If you were to look up the definition of storytelling on google, it simply states,"someone who tells a story." That definition is too humdrum for me. So I googled the definition of "story- "an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment." Furthermore, the part I like the best, "an account of past events in someone's life or in the evolution of something." The evolution of something.. .. the evolution of Neverland perhaps? After reading chapter two of Gottschalls book, I feel a bit more comfortable in what storytelling is. I perceive storytelling as a way for people to make sense of their world. In the Witchery of Story, on pages 10 and 11 dreaming is addressed. Researchers believe we dream all night, and when we wake, the dreaming only continues. When we daydream we are replaying scenarios of the day, things we wish we could have done differently, things we want to achieve, etc. We are constantly in an active state of dream to make sense of our reality. The chapter also mentions that we are somewhat fortune tellers. We daydream about our future, our goals, and we can very vaguely see it. Story helps us not only make sense of our lives, but allows us to envision things and set them on a road towards reality.
I don't think story is a dying art by any means, its completely thriving. Story is ubiquitous, its inescapable. And I think with the advancements in technology, storytelling is only becoming more interesting and captivating. A good example would be sports. I would have never categorized sports, or sport networks as a medium for story telling. However, for years people assumed pro wrestling was real, but recently has been classified by the CEO of WWE as "sports entertainment". The CEO is banking on the stories of each wrestler. Pitting good guy against bad guy, underdog against hero. Furthermore, in the book it mentions most, if not all sporting events structure stories to captivate the fan. By structuring stories about fighters or players, the listener gets to be an active participant in the storyline. After all, the writers are just guiding the story, but we as the listener or reader determine the details.
Neverland exists in our pre frontal cortex, the area of the brain that makes us human, makes us who we are. Since our brain is always going, and we are constantly interpreting the world as we see it- our pre frontal cortex is the part of us making sense of it all. This area along with the limbic system, paralimbic system, brain stem, and other areas of the cortex are all associated with dreaming. I think since being in Neverland means letting your mind wander and envelope itself in story, these areas of the brain would be responsible for that subconscious thinking. Alright, now that I've gotten my biological aspect of Neverland out of the way, my human communication areas would say Neverland is wherever you are. Neverland is at lunch when your talking to your sister, at school talking to your friends, in your car on the way home from a long day, and its in your home when you recount your day to your loved ones. It is apparent, and unavoidable that we all go to Neverland the second our mind is free of obligating thoughts.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Hi,
My name is Anna Brooking and I am a senior here at DSU. I suppose you could consider me an unconventional student- I came back to college at 24. It feels amazing to be rounding out the final stretch. I have just recently applied to graduate school to continue my education and receive a masters degree as a Physician Assistant. I love people, I love to learn, I am fascinated with the moon- during a full moon I could sit and stare for hours. Dogs are my favorite animal, I love my family more than anything in this world, my younger sister is my angel here on earth. I married the perfect man for me 3 years ago, and we're not afraid of being lazy on the weekends. I am really excited about this course, Professor Jeffreys seems like a pretty good guy.
I love stories, and I love story telling. Some of my fondest memories are of my father telling us kids stories from his culture. Stories of Fijian princesses and magical sharks. My favorite comes from India, (Im half Eastern Indian), of Lord Hanuman assisting the future king Rama save his wife, Sita, from an evil abductor. I think what made my dads stories so good, was that he was so animated while telling them. The way he described what was occurring in the story played out like a movie in my mind. I believe a good story is one that paints a clear picture in the listeners mind. Relevance of the story to the listener also contributes to a good story. I felt so connected to the stories of Hanuman, because my dad made me feel like a little Indian princess. Furthermore, when a storyteller has a good cadence, or rhythm while telling the story, it's much easier to follow along. We are being told stories everyday, more than I think we even realize. Listening to a song, dreaming, day dreaming, tv, etc. A good story is one that has a beginning, middle, and end. A good story teller is one who stays on track while telling a story. Its annoying when someone is all over the place while trying to convey a story. I also think a little enthusiasm by the story teller while telling a story helps the listener feel more engaged, It makes you feel like the story is actually worth listening to. Some of my favorite types of stories are like the ones mentioned before. I love stories from my childhood. I can't wait to have children so I can pass those along to them. I truthfully love all types of stories. I love romance, horror, happy, - but not so much sad, inspiring, funny, and informative stories. I love dreaming, and day dreaming, and I especially love when my sister tells me stories about her polynesian friends getting in fights with their siblings. Those are always so funny.
