ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on the notion of poiesis to understand how some scholars in the field of physical cultural studies (PCS) have turned to the creative, the imaginative through poetry, not only as a means of expression, but also as a means of creating new knowledge. It shows research poetry can have an overtly political edge, challenging power relations in the field and drawing attention to inequities and injustice. Poetic representation is a form of arts-based research practice. The notion of poiesis is useful here to think about production and creation in an artistic sense. Poiesis is, perhaps, the least popular mode in academic and scholarly work, perhaps because it is about creation, rather than product or outcome. In the late 1980s and 1990s, there was increased interest in poetic representation in the fields of physical culture, physical education and sports studies.
