Product Description
The scholarship of Rich Furman is just plain lovely—original, inviting and emotionally accessible. This powerfully thought-provoking collection beautifully weaves together the tools and sensibilities of autoethnography with poetic inquiry as few have done before. Reading his work makes me wish to read more, and more, and more. Brilliant. Expansive. Elegant. Radiant. Inspirational. Luminous.”
Laurel Richardson, PhD Professor Emeritus of Sociology, The Ohio University. Qualitative sociologist, Seminal practitioner of autoethnography, and author of many books, including Writing Strategies, Research Diverse Audience
Rich Furman’s Poetry as Therapy, Research and Education is a treasure trove of some of the best articles ever penned on the healing and transformative power of poetry. Furman writes in a lucid yet scholarly style. Like a fine artisan, his work is well crafted, attractive, and engaging. It is a one-of-a-kind text, unrivaled in its comprehensiveness and insightfulness. It is worth investing time and energy in for the knowledge it provides is timeless.
Samuel T. Gladding, PhD, Professor of Counseling, Wake Forest University, Author of many books, including Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession
The potential of poetry to heal, explore, educate, and elevate the human mind is an inexhaustible resource. In his seminal work, Rich Furman shows that poetry really matters, opening new perspectives on self-reflection, and changing our conventional scripts of understanding. Guided by well-grounded professional values and ethics in therapy, research, as well as social and educational work, Furman adds deep personal dimensions to the narrative and poetic ways of inquiry and encourages us to appreciate our own growth and well-being.
Juhani Hans, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland, author of Transformative Words: Writing Otherness and Identities
In this evocative and readerly text, Furman advances the case for poetry beyond its literary questions, providing a rich knowledge terrain for social science and humanities researchers. In thoughtful, qualitative reasoning, Furman shows us how poetry has the capacity to clarify and magnify existence: we learn how poetry inspires existential and phenomenological research questions; how poetry can be both the data and the analytical frame; and how the writing and reading of poetry can be a therapeutic and emancipatory process. In this text, Furman reveals ways to reconceptualize our lived experience, reorient our assumptions, perceive new perspectives, and find new means for experimenting with our relationships with ourselves and others. Regardless of your background in poetry, this will be a text to welcome you into the ways of the poem.
Dr. Sean Wiebe, Associate Professor of Education at University of Prince Edward Island, Leading voice in A/R/Tography and poetic inquiry
Dr. Rich Furman’s book provides an essential read for clinicians working with poetry therapy in a variety of settings, as well as within differing therapeutic models. He honors past theorists of poetry therapy, describes his social work practice including writing exercises, and provides case studies that give us insight to the power of poetry therapy in action. One of his most effective threads woven throughout various chapters is how he demonstrates the power of metaphor as a “tool” to help clients move outside themselves to witness stance, thus find meaning and value to enlarge their lives. In today’s world, this is necessary “bread,” as poet Mary Oliver describes poetry itself.
Perie Longo, Past president of the National Association of Poetry Therapy, Former poet Laureate of Santa Barbara, Registered Poetry Therapist, Leading voice in poetry therapy
This collection of Dr. Rich Furman’s articles published over a twenty-year period contributes, in a significant way, to the field of poetry therapy. Reflecting and integrating in-depth knowledge of the humanities, social sciences and the social work profession, Dr. Furman’s book provides a rich compendium of lucid and substantive articles that highlights the power of poetic expression to enhance clinical practice, increase the authenticity of qualitative research, and provide meaningful innovations in social work education.
Geri Giebel Chavis, Author of Poetry and Story Therapy: The Healing Power of Creative Expression, Professor of English, and Gender Studies at St. Catherine University. Licensed Psychologist and Certified Poetry Therapist.
Rich Furman’s vast research into poetry therapy is gathered in this vibrant collection of selected papers published across his career. Often combined or juxtaposed with other therapies or approaches, poetry therapy draws out the curative and healing nature of poetry long revered by artists and philosophers. Indeed, this remarkable book has countless poems that stretch our understanding of poetry-based research and therapeutic practices. What could be hard to disclose becomes possible when we tap into our creative processes as we maximize our own emotional resources. Poetry becomes a very powerful method for practitioners interested in expanding their repertoire. This is a rich resource not to be missed and definitely a gift for all professionals!
Rita L. Irwin, Distinguished University Scholar, Professor, Art Education, The University of British Columbia. Leader in arts-based research and A/R/Tography
As a research poet, Furman is bold yet vulnerable—willing to place his personal experiences along-side research participants through powerful poetry. This valuable volume brings together the breadth and depth of Furman’s poetic scholarship in one place. By challenging research poets to draw on poetic forms from the arts, Furman’s scholarship transformed the landscape of research poetry. His vision stretches my personal writing and that of my students in ways that are rich and invigorating as we seek to represent participants’ experiences.
Maria K. E. Lahman, PhD, Qualitative Methodologist, Professor of Applied Statistic and Research Methods, University of Northern Colorado
