"This book, through the union of life writing and critical theory, advances the notions set out by the life writing scholarship by considering the ways to reconceptualize, reconstruct, and reform our interpretations of phenomena. For neophytes and seasoned qualitative investigators looking to life writing for guidance, this book is a must-have. This book presents important descriptions of life writing methods in a way that is cogent and tangible."
-Umair Majid, Queen’s University
Beginning and established scholars in biography, autobiography, autoethnography, and oral and life history will profit from Mullvihill and Swaminathan’s trans-disciplinary commentary and analysis of life writing. Ably contextualizing theory and generalizing practice, the authors offer experienced and well-reasoned guidance to those who want to write competently researched, readable, and honest narratives. The strategically positioned research journal and sketchbook exercises make the book a highly usable text for life writing courses. My only regret is that Critical Approaches to Life Writing Methods was not published fifty years earlier when I began my career as an historian and biographer of education.
Gerald L. Gutek, Professor Emeritus, Loyola University Chicago
Thalia Mulvihill and Raji Swaminathan offer a great gift to those qualitative researchers entering the burgeoning field of life writing and educational biography. This primer guides the life writer into new research realms and, from their well-conceived metaphor of dreamscapes, permits the neophyte to embrace, understand, and rejoice in the adventure and freedom of blending detailed scholarly research with imaginative, thoughtful writing. With carefully-constructed research activities, the reader begins Critical Approaches to Life Writing Methods in Qualitative Research with great interest and concludes with great knowledge, prepared to embark upon the journey and joy of life writing and biographical inquiry.
Craig Kridel, E. S. Gambrell Professor of Educational Studies and Curator of the Museum of Education, University of South Carolina
Mulvihill and Swaminathan masterfully situate life writing methods in the realm of theoretical, historical, and methodological underpinnings of qualitative research. They invite readers to the forest of complex life writing with invaluable resources, creative ideas, and inspiring suggestions that readers can savour when they embark their own journey of life writing. Critical Approaches to Life Writing Methods in Qualitative Research is a must read that will serve as a safety net for those who are hankering for a quality guide to understanding the value of storytelling. This book makes a remarkable contribution to the field of narrative inquiry!
Jeong-Hee Kim, Professor of Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education, Texas Tech University
"This book, through the union of life writing and critical theory, advances the notions set out by the life writing scholarship by considering the ways to reconceptualize, reconstruct, and reform our interpretations of phenomena. For neophytes and seasoned qualitative investigators looking to life writing for guidance, this book is a must-have. Albeit before reading this book, I was open to grasping how useful this book may be to my own work, I found that the end of this book was met with continuous nodding and moments of realization and inspiration that prompted me to revisit my own work and enhance its theory, transparency, and clarity. This book presents important descriptions of life writing methods in a way that is cogent and tangible."
Umair Majid, Nova Southeastern Unversity
