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Table Talk

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"Oh my gosh, I've like never heard this in my life"

"I'd be attempted to just leave...."

"Who buys a journal with perforated pages!?" 

"My towel smelled awful..."

These are the pieces of stories floating around me at 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon in Zera's, and they're refreshing. I think deep down I've always preferred stories shared by word-of-mouth because there's an organic liveliness and agency that blooms as each story is told and received. However, as I glance up from my laptop I'm noticing that more people are telling stories electronically--including me. This tech-craze bothers me because I'm left wondering if the stories being told on surrounding phones and laptops are more engaging, humorous, serious, or off-hand than the spoken ones.

I see the growing necessity for technology, but not for understanding narrative. We've been digesting narratology and several narrative theories but that's not what's being explored here. I'm pretty sure the group of guys playing Smash Bros. Brawl aren't thinking about Mieke Bal's levels of narration as Samus sends a soaring Princess Peach off the screen. And I'm absolutely positive the ladies on the opposite side of the coffee shop aren't sharing my fear of consciously and constantly analyzing my roles as narrator, narratee, and implied author as they sip their coffees. 

I think my concern is not with finding a location to tell more stories; instead, my worry is that we're not telling the story/narrative of how to appreciate stories that we tell and stories that are being told to us. The good part is that stories and people are everywhere. The bad part is that we're not fully tapped into our story-telling roles. Why is that? Communication is natural for all of us; even if we can't talk, we find ways to interact with each other to pass the time and to survive. Regardless of place, stories will thrive and wither away; wouldn't it be wiser to work towards establishing more opportunities to engage with narrative theory in places where narrative theory organically and visibly thrives?

I guess that's what we're doing, or trying to do, anyway. Make narrative theory, that "light-bulb moment" we've had in class where we can identify the multiple functions of time in a story like Back to the Future, tangible for the people who aren't able to be in college NarT courses. It's the "how" stories are told, and taught, that is troubling me the most, and the lack of that knowledge that exists outside the four corners of a university classroom. As current NarT students, we can transfer the knowledge and skills we're building to others. We can refine it in our own way and share this knowledge, this need to keep telling/making/sharing stories, on our terms.

The only recommendation I can make to attempt to solve this problem of teaching/learning narrative is to keep sharing stories, regardless of time and place. If you think more stories should be shared at the dinner table, make, buy, or grab some dinner and talk it out with someone. If blogging/social media is your jam, keep posting/sharing/spreading ideas. Regardless of your preferred method of storytelling/narrating, you have to keep going. Listen. Talk. Share. Be vigilant with your words. Stay persistent. Ask questions. And whatever you do, don't stop making, telling, and listening to stories.


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