The story I listened to was about a young boy, David Lepelstat, who almost drowned in his family’s pool. Fortunately, he was saved by his uncle’s partner at the time, a man named Michael. The story is about redefining family and appreciating people for who they are, not the labels attached to them. The man, Michael, wasn’t related to David by blood, so David never really considered him a part of the family. However, once David saw the lengths Michael went to to help him, even saving his life, he realized that family didn’t necessarily have to be all about blood. I think this story is really touching because it shows how arbitrary terms like “family” can be. Just one instance can change completely how we think about others. It’s so easy for titles and relationship defining terms to change as we grow as people. To me, this speaks to the idea that no matter how something might feel in the moment, there isn’t anything in life that can’t change over time. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it, but to me it’s reassuring. Time can fix relationships, heal emotional wounds, and make Michael, or whoever Michael represents, a part of the family.
Month: November 2023 Page 5 of 6
I listened to several Moth stories, and I really enjoyed the way they felt conversational, and personal, and intimate, in a way. As a viewer, I felt a closer connection to the storytellers that I listened to then, say, the author of a book. I’m sure we’ve all had an experience where a text message was misunderstood or came off in a different way than it was intended to because of a lack of subtext, right? With oral storytelling, a lot more of that subtext is able to be conveyed, so oral storytelling can examine the constructs/conventions of human interaction and dialogue, in addition to the story that is being told. The reaction of an audience in the recording shifted the viewer experience from an individual experience to a more collective experience, which was interesting. The storytellers told stories from their own lives, and often, additional meaning could be found in the way those storytellers chose to tell their story. The same story could be told with a funny, self-deprecating, dramatic, or tragic interpretation, but the way that the author chooses to tell the story can be important and meaningful to both the storyteller and the audience.
I decided to listen to a story about a girl named Paola who was scared of her family’s reaction of her being lesbian. In this recording, I can hear Paola telling her story, and I can also hear the reactions of the audience in the background. I really appreciated hearing the audience because they sort of encouraged me to laugh along with them at some parts. If I didn’t hear them laughing, I would have been more reluctant to do so myself if that makes sense. Hearing their laughter made me more comfortable laughing myself, which reflects the idea that laughter is contagious. I also noticed that the narrator wasn’t speaking entirely smoothly and that there were some stutters here and there, which I think actually enhances the story. It makes it seem more real and makes it seem like there’s an actual person behind the story.
In terms of the narrative structure of the story, some of it is a straight retelling of “oh this happened,” and some of it includes dialogue and the internal thoughts of the narrator at the time. I liked that the dialogue was included because it’s easier for me to imagine the story having real people with real conversations. The internal thoughts made the story more alive and interesting rather than only having a straightforward recounting of what happened. This reminds me of the distinction we made in class between a memory and a story. A memory is everything you can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste, but a story includes the inner thoughts and feelings of the narrator, which allows the audience to be more immersed in the story.
I listened to Pool Party by David Lepelstat, trying to focus on sound more than story was very odd to me, but one thing I had noticed was about his voice, he had a lisp and I could tell that he was nervous while presenting this story but he still presented incredibly well.
Within the narrative structure of this story, there was a lot of making very specific claims and then explaining them, for example he opened with who he was in life was determined by what phase he was going through, then explained how that could either be a hot wheels, superhero or power ranger phase. One thing about the structure that I really enjoyed was the ending, I love how he pulled in the ending about his uncle michael, and how he had explained at the beginning he did not understand the concept of his uncle having a “partner” but how he grew to love and respect michael, and always be so grateful of how he saved his life.
I also enjoyed the structure of the beginning, how he began the story by pulling you in with this incredible description of this vacation and concept of a pool party, and also continuously alluded to his attempt to run across water like the flash.
Technologies have changed cultures and language. Writing allows communication with a person across rooms. We have not figured out how to communicate well enough without conflict.
