Heads up, narrative researchers! Carol Swenson (professor emeritus, Simmons College) has delivered a compelling argument for allowing ourselves to be present in our scholarly writing. Here's the citation for her article:

Swenson, C. (2012). Dare to say “I”: The personal voice in professional writing. Families in Society, 93(3), 233-239.

The article as a whole is a satisfying read, but my favorite section addressed how we might evaluate narrative prose. Here, Swenson cites Laurel Richardson's chapter, “Writing: A Method of Inquiry,” to offer five criteria (my interpretations added):

1. substantive contribution (teaching something of value)

2. aesthetic merit (beauty)

3. reflexivity (presence of the author's self), impact (inspiring the reader to action)

4. expression of reality (truth and depth).

A high standard. So much of the writing I read, as editor, as teacher, as scholar, fails to meet even ONE of these criteria. This article meets all five. I hope you'll give it a look!