1 We're excited to release this, the second issue of Narrative Works. As you will see, the articles featured in it treat a broad range of topics, as befits what we see as the mandate of the journal: to publish research that explores the intersection of narrative theory and narrative practice across different disciplines.
2 We're especially pleased to include an invited article by Clive Baldwin, our colleague here at CIRN and a member of the St Thomas University School of Social Work. Clive holds the prestigious and newly established position of Canada Research Chair in Narrative Studies. His article explores how rhetorical techniques suffuse such evidence-based narratives as professional reports and court proceedings, and suggests how rhetorical analysis "might aid the evaluation of evidence and testimony."
3 Katherine Bell reflects on an interdisciplinary course she recently taught on adolescence, and recounts how the use of two narrative texts in different media—a collection of short stories and a television series—served as important tools in achieving enriched discussions of adolescent experience.
4 Mary Breheny and Christine Stephens analyze how narratives of personal identity intersect with competing public narratives within the context of family relationships.
5 Brigitte Malm writes about "Anna," a Montessori teacher included in her study of occupational life histories, and demonstrates the importance of the subjective construction of personal roles and identities to a professional context.
6 This issue’s "Outside the Box" offering is a video of the annual John McKendy Memorial Public Lecture in Narrative delivered in October 2010 by professional storyteller Sheree Fitch, well-known Canadian author of both children’s and adult literature. The title of her talk was "The Never-Ending, Ever-After Story: Narrative, Healing, and Wholeness."
7We wish to express our gratitude to Jeffrey Carleton, Director of Communications at St. Thomas, whose assistance in obtaining the video is much appreciated. We also owe sincere thanks to our colleague at St. Thomas, Doug Vipond, for assisting us with the copyediting for this issue, and to James Kerr and Mike Nason of the Electronic Text Centre at the University of New Brunswick for publishing Narrative Works via Open Journal Systems.
8 We look forward to meeting many readers of Narrative Works at the forthcoming 6th biennial Narrative Matters conference at the American University of Paris, from May 29 to June 1, 2012. Detailed information concerning how to register for this exciting event will be available in the coming weeks on the CIRN website (www.stu.ca/cirn) and the AUP website (http://my.aup.edu/conference/narrative-matters-2012).