Storytelling
Kurt Vonnegut, in the guise of his narrator Philboyd Studge (who is modelled closely on Vonnegut's own life, and whose name comes from a short story by the master storyteller Saki) went even so far as to argue not only against linearity, but to call for the abolition of traditional plot characteristics altogether. In his novel Breakfast of Champions he opts instead for a kaleidoscopic view on the past, present, and future of the novel's characters as well as on his thoughts on writing the novel itself. He claims to do so in order to be more true to life:
- "I resolved to shun storytelling. I would write about life. Every person would be exactly as important as any other. All facts would also be given equal weightiness. Let others bring order to chaos. I would bring chaos to order, instead, which I think I have done. If all writers would do that, then perhaps citizens not in the literary trades will understand that there is no order in the world around us, that we must adapt ourselves to the requirements of chaos instead."
In Vonnegut's novel, this particular form of narration (or lack thereof) serves to create empathy on the readers' side with the narrator's and his main protagonist's experience of an existential crisis.
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Emancipation of the story
In oral tradition, where stories were passed on by being told and re-told again and again, the material of any given story during this process naturally underwent several changes and adaptations. When and where oral tradition was pushed back in favour of print media, the literary idea of the author as originator of a story's authoritative version changed people's perception of stories themselves. In the following centuries, stories tended to be seen as the work of individuals rather than a collective. Only recently, when a significant number of influential authors began questioning their own role, the value of stories as such - independent of authorship - was again recognized. Literary critics such as Roland Barthes even proclaimed the Death of the Author. The growing tradition of fanfiction may be seen in this manner.
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See also
- Dramatic structure
- Djemaa el Fna a market place in Marrakesh famous for its storytellers, now classified masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity because of this.
- Antenarrative
- Fable
- Fairy tale
- Folklore
- Maggid
- Narrative
- Oral history
- Organization story
- Organizational storytelling
- Scheherazade
- Solo Show
- Storyboard
- Storytelling game
- Storytelling festival
- Story arc
- Sjuzhet
- Seanachai
- Shuochang
- World storytelling day
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References
- ^ Lord, Albert Bates (2000). The singer of tales, Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
- ^ Price, Reynolds (1978). A Palpable God, New York:Atheneum, p.3.
- ^ Begiebing, R., J. Brown, B. Franco, D. Grubin, R. Rosen & N. Trethewey. (2004). Interchange: Genres of history. Journal of American History 91 (Sept. 2004), pp. 572-593.
- ^ Brown, John S., S. Denning, K. Groh & L. Prusak (2004). Storytelling in Organizations : Why Storytelling Is Transforming 21st Century Organizations and Management. Butterworth-Heinemann 2005 (ISBN 978-1417544370)
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Further reading
- Beyer, Jürgen, 'Prolegomena to a history of story-telling around the Baltic Sea, c. 1550-1800', Electronic Journal of Folklore, vol. 4 (1997), 43-60
- Bruner, Jerome S. Actual Minds, Possible Worlds. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 1986. ISBN 0674003659
- Bruner, Jerome S. Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2002. ISBN 0374200246
- Gargiulo, Terrence L. Stories at Work: Using Stories to Improve Communication and Build Relationships. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. 2006. ISBN 0275987310
- Gargiulo, Terrence L. The Strategic Use of Stories in Organizational Communication and Learning. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe. 2005. ISBN 0765614138
- Leitch, Thomas M. What Stories Are: Narrative Theory and Interpretation. University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press. 1986. ISBN 0271004312
- McKee, Robert. Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. New York: ReganBooks. 1997. ISBN 0060391685
- Mitchoff, Kate Houston. "Ignite the story within: a librarian makes a case for using storytelling to increase literacy". School Library Journal. New York: R.R. Bowker Xerox. 1961. ISSN 0362-8930 OCLC 99656380 (REPRINT: 2005, February. ERIC Document EJ710440.)
- Randall, W. "Restorying a Life: Adult Education and Transformative Learning." In Aging and Biography: Explorations in Adult Development. Edited by James E. Birren et al., pp. 224-247. New York: Springer Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0826189806
- Reis, Pamela Tamarkin. "Genesis as Rashomon: The creation as told by God and man." Bible Review 17 (3). Washington, D.C.: Biblical Archaeology Society. 2001. ISSN 8755-6316
- Shedlock, Marie L. The Art of the Story-teller. D. Appleton & Company, New York, 1917. ISBN 1406815225
- Wiessner, C. A. Stories of Change: Narrative in Emancipatory Adult Education. Thesis Ed. D. dissertation, Teachers College, Columbia University. 2001. OCLC 80185345
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External links
- Society for Storytelling
- The Canadian Museum of Civilization - Storrytelling: The Art of Knowledge
- Professional Storyteller Social Network
- What is storytelling?
- Persausion Through Storytelling
- How storytelling will save the world
- Dianne de Las Casas' Story Collection
- Storytelling Resources for Storytellers
- The story that we tell ourselves
- The Ultimate Storytelling Guide
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