Risk-taker, role model, muse, and ‘charlatan’: stories of Ellen – an atypical giant

Abstract

This narrative essay weaves personal recollections of my encounters with Ellen Brantlinger and a sampling of her works that continue to exert a profound influence on my own thinking and writing within Disability Studies in Education. I begin by describing how, as a first-year doctoral student, I encountered the scholarly work of Ellen and consequently never saw the world in the same way again. Second, I share coming to know Ellen as a generous person who took an active interest in my fledgling scholarship and subsequent budding academic career. Third, narrating the decade in which our professional paths criss-crossed, I reveal how coming to know Ellen on a personal level shaped my view of her as – among many other things – a risk-taker, a role model, and a muse. Fourth, I discuss the impact Ellen has had on a wide group of scholars through fearless critiques of special education, resulting in her being branded as a ‘charlatan’ by some of the field's most powerful figures. In closing, I offer thoughts on the influence of Ellen as an atypical giant.