The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), July 1, 2014
Summary:
Emcee Megan Finnerty says, “In 2011, the Arizona Republic newspaper launched this series because we believe the stories we tell define us. They make us who we are as individuals and as a community. In telling, we affirm the lessons we’ve learned. In listening, we deepen our connections to those around us.”
“We’ve heard from Arizona notables, including Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan and Arizona Diamondbacks superstar Luis Gonzalez. And we’ve heard from regular Arizonans.”
“Omifunke Torres, a professor at the Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College, and Liz Warren, the director of the Storytelling Institute, took on the project as advisers and the three of us grew efficient at workshopping the speakers.”
Got a story to share?
Visit storytellers.azcentral.com for a list of dates and themes.
Then e-mail with a 10-sentence sketch of your story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
She will look for a narrative arc and a point or a lesson. Then she’ll call and ask to hear the story so she can ascertain if a potential speaker can articulate how he or she grew or changed. Another important question to think about: is there enough emotional distance from the event to know what it means and be comfortable talking about it in front of strangers?
Subjects Covered: personal storytelling