Stories To Change the World

Stories To Change the World

Have you ever noticed that the grander the aspiration, the less effective a story is?  Often the more desperately I want to influence my listeners, the less authentic, more didactic, and thus, less useful is my tale  Yes, Virginia, irony is the driving force of the universe.

Many years ago I created a story Bread and Roses. The title is taken from the song about the famous 1912 textile industry strike in Lawrence MA, and used to frame the tale. I wanted to teach about the parts of US labor history that are textile loomsignored or glossed over in our history texts, create an empathy for the working class movement that initiated this strike, and show the necessity of a female initiated and run birth control movement.  It’s good to have a few working objectives! The problem was that the story, though not awful, is not great. The characters are stock, doing what I need them to do to fulfill my goals.  This story can still be a pleasant alternative to an hour’s dry lecture on this period, but I doubt if it has the full power that story can wallop.  Those stories come out of ancient molds that share deep truths, or authentic experiences that deeply touch who we are and how we function.  They don’t come out of prescribed curriculum modules!

banner-whitelogo
Sharing the Fire, (http://lanes.org/storytelling-conference/sharing-the-fire/)

Flash forward to Sharing the Fire 2016.  “You teach what you need to learn” is a famous adage, and in keeping with it, I proposed an intensive for the Friday afternoon before the formal conference begins. “Global Issues: Small Stories” will address this very issue.  How can we create real stories that resonate with fresh truth and authentic experience around the issues we are passionate about?

Our focus is the environment. In a heartbeat, I can go into a long diatribe on the folly of our species’ continued burning of fossil fuels, our use of dangerous technologies to create energy, and our moronic responses to sane measures that could secure at least a little of the planet for our grandchildren.  You can imagine how effective I am with people who disagree! It is time to bind the power of story with the necessities of survival in a way that will evoke heartfelt empathy, and then change. Have you done this?  I would love to hear about your successes. Can we do it?  Yes! Please join me as we pursue ways to share our knowledge, passion, and objectives in stories that will honestly resonate for listeners.

Our world might just rest in the balance.

Sharing the Fire, (April 1-3, 2016)
http://lanes.org/storytelling-conference/sharing-the-fire/)

Pre-conference session: Friday 4/1 1PM-5 PM

Sorry, comments are closed for this post.