“Storytelling is also the gateway to truth-telling, which helps inform our opinions, decision-making and self-views. Sharing our stories allows us to come together, declare what our values are and act on them. ”  Wendell Pierce

Newburyport, MA is a city that is proud of its history.  The downtown area was destroyed by fire twice- first in 1811 and again in 1934. Many of the buildings that survived these fires are around even today with signs proudly stating when they were built and when known, the original owners name. Every summer we have a weeklong  festival called Yankee Homecoming. One part of this week is a heritage walk called  “If This House Could Talk”.  Anyone can participate- they just have to research their house (with the help of the library when needed) and create posters to be displayed  outside their homes for everyone to see.  A map is available online of the homes on the walk.  I love walking through the neighborhood, stopping to read the signs.  It helps to acknowledge those who came before us.

Last year my middle child was in 8th grade (we have one middle school for the entire city).  Her grade became involved in the StoryCorps project and each eighth grader had to choose someone to interview as part of this project.  The school chose three interviews as award winners and these three were highlighted on our local television channel (my child was not a winner- but that is okay!).

And finally, the incoming freshman at our high school (where I work) had a summer reading assignment that had a storytelling focus. All incoming freshman were required to read Spin by Rebecca Caprara.

This book in verse is a retelling of the myth of Arachne from her perspective and we are given her backstory which includes the stories her mother would tell her. The assignment encouraged students to explore the myths in the book and see how those stories connect with their lives today and what lessons they try to teach.

 

Incoming honors students were also assigned The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera.

In this book Petra, her family, an a few selected other humans have been selected to start a new civilization on a planet far away from Earth which has been destroyed by a comet.  Petra awakes upon arrival to find out she is the only person alive who remembers Earth.  It is also important to know that her grandmother was a Cuentista, or storyteller and Petra had hoped to follow in her footsteps.

The assignment for this book included an interview with a family member to talk about the stories that stood out to them in their lives, whether they were family stories or other stories.  Discussions around this book led into the beginning of their school year as they discussed stories- family stories and other types of stories – and how they change and adapt over time and teach us what is important.

Remember. stories connect us to other people. They help us to understand things, help us to empathize, help us to gain new perspectives.  They help us to find parts of ourselves that might have been hidden before, and they help to keep those alive who have moved on from this life.