income communities… ![“When your work is nonfiction about low-income communities, pretty much anything that's not nonfiction about low-income communities feels like a guilty pleasure.” quote by Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/katherine-boo-7467_about_when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-i_2781742.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/katherine-boo-7467_about_when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-i_2781742.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/katherine-boo-7467_about_when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-i_2781742.png) > “When your work is nonfiction about low-income communities, pretty much anything that's not nonfiction about low-income communities feels like a guilty pleasure.” [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing nonfiction about marginalized groups demands responsibility; consuming other genres can feel like an escape that may ignore real issues. **In simple terms:** Writing about the poor is a duty; other stories can feel like guilty escapes. Key Takeaway Approach all subjects with empathy and awareness. Themes ethics representation guilt media social responsibility Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - reading - media consumption - activism - education Key Concepts Journalistic integrity cultural sensitivity Questions to Reflect On - How does your reading choice reflect your values? - Can entertainment coexist with social responsibility? A Different Perspective Some may argue that fiction also raises awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communities/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Guilty pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty-pleasure/) [Low income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/low-income/) [Nonfiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonfiction/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [The rates of soda consumption in our poorest communities cannot be explained by individual consumer preferences alone, but rather are linked to broader issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/the-rates-of-soda-consumption-in-our-poorest-communities-cannot-be/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [In America, the problems of poverty and low income, particularly for minorities, are disproportionately focused in the inner cities. Shining a spotlight on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/in-america-the-problems-of-poverty-and-low-income-particularly-for/) [Michael Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-porter/) > [In my work as an actress and an activist, I've spent many years working with low income communities and people of color who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/in-my-work-as-an-actress-and-an-activist-i-ve-spent-many-years/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [We talk a lot about infrastructure in cities, and it's talking about highways and it's talking about trains, but I think more important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/we-talk-a-lot-about-infrastructure-in-cities-and-it-s-talking-about/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [For me, the only type of guilty pleasure fun that I have in terms of my career is I act once in awhile. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/for-me-the-only-type-of-guilty-pleasure-fun-that-i-have-in-terms-of/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) > [Well, I love any and all Bruno Mars. I don't feel bad about that. I also love some Maroon 5 every now and again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-nance-jr/well-i-love-any-and-all-bruno-mars-i-don-t-feel-bad-about-that-i-also/) [Larry Nance, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-nance-jr/) > [It's not really a guilty pleasure, but I love old cartoons. I could watch Bugs Bunny and Tweety all day long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-amell/it-s-not-really-a-guilty-pleasure-but-i-love-old-cartoons-i-could/) [Robbie Amell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-amell/) > [A plane is a guilty pleasure. I have one. It's a great luxury. I appreciate it. I couldn't do what I do. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/a-plane-is-a-guilty-pleasure-i-have-one-it-s-a-great-luxury-i/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [I don't believe in guilty pleasures. If I like it, I don't feel guilty about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-criss/i-don-t-believe-in-guilty-pleasures-if-i-like-it-i-don-t-feel-guilty/) [Darren Criss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-criss/) > ['Secret Life' is my guilty pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-fisher/secret-life-is-my-guilty-pleasure/) [Jordan Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-fisher/) > [Some people would say Counting Crows or Third Eye Blind would be a guilty pleasure, but they're two of my favorite bands - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-ross/some-people-would-say-counting-crows-or-third-eye-blind-would-be-a/) [Ryan Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-ross/) > [I have a sweet tooth. Milk chocolate with the caramel fillings - that's my guilty pleasure right there. But I think that's all right;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-wozniacki/i-have-a-sweet-tooth-milk-chocolate-with-the-caramel-fillings-that-s/) [Caroline Wozniacki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-wozniacki/) > [My guilty pleasure is shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorit-kemsley/my-guilty-pleasure-is-shopping/) [Dorit Kemsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorit-kemsley/) > [Long before feminism made fashion a guilty pleasure, my first experience of the sisterhood among strangers took place in a communal dressing room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-thurman/long-before-feminism-made-fashion-a-guilty-pleasure-my-first/) [Judith Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-thurman/) > [“It was at a conference in Cyprus in 1976, where the theme was the rights of small nations, that I first met Edward Said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-was-at-a-conference-in-cyprus-in-1976-where-the-theme-was-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More by Katherine Boo > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“The forces of justice had finally come to Annawadi. That the beneficiaries were horses was a source of bemusement to Sunil and the road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/the-forces-of-justice-had-finally-come-to-annawadi-that-the/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“For years, Asha had hoped that her daughter wouldn’t guess about the men. Now she wished she had raised Manju to be worldly enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/for-years-asha-had-hoped-that-her-daughter-wouldn-t-guess-about-the/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“What was unfolding in Mumbai was unfolding elsewhere, too. In the age of global market capitalism, hopes and grievances were narrowly conceived, which blunted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/what-was-unfolding-in-mumbai-was-unfolding-elsewhere-too-in-the-age/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [I was spending a lot of time in Mumbai after I met my husband, who is Indian, and while parts of the city were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/i-was-spending-a-lot-of-time-in-mumbai-after-i-met-my-husband-who-is/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [One thing that was very clear to me is that the young people in a place like Annawadi aren't tripping on caste the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/one-thing-that-was-very-clear-to-me-is-that-the-young-people-in-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“that the only Indians who went on trial were”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/that-the-only-indians-who-went-on-trial-were/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Besides, this was the gentle-going hour in which he hated Annawadi least. The pale sun lent the sewage lake a sparkling silver cast, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/besides-this-was-the-gentle-going-hour-in-which-he-hated-annawadi/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [There's some way in which we would prefer not to see very clearly the immense gifts and intelligence of some of the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/there-s-some-way-in-which-we-would-prefer-not-to-see-very-clearly-the/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“No onlooker asked, Why fix a house when the airport authority might demolish it? Almost everyone here improved his hut when he was able,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/no-onlooker-asked-why-fix-a-house-when-the-airport-authority-might/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [Everyone in Annawadi talks like this: 'Oh, I will make my child a doctor, a lawyer, and he will make us rich'. It's vanity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/everyone-in-annawadi-talks-like-this-oh-i-will-make-my-child-a-doctor/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Like most scavengers, Sunil knew how he appeared to the people who frequented the airport: shoeless, unclean, pathetic. By winter’s end, he had defended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/like-most-scavengers-sunil-knew-how-he-appeared-to-the-people-who/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Though Abdul had been afraid of ghosts as most Annawadi boys, these reports did no disturb him. Being terrorized by living people seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/though-abdul-had-been-afraid-of-ghosts-as-most-annawadi-boys-these/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [But if writing about people who are not yourself is illegitimate, then the only legitimate work is autobiography; and as a reader and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/but-if-writing-about-people-who-are-not-yourself-is-illegitimate-then/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [I'm not squeamish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/i-m-not-squeamish/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) [Explore all 90 Katherine Boo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When your work is nonfiction about low-income communities, pretty much anything that's not nonfiction about low-income communities feels like a guilty pleasure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katherine Boo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-income-communities-pretty-much/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-income-communities-pretty-much/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/katherine-boo-7467_about_when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-i_2781742.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/katherine-boo-7467_about_when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-i_2781742.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/katherine-boo-7467_about_when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-i_2781742.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When your work is nonfiction about low-income communities, pretty much anything that's not nonfiction about…” — Katherine Boo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Katherine Boo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When your work is nonfiction about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-income-communities-pretty-much/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/when-your-work-is-nonfiction-about-low-income-communities-pretty-much/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```