While we already published the Fall 2024 issue, we are pleased to add Book Notes by Jo Radner featuring the following authors: Jim Brulé and Rebecca Claire Lemaire, Donald Davis, and Françoise-Marie Luzel. We also spotlight the following editors: Marek Bennett, Andy Kolovos, Teresa Mares, and Julia Grand Doucet.
Remember this from a recent blog posting–
Click on the picture to jump to the Fall 2024 (Volume 3, Issue 3) or HERE.
Welcome, Autumn! We have missed your cool, crisp mornings and your glorious colors. Sometimes when we tell stories there are the swirling colors of a costume, the precision of crisp, snappy gestures, or the anguish of heart-felt emotions. At other times, there is the nuanced twist of the head, the subtle shift of weight, or the simmering, unstated tension, which speak volumes.
When we tell a story, we bring all of who we are to the story. Not only do we bring our emotions, energy, and presence, but we also bring our languages, ancestries, and cultures. This is apparent when we share stories across cultures. The stories we tell are windows into who we are, what we value, and what is significant to us. Stories give color, texture, and meaning to our lives. They can provide glimpses into who we truly are and can become bridges between cultures.
Through the sharing of stories, we can become aware of our similarities and can appreciate our differences. Getting to know another culture through its stories (and foods) can eventually lead to understanding. I was taught that once you can laugh at another culture’s jokes, you are on the path to understanding.
To help bridge the gap between cultures, simple stories that strike a universal theme might be successful. Folktales work well, especially if you can use large gestures, a different voice, facial expressions, and physicality to help tell the story. Short stories can be helpful, as a story may need to be told twice, if your words need to be translated. Audiences may not have the historical knowledge or shared cultural experience upon which some stories depend. Stories that are greatly enjoyed in one culture may go over the heads of folks from another culture.
As storytellers, we are in a unique position to be able to build bridges between groups with stories. Stories create connection, curiosity, and can lead to tolerance and understanding. It is hard to harm someone whose story you know.
The Story Beast is your quarterly e-Pub forum and is a place of community. Would you like to share your creative works — poems, stories, artwork, or articles ? Please spread the word and tell your friends about us. Let us know what you think and send your contributed works to storybeasteditor@gmail.com.
The deadline for contributions for the next issue of The Story Beast is November 15 for the December 2024 issue. The Winter issue’s theme is Whirling Winds. Thanks for reading – and add some color, texture, and context to someone’s life today with a story.
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The Story Beast is produced with the support of Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST).
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