ENGL 226 Storytelling: Myth to Media

3 Credit(s)

This course examines an essential human activity: storytelling. What makes a story a story? How has the art of storytelling evolved across time and technologies? Why do we still rely on storytelling today - why haven’t we moved beyond it? Instead of leaving storytelling behind, we seem to enjoy telling increasingly complex stories (whether in books, film, on TV or via audio), using technology to make the experience of stories even more immersive, and moving storytelling into other realms such as marketing. Why is the power of storytelling stronger than ever? How do emerging media invite us to imaging what a story can be or do? By reading a wide variety of myths, folktales, short stories, novels, plays, graphic novels, and online stories, this course examines how stories connect us across time periods and diverse cultures. We will also explore the artistic shape and movement of narrative across oral, visual, and interactive forms. In addition to experiencing cutting-edge digital storytelling, this course investigates the roots of storytelling in oral cultures and how we are returning to that form through public storytelling.

Distribution Area: The Arts