Shout

Title of Work: ShoutReference: Thompson, J. (2003). Shout. In D. Gilbey (Ed.), fourWfourteen: A collection of poetry and prose (pp. 112-116).Wagga Wagga, NSW: fourWpress. ISSN: 1035-7920Research BackgroundThis short story is set in a regional university. The protagonist is an editor of distance learning materials for one if the university divisions. He lives a very circumscribed life and the attention to detail required by his profession has led to the loss of his voice. The story plays with the notion of words and identity, and how 'the voice' can be lost and regained.Research for the setting and detail was conducted on site, while the author was employed in a Faculty office editing proformas and course codes for the accreditation of a new professional course. Some writing is cathartic, but it also allows readers with similar academic experiences to empathise with the central character and reflect upon their own sense of identity and self expression in a highly regimented institutional framework. Research Contribution New writing has the ability to draw upon social and cultural themes in examining professional practice and the expression of individuality. Studds Terkell, the American journalist, created a volume of work dedicated to capturing the 'voices' of working class Americans as they discussed their working lives in a series of oral recordings. This way of capturing the voice documents a social history in an efferent sense. Shout, in an aesthetic literary form, looks satirically at the ability of work to render the individual voiceless. Research SignificanceFour W is one of the few literary anthologies that have survived to publish both prose and poetry for a national audience. The excellence of quality is evident in the authors represented in the pages of this edition (Les Wicks, Michael Crane, Pat Skinner). Submissions are blind reviewed by a panel of writers and only a small number (10%) of the hundreds of poems and short stories receivpublished. The journal is supported by the NSW Ministry for the Arts, The Australia Council for the Arts and Charles Sturt University. Publication in a peer reviewed literary journal of this standard and longevity is a significant outcome.As part of the Charles Sturt University Course Plan, staff is encouraged to 'consolidate the profile of disciplines and fields of study in order to improve the depth of staffing and resources.' Creative arts practice, as a research and teaching strength of my professional profile, is important to the teaching of literacy and literature subjects within the School of Education. It is important to teach writing skills from the perspective of a practitioner.