A Will to Write, or ‘ That blinking cursor demands words from me .’

Sub-brand to go here A Will to Write, or‘That blinking cursor demands words from me.’ Ronald Barnett, Visiting Professor University of West London, professorial lecture, 14 March, 2013 Centre for Higher Education Studies

Current work • Trilogy? • Being a University • Imagining the University • Understanding the University • The Ecological University • Changing one’s mind • Living amid multiple time horizons

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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

‘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

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

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

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

Images/ metaphors • The writer as: • Architect • Sculptor • Musician • Jigsaw solver • Potholer

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

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

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’

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

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

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! Institute of Education University of London 20 Bedford Way London WC1H 0AL Tel +44 (0)20 7612 6000 Fax +44 (0)20 7612 6126 Email info@ioe.ac.uk Web www.ioe.ac.uk

A Will to Write, or ‘ That blinking cursor demands words from me .’