INLS 558 - Principles and Techniques of Storytelling
"No, it'll not do just to read the old tale out of a
book. You've got to tell'em to make'em
go right." (Richard Chase, Grandfather Tales)
"Storytelling is like a bubble. It brings the story from the primordial
ooze of a culture, drawing it through the depths of the unconscious and giving
it form and substance. At the surface, storytelling stretches a story, pushes
it to its limits, and thereby gives it an iridescent radiance that lasts, POP!, but a moment."
Required Text:
Greene, Ellin. Storytelling: art and
technique. Bowker, 3rd edition, 1996.
Recommended Text:
Pellowski, Anne. The World of
Storytelling. H. W. Wilson, expanded and
revised edition, 1990. (This is a
superb overview of the history of storytelling in world cultures, and is a
great resource for understanding how people use storytelling)
Course Objectives: Theoretical:
- Students will come to
understand the values of storytelling for different age groups: children
in primary school and elementary school, young adults, and adults.
- Students will explore the
potential of storytelling for special audiences.
- Students will gain an
understanding of the historical development of storytelling and the
various types of storytelling around the world.
- Students will compare various
models of the storytelling process.
- Students will gain insight
into the administration of storytelling events: planning, promotion, and
evaluation.
- Students will gain a
perception of the power of storytelling to move or engross an audience.
Practical:
- Students will gain a thorough
grounding in the practice of storytelling through classroom practice and
performances and at least one public performance. A repertoire of at least
three stories will be expected by the end of the session.
- Students will explore the
possibilities of various props and media for storytelling.
- Students will experiment in
class with various exercises that will facilitate their understanding of
the different aspects of storytelling performance.
Grading Policy:
Grading for your assignments will follow the H, P, L, F scale for graduate students and the A, B, C, D, F scale for undergraduates. Performances are notoriously difficult to grade, as they are works of self-expression (i.e, art); however, I feel comfortable with the following interpretation for assigning grades to your endeavors.
1. I assume that you are all excellent and motivated students (you would not be at Carolina if you weren’t), therefore my expectations are high from the outset. I know that some of you will have past performance experience, some will have natural talent, and some will have neither, so part of my job as professor is to judge you individually (in addition to comparing you to your peers in class). Therefore, I DO grade on effort, on risks you push yourself to take, on your willingness to try new things, etc. While you may never give an Oscar-winning performance, I expect you to push yourself to improve throughout the semester in whatever ways we discuss in class and individually, and if you do so, you will do well in this course.
2. If you do what I ask in a careful but basic way, your work will be in the P/C range. I consider this competent work.
If you surprise me with your research, analysis, or performance and strive to improve, your work will be in the P+/B range. I consider this above average work.
If you really surprise me with the depth of your thought, the extent of your research, or make huge strides forward in your performance, your work will be in the H/A range.
If you don’t put effort into your work (whether writing or performing) and improve over the term, I will consider your work sub-par and grade it in the L/D – F range.
3. There are three ways of grading performances: 1) how you do in relation to your present ability, 2) how you do in comparison to the “perfect” performance, and 3) how you do in comparison with your peer students. I will use primarily the first two of these in discussing/evaluating your work with you. I will also ask each of you to comment upon your classmates’ performances so that if my view is biased unfairly, the class helps mitigate that bias.