The Art of Administrative Biography: Wallace Stegner's John Wesley Powell
Wallace Stegner's biography of John Wesley Powell is a valuable case study of the art involved in administrative biography. Biographical narratives entail a kind of thinking that involves the use of imagination, a viewpoint regarding human intentions and dynamics, an appreciation of the complex influences of historical and cultural context, and an empathetic engagement. This kind of thinking is valued highly by public administrators. It is well suited both to the representationand to the development of practical knowledge. Examining the impact of Stegner's perspective on this biography leads to important lessons regarding the interpreter's influence on the meaning derived from a nonfiction narrative.