Subjectivity, Identity, and Intersectionality in Arts Journalism: An Interview with Diep Tran

American Theatre magazine senior editor and arts critic Diep Tran discusses shifting power dynamics in the field of arts journalism, callout culture’s role in social media and arts criticism, and her use of the personal narrative in a traditionally objective form. We interpret Tran’s body of work as subversive within the genre of criticism for modeling a form of resistant readership that addresses systemic issues of race, gender, and representation. We frame her subjective, identity-focused work within the ideologies of intersectionality and decolonialism and demonstrate how she embodies these methodologies through both the content and form of her work.