Category Archives: Storytelling and Change

Marshall Ganz, a lecturer in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a civil-rights activist has written a thought-provoking article, Why Stories Matter: The Art and Craft of Social Change on the site Sojourners Magazine. Ganz notes that it’s not effective to simply tell people to follow the … Continue reading →

One of my occasional departures from curating and commenting about storytelling material — and instead telling the story of my own life …. The day crackled with anticipation yesterday. The hours passed slowly, and we felt like children on Christmas Eve. Finally, it was time to pick up our box … Continue reading →

At the same time as I am slogging my way through a very cerebral and academic book on narrative psychology, I am noticing more and more about uses of story for various types of healing. Here are some examples I’ve come across recently: First, some background on narrative therapy: Not … Continue reading →

My 22-year-old son works as a produce specialist in a health-food store and has become quite an evangelist for natural foods. He has been campaigning to change his parents’ eating habits and urged me to read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. So I’ve been reading it — or rather … Continue reading →

Since this week’s Q&A with Stewart Marshall focuses on “financial storytelling” and the stories behind numbers and data, I thought I’d look at another view on this topic. Storytelling is receiving lots of much-needed attention these days in nonprofits. I’m constantly seeing blog entries and webinars on storytelling for nonprofits. … Continue reading →

For a couple of years now, I’ve been interested in the concept of “change your story, change your life” — that if you are unhappy with the story you’re living, you may be able to envision a better story, change your life, and live that new story. Many practitioners work … Continue reading →

What struck me the most about President Obama’s recent televised town-hall meeting on healthcare was that when he asked the gathering of some 160 people of all political persuasions if any of them felt the healthcare system is fine the way it is, not a single one raised a hand. … Continue reading →

The Huffington Post is soliciting the stories of women who have made the difficult decision to have an abortion, especially a late-term abortion. Noting that women’s stories are missing from the current rhetoric about abortion following the murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, the media outlet seeks these stories … Continue reading →