Why do we tell stories? Take 5 minutes to answer this prompt in your journals : Title this entry with the date (August 26 th ) Why does storytelling exist? Why do we tell stories, regardless of culture, age, gender, etc? What is the role of the story teller? Of the story itself? In what ways do you know of that stories can be told?

The Tale, the Teller, and the Telling How Storytelling Shapes our World

Why do we tell stories? “It’s in literature that true life can be found. It’s under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth.” —Gao Xingjian. "I know what you want. You want a story that won't surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That won't make you see higher or further or differently. You want a flat story. An immobile story. You want dry, yeastless factuality.”— Yann Martel

The Tale The actual story itself. Who is in the story, what they are doing, why they are doing it, what is at stake/in the way, and how it ends. Tales are often recycled; it is rare to find a 100% unique and new tale…usually, all story tellers borrow from those before them.

The Teller The teller is NOT always the author…but can be. The voice in which the story is delivered to the reader (Through whose perceiving consciousness do we receive the tale) There can be one, two, or several. It is further complicated when we consider the oral tradition of storytelling.

The Telling The style or method in which the story is told. The telling can refer to any number of factors. Storytellers like to play around with the telling. In the telling is where old, borrowed stories become new and unique. The telling is often influenced by time, culture, geographic location, gender, age, etc.

What this means for YOU: This year will be an ongoing exercise is storytelling which will logically culminate in the film project. We will explore the function and philosophy of storytelling in general. We will explore various genres of storytelling (including the manga piece you all were asking about.) We will explore how storytelling varies by culture, gender, and time. We will explore telling our own stories.

Starting NOW The Stories We Tell… After watching an interview about this film, I want you to draw a line under your journal entry from today. Begin writing to the following prompt. I suggest you write as much as you can for as long as you can. I would like about a page-length’s entry.

Prompt (Please Title as “Family Story”) For many of us, I suspect, our first sense of the past begins with the simple childhood request for a story about our families and ourselves. Please consider a tale that is unique to you or your family. This is not to say that you are the only one with a story like this, but it should be a true story from your life. I would consider a tale that is a favorite among your family, maybe even with a hint of mystery or secrecy surrounding it. You can embellish without falsifying the details. Have fun with this! Try to reveal something by telling this tale, as opposed to exploiting the tale itself.