John Allison (anthroposophist)

John Allison (born 1950) is a New Zealand poet, musician, and former teacher in Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) Education.

Allison was born in New Zealand and taught at the Christchurch Waldorf Steiner School for 24 years. After 15 years living and working in Australia he is now retired and residing again in Heathcote Valley, near Christchurch, New Zealand, writing poetry and prose, and participating in the local literary scene.

Allison plays the middle eastern oud, renaissance lute, and guitar; is an established poet with five published collections and many poems printed in journals worldwide; and has lectured and written on themes related to poetic imagination and observation, anthroposophy, and Waldorf education.[1][2]

Allison has advocated the enhancement of methods for imaginative teaching in Waldorf education.[3] He has spoken out against the exposure to young children of images from television, film and computer games, especially violent and sexual images, which leave them less receptive to the power of creating their own imagery.[2] Allison in his recent writing has attempted to show how ordinary imagination can be intensified to become an organ of cognition.[4]

Allison no longer is associated formally with anthroposophy but continues to acknowledge Rudolf Steiner as a significant teacher.

References
  1. Allison, J. (2003). A Way of Seeing: Perception, Imagination, and Poetry, rear cover, Great Barrington, MA: Lindisfarne Books.
  2. Nielsen, T. W. (2004). Imagination as evolution. A paper to complement a presentation given at the Second International Conference on Imagination in Education, 14–17 July 2004, Vancouver, BC, Canada, pp. 11-12.
  3. Nielsen, T. W. (2003). Rudolf Steiner's pedagogy of imagination: A phenomenological case study. A paper to complement a presentation given at the First International Conference on Imagination in Education, 16–19 July 2003, Vancouver, BC, Canada, p. 24.
  4. Allison, op. cit., pp. 137-138.

Publications by John Allison

Prose

  • Walking Out of Another World, Immortal Books, Murwillumbah 2010
  • A Teacher's Book: digging deeper, Immortal Books, Murwillumbah 2008
  • A Way of Seeing: Perception, Imagination, and Poetry, Lindisfarne Books, Great Barrington 2003.
  • Living in Light Loving the Dark, Initiative Circle of the Waldorf Pedagogical Section in New Zealand 2003
  • Where Children Are: beginning to understand Waldorf Education, Initiative Circle of the Waldorf Pedagogical Section in New Zealand 2001

Poetry

  • Near Distance, Cold Hub Press, Christchurch 2020
  • A Place To Return To, Cold Hub Press, Christchurch 2019
  • Balance, Five Islands Press, Melbourne 2006
  • Stone Moon Dark Water, Sudden Valley Press, Christchurch 1999
  • Both Roads Taken, Sudden Valley Press, Christchurch 1997.
  • Dividing the Light, Hazard Press, Christchurch 1997.
  • Official page
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