John Allison (anthroposophist)


John Allison is a New Zealand poet, musician, and former teacher in Rudolf Steiner 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.
Allison has advocated the enhancement of methods for imaginative teaching in Waldorf education. 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. Allison in his recent writing has attempted to show how ordinary imagination can be intensified to become an organ of cognition.
Allison no longer is associated formally with anthroposophy but continues to acknowledge Rudolf Steiner as a significant teacher.

Publications by John Allison

Prose
Poetry