Storytelling Matters

In this podcast we visit an enticing but controversial topic – telling stories from cultures other than our own. Stories have cultural values buried deep within them. Sometimes those values are explicit, but more often than not, they can be simply assumed and never specifically taught. We are under a special obligation to take care when sharing some other culture's story: do we have a sufficient understanding to tell it authentically? Will the audience understand those values? In this episode we hear stories from three cultures: Japanese, West African, Afghan, and Kalahari. Each is told by a different storyteller, including our emerging storyteller from Nigeria, a guest to be featured in a future episode from Poland, South Africa and Los Angeles, and a traditional folk teller from North America with an unusual background (a PhD in Botany) and an incredible international reach: Fran Stallings. We also hear from Fran and her journey through storytelling, and her pearls of wisdom for storytellers. Tracking Intr