University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+ University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2018 Both There And Not: Stories from the Space of Missingness Erin Stewart University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1 University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. 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For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Both There And Not Stories from the Space of Missingness Erin Stewart School of the Arts, English, and Media University of Wollongong A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. March 2018. Abstract This work of creative nonfiction and accompanying exegesis explores ‘missingness’ – the individual, interpersonal, social, and political nuances of a person’s absence. The term ‘missingness’ has been used by a range of researchers of missing persons to describe the diverse but linked experiences that arise when someone goes missing. Missing persons cases are common in Australia, with an estimated 38,000 people disappearing annually. For each person who goes missing, an estimated further twelve are directly affected. While the vast majority of missing persons incidents are resolved within a week, some cases linger for much longer, or are never resolved. With or without resolution, absences pose a range of questions. Answers are often lacking, or ambiguous. This research project excavates narratives of those who have been personally and/or professionally affected by missingness. I do so in a work of creative nonfiction and through reflective, theoretical work drawing on the frameworks of Practice Theory and narratology. I argue that these ongoing ambiguities place those affected by missingness in a space of liminality – their unresolved experiences render them distant from the communities and cultures they are nonetheless still part of. While liminality can be an isolating and frustrating personal experience, I also find that those subject to it are well-placed to offer important reflections on the nature of missingness, and in turn, on their communities and cultures. The creative work follows individual stories to render the experiences and insights therein accessible to a wide audience. It gives readers the opportunity to empathetically engage with the concept of missingness and maps out both where significant improvements could be made to better support those affected, as well as the limitations of what is knowable. It concludes that ambiguity – while disturbing and difficult to confront – is no obstacle to building more constructive responses to absence. The exegesis reviews existing literature around missingness. More explicitly it shows, through the theoretical lens of Practice Theory, how narratives produced in a liminal space are important because they can provide new information, challenge existing misinformation, and work towards storytelling models whereby the irresolution the narrators have experienced is both acceptable and a source from which the teller derives expertise. Here, those in a liminal space tolerate their discomfort because it is ultimately enlightening. The exegesis also reflects on how the practice-based form of creative nonfiction is a robust vehicle to bring experiential insights to a general audience, and posits ways in which creative nonfiction could and does make valuable contributions to scholarship. Keywords: missing persons, missingness, storytelling, liminality, Practice Theory, narratology, ambiguous loss, creative nonfiction. 2 Acknowledgements This research is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship. I would like to thank those who agreed to be interviewed for this project – (in order of appearance) Sarah Godwin, Griet Ivens, “Salma”, Brandy Bonner, Charlie Hedges, Mina Jaf, Gail Rego, Mette Drivsholm, and Loren O’Keefe – for their knowledge, their openness, and their generosity. The project would not have been possible without them. I feel very fortunate to have Siobhán McHugh as my supervisor, who gave me encouragement and guidance through all stages of the project, and imparted vital insights on interviewing people with presence and curiosity. I am grateful as well to my co-supervisors: Marcus O’Donnell enthusiastically helped map out the research in its early stages, and Cathy Cole made many insightful suggestions and edits to help bring the project to fruition. I’d finally like to thank Lindon Roberts for his continued encouragement and assistance. 3 I certify that I am responsible for the work submitted in this thesis, that the original work is my own and that any help received in preparing this thesis and all sources used have been acknowledged in this thesis. I certify that neither the thesis nor the substance of the original work contained therein has been submitted to this or any other institution for a degree. Erin Stewart 4 Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 3 CREATIVE WORK ...................................................................................................................... 8 EXEGESIS .................................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 10 Background ............................................................................................................................. 13 Aims ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Research Design...................................................................................................................... 19 Ethics Approval .................................................................................................................. 19 Participants .......................................................................................................................... 19 Interviews ............................................................................................................................ 20 Recruitment and Selection .................................................................................................. 21 Informed Consent ................................................................................................................ 21 Interview Data and Use ....................................................................................................... 22 Exegesis Structure ................................................................................................................... 22 References ............................................................................................................................... 23 Part I: Background Material for my Creative Work ................................................................... 26 Chapter 1 Precedents of Practice ............................................................................................ 27 Missing as a puzzle ............................................................................................................. 29 Missing and social issues .................................................................................................... 29 Adventurous and lost children ............................................................................................ 31 Missing as grappling ........................................................................................................... 32 Ambiguous loss ................................................................................................................... 34 Missing and other mysteries