The author is telling here narrator as a child through childish ways. Comparing WOWO memoir writing to visuals. What if the WOWO writer used images? How would it change their stories?
Stan evokes visuals of Moses flowing down the river in a basket. Provoked our thoughts on adoption
The author is making sense of painful topics without making them seem painful.
What’s a story? Would our ideas of a story become more compelx now that we’ve been exposed to different forms of storytelling?
We’re sharing another personal story with our partners. How do we make memories into stories?
We can use artistry and improvise details. Consider your audience. Think of the structure, beginning, middle, and end. The storyteller makes meaning out of their stories. Words can create a picture for the audience. Share a story where you can remember a time when you had an experience that you reflected back on later in your life because it taught you something.
After listening to Merlixse Ventura’s story titled “White Coats and Red Wigs” I understand how important it is to use this specific story structure when telling a story. She starts off by telling us how badly she wanted to be a doctor all her life, even when she was a young kid and her passion was different from everyone else’s. Then she talks about her experience doing an internship in pediatric oncology and how she was passionate about working with children. But during the duration of the internship, she found herself becoming attached to a young girl who had cancer. Then she realized she was doing what she wasn’t supposed to, but couldn’t help but continue to see the little girl. She then goes on and says she doesn’t want to be a doctor anymore because she cannot deal with not getting involved in her patients lives. I thought the narrative structure of this story was interesting because she focused on a person from her life and how those experiences changed the trajectory of her future. The only sounds I could hear were the audience and her speaking, but I noticed her voice changed in different parts of the story, like when she talked about her experience with the girl. The ending was not what I expected but I’m happy that Merlixse was able to make this realization and ended on a positive note.
Mmachi Domoriaku explores the concept of identity through oral storytelling. More specifically, she shares the struggles she faces as a Nigerian immigrant in NY even regarding her name. Therefore, she decides to change her name to fit into American standards. However, she soon realizes that her name is a huge part of her identity highlighting her origins. Similarly, when I left my home at the of 16, I started introducing myself using my English name on my passport which sounds different but it is easier for English speakers to pronounce. However, my closest friends in Singapore started calling me by my Greek name because they insisted on doing so and that made me realize how people who respect your identity should be at least trying to call you by how you want to be called. Even in this university, many people started calling me by my Greek name after they requested to do so. I am really not used to people calling me by my Greek name except for my people so I feel almost nostalgic and much closer to home every time that I hear someone calling me by my name!
I found these newer chapters even more intriguing than the old ones. The way in which she narrates her childhood in the drawings and her future self in the text flows very well. It really emphasizes how growing up during such an unstable time was tough for her. It is very interesting to both read but also see how she changes as she grows up in this time. The development of her ideas about what’s happening around her in her country is very prevalent. Seeing how fast she had to adjust to her life in this time was very unique to both see and read.
Reading chapters 4-10 of Persepolis was just as interesting as the first 3. The emotion the author was able to portray through simple dialogue and black-and-white drawings is extremely impressive. In past readings I’ve done it usually takes a while for me to develop an emotional connection to the characters but Persepolis is the opposite. I immediately felt a connection to the story and quite frankly, it’s hard not to when seeing everything she went through at such a young age. It was also interesting to see her grow up throughout the story and mature. Being in that environment, she was forced to grow up much faster than a normal child which is sad but also impressive.
Chapters 4-10 of Persepolis informed readers more about the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, the war, and the authors story as a teenager. I thought her representation of emotion was beautiful, and stories are more powerful if they can make you feel. Still, what I notice the most is how much trauma she went through at such an early age. Even if she was not directly affected by it, she watched her family members, friend’s fathers, and other role models get executed. I also thought her interpretation of people being a hero based on how long they were in jail as interesting. She also saw everyone fleeing the country, and directly saw the stabbing of a women protesting.
I also enjoyed the book arts studio, it was fun to go do something hands on. I am not really an arts and crafts person but it was relaxing to do something like that during a stressful week.