Exploring the lives of women with chronic illnesses ; friendship

I am exploring the role friendship plays in the lives of women with chronic illnesses. I will be writing a series of poetry based on a woman whose life has been significantly impacted by her chronic illness. I will include poems constructed from the language of her interview in order to create a voice, which is neither the interviewee’s nor the researcher’s, but a combination of both. This third voice will be created in the hopes of eliminating any distinction between the observer and the observed. Discussion will explore insights from the poetry and determine ways in which it does and does not correlate with the current literature.

According to Laurel Richardson, prose may not be the most accurate, valid, or scientific way to "report" speech. Denis Tedlock claims that when people talk as conversants, storytellers, informants, or interviewees, their speech is closer to poetry than it is to prose. This is because, unlike prose, poetry acknowledges pauses, which according to statistics, account for half of the time Americans spend engaging in dialogue (Richardson). It has also been argued that by focusing on language through a variety of writing styles the presentation of ideas is enhanced and, more importantly, the conceptions of ideas themselves are stimulated and formulated (Rose & McClafferty, 2001). Through this novel approach of poetry as a means of relaying interviews, it is my goal that new ideas will be cultivated and given room to flourish.