I am intrigued by Jonathan Gottschal. Reading his blog and his preface sent me to the realization that story telling is part of being human. I always thought stories were associated with fiction, but the world as we know it is a story. Its someones story. So many of our ideals, traditions, motivations, have been ingrained in us by stories. Its incredible. The reviews associated with Gottschals blog just reiterated what I have written. The Atlantic Review said, "A new book explains why humans like to spin yarns—and why we’re so likely to stretch the truth when we do." I am curious to find the reasoning behind this. I am aware that doing interdisciplinary research on a topic as broad as story telling is going to be taxing, but I also personally believe it will be quite interesting. I am excited to get my book in the mail and start reading!
My name is Anna Brooking and I am a senior here at DSU. I suppose you could consider me an unconventional student- I came back to college at 24. It feels amazing to be rounding out the final stretch. I have just recently applied to graduate school to continue my education and receive a masters degree as a Physician Assistant. I love people, I love to learn, I am fascinated with the moon- during a full moon I could sit and stare for hours. Dogs are my favorite animal, I love my family more than anything in this world, my younger sister is my angel here on earth. I married the perfect man for me 3 years ago, and we're not afraid of being lazy on the weekends. I am really excited about this course, Professor Jeffreys seems like a pretty good guy.
I love stories, and I love story telling. Some of my fondest memories are of my father telling us kids stories from his culture. Stories of Fijian princesses and magical sharks. My favorite comes from India, (Im half Eastern Indian), of Lord Hanuman assisting the future king Rama save his wife, Sita, from an evil abductor. I think what made my dads stories so good, was that he was so animated while telling them. The way he described what was occurring in the story played out like a movie in my mind. I believe a good story is one that paints a clear picture in the listeners mind. Relevance of the story to the listener also contributes to a good story. I felt so connected to the stories of Hanuman, because my dad made me feel like a little Indian princess. Furthermore, when a storyteller has a good cadence, or rhythm while telling the story, it's much easier to follow along. We are being told stories everyday, more than I think we even realize. Listening to a song, dreaming, day dreaming, tv, etc. A good story is one that has a beginning, middle, and end. A good story teller is one who stays on track while telling a story. Its annoying when someone is all over the place while trying to convey a story. I also think a little enthusiasm by the story teller while telling a story helps the listener feel more engaged, It makes you feel like the story is actually worth listening to. Some of my favorite types of stories are like the ones mentioned before. I love stories from my childhood. I can't wait to have children so I can pass those along to them. I truthfully love all types of stories. I love romance, horror, happy, - but not so much sad, inspiring, funny, and informative stories. I love dreaming, and day dreaming, and I especially love when my sister tells me stories about her polynesian friends getting in fights with their siblings. Those are always so funny.
I am intrigued by Jonathan Gottschal. Reading his blog and his preface sent me to the realization that story telling is part of being human. I always thought stories were associated with fiction, but the world as we know it is a story. Its someones story. So many of our ideals, traditions, motivations, have been ingrained in us by stories. Its incredible. The reviews associated with Gottschals blog just reiterated what I have written. The Atlantic Review said, "A new book explains why humans like to spin yarns—and why we’re so likely to stretch the truth when we do." I am curious to find the reasoning behind this. I am aware that doing interdisciplinary research on a topic as broad as story telling is going to be taxing, but I also personally believe it will be quite interesting. I am excited to get my book in the mail and start reading!
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