Writing on disability and illness, and the case for self-reflexive storytelling

This article examines two exemplar texts, both memoirs written by mothers about their sons, and discusses the altruistic motivation for using self-reflexive writing techniques in narrative representations of illness and disability. Through an analysis of texts by authors Rachel Adams (2013) and Anne Deveson (1991), the article explores the pros and cons of vulnerable writing about oneself and others, including the author’s own children and family. Much is at stake for Adams and Deveson as they write about deeply personal experiences and feelings, and in doing so share the lived experience of disability (Down syndrome) and mental illness (schizophrenia) and broader issues around parenting, difference and identity. It is proposed that researching and writing with reflexivity not only allows writers to better understand themselves, but also opens the door to reader empathy, creating a sense of connection for readers. Furthermore, the examined texts by Adams and Deveson illustrate how vulnerable writing can be a form of advocacy as the authors promote a greater understanding of the ethnographic subject matter by pushing against assumptions, breaking down stereotypes and making the personal, political.