Poetic Inquiry as Relational Practice

Poetic Inquiry as Relational Practice
with Dr. Sandra L. Faulkner

When: Tuesdays November 3, 10, and 17
Where: Online, via Zoom
Fee: £180

What if we see poetic inquiry—the use of poetry in social research—as built on relationality?

This workshop explores the idea of poetry and poetic inquiry as relationship. Interpersonal relationships are a fundamental building block for social life just as poetry is a fundamental expression of emotion and human experience. Life is built on our relationships. Poetry is a creative tool we can use in our social research to show the relationship between researcher and participants, between research traditions, and the researcher and the self. Thus, poetic inquiry is a conversation between the researcher, the poet, and the community.

Through discussion and writing exercises, we will consider poetry as a relational practice by exploring the relationship between poetry and research, poetry and the self, poetry and research participants, and poetry and creative practice.

Sandra L. Faulkner is Professor of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University where she writes, teaches, and researches about close relationships. Faulkner’s interests include qualitative methodology, poetic inquiry, inclusive pedagogy, and critical perspectives on interpersonal and family communication. She engages in community-based research focusing on aging and communication across the life course and uses poetry as a form of social justice and activism. Faulkner is the author of Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method, & Practice (Routledge). Her poetry +images have appeared in places such as Gulf Stream, Ekphrastic Review, and Anti-Heroin Chic. She published five poetry chapbooks and a memoir in poetry, Knit Four, Frog One (Brill). Faulkner has received numerous awards for her teaching and scholarship including the Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research from the London Arts-Based Research Centre.