Writing for Change—Research as Public Pedagogy and Arts-Based Activism

The story is a powerful tool for understanding and thus for education, both for individuals and for communities. Robson explores this intersection of narrative and academia with a focus on activism and self-awareness. This book is divided into five chapters, each preceded by a short section, or interlude, of fiction or other creative writing, which serve to set the tone or theme of the chapter which follows. The first interlude and chapter deal with the exploration and knowledge of the self; the second delves more deeply into addressing painful or difficult areas of self awareness, with particular focus on using the tools of close writing exercises. The third chapter discusses the intersection between literature and psychoanalytic theory, especially screen memory, which is explored further in the fourth chapter. The fifth chapter deals with genre and pedagogy. Though there is a focus on application to the voices of the queer community, the discussion has wide application to those working with any marginalized community. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Claire Robson’s work as a writer, editor, and educator has spanned four decades and a variety of professional contexts, both formal and informal. Currently she is writer-in-residence for Quirk-e (the Queer Imaging & Riting Kollective for Elders), a federally funded arts-engaged community group in Vancouver. Her memoir, Love in Good Time, was published in 2003, and she edited Outside Rules, a collection of short fiction about nonconformist youth, in 2007. She was named Pink Triangle Press Writer of the Year in 2006. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia in 2011, having won a number of awards including the Lynch History Prize, the Dean's Award, and the Joseph Katz Memorial Scholarship for work in anti-oppressive education.