On Flying, Writing Poetry and Doing Educational Research

Author: SAUNDERS LESLEY  

Publisher: Routledge Ltd

ISSN: 1469-3518

Source: British Educational Research Journal, Vol.29, Iss.2, 2003-01, pp. : 175-187

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Abstract

This article is written in a personal capacity; it is based on a presentation entitled 'If the child is father to the man, can the researcher be mother to the poet?' given as part of the ECER symposium, 'Telling stories: truth and fiction in educational research' hosted by David Bridges, at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Edinburgh, 23 September 2000. It is meant as a stimulus to discussion about the relationship between poetry as a species of 'creative' writing, and research writing--how and why they might be complementarities as well as opposites. Rather than attempting a theoretical paper, the author uses excerpts from her own poetry--and those of the prize-winning poet, Jane Draycott, with whom she recently co-authored a book, and whose ideas have contributed to this article--to explore these ideas.