a will to write, or ‘ that blinking cursor demands words from me.’ ronald barnett, visiting...

A Will to Write, or‘That blinking cursor

demands words from me.’

Ronald Barnett, Visiting ProfessorUniversity of West London, professorial lecture, 14 March, 2013

Centre for Higher Education Studies

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Current work

Trilogy? Being a University Imagining the University Understanding the University The Ecological University

- Changing one’s mind- Living amid multiple time horizons

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Personal background

• Home(s) in Raynes Park • Family• School/ university• Challenges (teachers’ remarks)• etc• Struggles• Self-image – difficulties in speaking• Writing as a way of being heard and reaching out

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Adult biography

• PGCE• PNL• CNAA (Ealing CHE)• Evening job• IOE – aged 43• 4 yrs, Dean and Prof• Course Leader, supervisor – now one’s students are

themselves professors!

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Academic identity - a layering• Researcher• Teacher• Administrator/ bureaucrat• Speaker• Manager• Institutional leader• Facilitator

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A will to write

• Self-identity as a writer• Reaching out/ communicating• Teaching• Scholar/ library/ books as texts/ as friends

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Scholarly challenges

• Liminality (being caught reading)• Writing as a private activity• Rhythm of writing • Rejections – keeping going• That blinking cursor demands words

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Writing disciplines

• Steadiness - a page a day …• Writing as work/ as brushing one’s teeth• Space for thinking• And for being oneself• ‘say what you want to say’• But just what do you want to say?• ‘The bodily pain of writing’• Finding it within oneself; drawing it out.

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Sources of support

• Individuals/ friends (over decades and new ones)• Mentors• Groups• Dedications/ acknowledgements

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Journeying

• Having a project for one’s writing (practical/ empirical/ theoretical) – an intellectual project [5-10 yrs]

• Care – woods and trees; commas and overarching project• Communicating – audience(s)• Tortoises and hares• Reading/ writing/ sharing/ thinking

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‘I just don’t have time to write’

• Facing one’s inner demons• Turning on the computer• The blinking cursor …• How start?• Just write!• Beauty of a word-processor

– Value of touch-typing

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That first sentence

• So easy; and so difficult• Resources• Overall theme• Sub-theme/ issue• Yesterday’s last para

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Realistic goals

• Never expect of yourself that you will write a paper, let alone a book

• Just a page• Words per day/ per week• Turning off the computer• Having a life

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Inspiration

• No good waiting for inspiration• But the writing comes ultimately from within• Autobiography• A compulsion• A struggle – inchoate feelings/ presentiments/ values/

murmurings …• One inspires oneself (ultimately)• A never-ending conversation

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Images/ metaphors

• The writer as:• Architect• Sculptor• Musician• Jigsaw solver• Potholer

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Methodologies

• Research questions• Speaking to the reader• Language• The look on the page (length of paragraphs)• The feel of the text (length of words/ sentences) – [2 word sentences]• Sub-headings• Rhythm – rules and rule-breaking• Delight• Words• Linking the sentences• Scaffolding

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Finding a voice

• One’s own voice• Writing signature• Finding oneself• Finding one’s voice• Autobiography (the management team mtg)

– My own writing – interplay between theory/phil and practical academic life (Bruce’s island – but with bridges)

• Writing as fiction

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Audience(s)

• Writing to be read• Who would you like to persuade?• Representatives of one’s audience(s) behind one as one

writes– Anticipating objections

• Sitting in a cafe• (the engineer’s tale; the South African tale)• ‘Doing the thinking for the reader’

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Crafting a book

• Different levels of reading– The busy reader– Delighting the reader

• Sub-headings• Indexes with a smile• Bibliographies• Footnotes (uncluttered text) [that reviewer]• Diagrams – keeping them simple• Photo(s) – a diplomatic incident

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Keeping going

• There are bound to be difficulties• Rejections• Being honest with oneself• Internalising voices• Friends• Conversation

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The value of writing

• Not for the REF - but for oneself• And for others• Wanting to change things – in however small a way• Seeing the world• Bertrand Russell – p sceptic;

- RAB: a passionate scholar• Changed my life; changed me – words on the screen• So be careful with your writing

– it may just change your life!

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