As I have already admitted to the
class, I primarily tell personal experience stories. I get a lot out
of listening to, preparing, and telling other kinds of stories, but
personal stories just seem to fit me best.
One of the things that I have heard
about – more from the oral-traditional story world, but present in
all kinds of storytelling – is the “lean.” I say that I have
heard about it. It has never been spelled out for me. It remained in
the realm esoterica until Lipman spelled it out.
I think that I have encountered the
“Lean back” response only a to be disappointed that I have put my
listeners to sleep. This was a most fascinating chapter and overall
very helpful.
I was surprised to learn, however, in
the section entitled “A Response to Personal Experience Stories”
(142) that some personal experience storytellers tell personal
experience stories that did not happen to them. Is this a thing? Do
people do this? I guess on looking back on our classroom experiences, and our experiences in Jonesborough, they do.
-Bob
I regularly tell at a nature preserve in Florida---I found that if I only told fables or only told personal tales---I would lose my listeners. So I vary.
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