Dare we say “I” in scholarly social work writing? This article gives an affirmative answer. I argue, in fact, that important knowledge and wisdom will be lost if we do not do so. This article is a blend of forms. Part professional memoir, part personal essay, review of the literature, and exhortation, the article is a reflection on the status of nontraditional writing in social work. In other disciplines, this blend of forms is sometimes called “personal and scholarly perspectives.” I discuss some of the theoretical arguments for including the personal voice, give illustrative examples, describe a memoir along with reader responses, and offer suggestions for undertaking and evaluating first-person writing.
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