By Patti Christensen. One of the ancient stories that pops up in modern tales is Pandora’s Box. We hear that if some action is taken it will “open Pandora’s Box” or cause some terrible thing to happen that cannot be undone. An Internet search finds the following uses: “War on Iraq will open Pandora’s Box,” […]
by Caren Neile. Twice in two months this past winter, I participated in peace rallies at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. The rallies were held in the “free speech area,” little more than a slab of concrete connecting two sides of the urban campus. Because I teach storytelling at the university and host a
Is There a Storyteller in the House? Telling for Peace
by Rosann Kent (and Sarah Moore). When I wanted to understand the role of recall in the aging process, I did what any self-respecting journalist would do: I interviewed the experts. I talked to psychiatrists and psychologists who specialize in memory, researchers who study the mind-brain connection, as well as the pioneers of reminiscence and
The Rising Is in the Telling: Learning from My Elders
By Jack Maguire. In “The King Has Horse’s Ears,” a traditional Irish story, the king’s barber tells the secret tale behind that title to a tree, the only confidant he can trust. Later, a harp is made from that tree, and, yes, the harp itself sings that tale to a throne room full of the
Healing The Earth: The Guardianship Project
By Garth Gilchrist. Growing up in the forests of western Washington, wading up maple-canopied streams and scrambling through the branches of big fir trees, I was happy. I still draw on those memories, and the leafy stories they spawned. They provide me with a good deal of my own sense of roots, values and identity.
The Healing Power of Nature Images in Story
by Allison Cox. A small ad on the back page of the local middle school newspaper read: “seniors wanted for oral history project. The Journalism students would like to interview you to learn what life was like in previous decades. Please call if you are interested.” “This newspaper is distributed for free all over the
Sharing Our Stories, Intertwining Our Lives: Strengthening Community Ties Through Oral History
A Korean Folktale Retold by Bonnie Malouf. Once upon a time, many years ago there lived a man and his wife. They were very happy together and kind to each other. They delighted in their life together, working and enjoying life side by side. They kept their house, worked in their fields, and tended a
by Kathy Murphy. Imagine a small group of older people sitting in a living room. I begin to tell stories. Someone in the audience might fall asleep, or interrupt me, or get up and leave. Or, something magical might happen… I am a freelance storyteller, working mostly with senior adults in long-term healthcare facilities and
Connecting Across the Years: Storytelling in Assisted Living Centers
by Kimberley King. When I got there, the camp was buzzing like a hive of angry bees. Teenage girls were stomping about, slamming doors, cursing, shouting, threatening to run away. The friend who had asked me to tell stories met me at the car. “We’ve had a major blowout,” she told me. “Maybe you should
The Twin Faces of Sorrow: Stories That Help Heal Grief and Rage
by Anonymous. There are stories hidden in our daily food. I dedicate this story to all the women in America with cancer in their breasts. I love cows. I love their lovely dangly pink udders and their patient luminous eyes. I love their milk and drank it every day growing up in the forties, until
