Fishing With the GOAT: Honoring Norman K. Denzin

Abstract

This chapter is a tribute to GOAT (Greatest of All Time) scholar/teacher/mentor, Norman K. Denzin. Honoring Denzin's use of song lyrics (2018a, 2015, 2011, 2008), I use a fishing theme. Why fishing? When asked to write a Festschrift, I immediately remembered Denzin's essay, Searching for Yellowstone (2003a). Though Denzin mentions fishing in an earlier work (1999a, p. 153), I identified with his story of his grandfather's love of fishing (p. 307). Later, I came to understand, through his stories and life experiences how something that was once unpleasant – fishing – became a sport that he loves. Denzin often employs song lyrics to show how theory and the site of memory influence poststructural, qualitative inquiry. His exceptional use of critical cultural and social theories, and exemplary performative autoethnographic teaching, writing and mentorship has influenced students and scholars since 1966 – the year I was born. Reflecting on Norman K. Denzin's body of work – emphasizing teaching and mentorship from 1998 to present – through fishing, seems fitting.

Citation

Pierce, J. (2022), "Fishing With the GOAT: Honoring Norman K. Denzin", Chen, S.-L.S. (Ed.) Festschrift in Honor of Norman K. Denzin (Studies in Symbolic Interaction, Vol. 55), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 157-163. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0163-239620220000055018