COLLECTIVE NARRATIVE
H79.2960.1 Marianne Petit Wednesdays 9:30 - 12:00
This two-point workshop is centered on the examination and creation of collective storytelling environments. We will examine a wide-range of storytelling spaces including participatory and user-generated environments, site-specific works, community based arts practices, and transmedia storytelling. Weekly assignments, field trips, and student presentations. This course will meet for the first seven weeks of the semester.
Assignments
There are five assignments and no final project.
Readings
On a weekly basis you will be given numerous articles and handouts to read in addition to chapters from the required texts.
Reqiured texts: "Convergence Culture", by Henry Jenkins, "Tell Me A Story: Narrative and Intelligence Roger Shank", Optional: Orality and Literacy" by Walter Ong. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class.
This syllabus will be updated weekly with links and notes.
Grading
Class Participation: 30%
Weekly Assignments: 40%
Final Project: 30%
THIS SYLLABUS IS IN DRAFT FORM AND IS SUBJECT TO REVISIONS.
Week 1
The Story
- Discussion: Three in-class exercises: Interpretation, Collaboration, Participation and Constraints
- Course Introduction and Syllabus
- Urls of interest
- Assignment:
- Set up blog for class. This is where all assignments and reactions will be posted. Email me url.
- Watch: Jonathan Harris TED Talk on Collecting Stories
- Watch: Chimamanda Adichie TED Talk: The danger of a single story
- Read handout: Cambridge Introduction to Narrative (and optional: Tim O'Brien Telling Tails)
- There are lots of structures established for getting people to write stories. SmithMag celebrates the 6-Word Story. There is Hint Finction - which is based on 25 words. There is the 55-Word Fiction Story Format. And then there is the 400word autobiography form at 400words. Pick one form. Write a story in that form. Additionally, write a synopsis of your process - why did you choose that format? How did the format's constraints alter your storytelling. Be prepared to read your stories in class. Be prepared to discuss the form and your process as well.
Week 2
Observation and Interpretation/Community and Constraints
- Discussion: Readings / Videos
- Critique: Writing assignments
- Discussion: Fan Fiction
- Discussion: The Hourly Comic
- Urls of interest
- Assignment:
- You have the choice to do one of two assignments. 1) Write a piece a fan fiction; and/or 2) Perform the hourly comic. In either case, please do ALL readings below.
- Read: Henry Jenkins "Convergence Culture", Chapters 1 (Spoiling Survivor – The Anatomy of A Knowledge Community) and 5 Why Heather Can Write: Media Literacy and the Harry Potter Wars) Be prepared to discuss in class.
- Read Francesca Coppa's "A Brief History of Fandom"
- Read Will Eisner's Chapter 6: Writing and Sequential Art
- Assignment 1: Choose a show / movie / book of which you are a "fan". After reviewing samples, post to your blog your own original work. Minimum of 700 words. Post reaction to both 1) the readings and 2) the process of writing a piece of fan fiction. (Due 1 week: February 8th) OR
- Assignment 2: The Hourly Comic. Pick a day. For every hour that you are awake make a comic describing something about the past hour. You don't necessarily have to draw. You can use collage, photography, sound, etc.. The important thing is to follow the hourly format closely. Upload to your blog. Post a reaction to the readings and to the process itself.
Week 3
Oral History / Group Storytelling / Stories in parts and perspectives
- Discuss readings
- Critique Fan Fiction and Hourly Comics
- Discussion: Oral History and Traditions
- In-class listening
- Assignment:
- Listen Salt Institute Dissecting Dead Animal Man
- Read: Tell Me A Story: Narrative and Intelligence: Chapter 1: Knowledge is Stories, Chapter 2: Where Stories Come From and Why We Tell Them and Chapter 3: Understanding Other People's Stories"
- Read handout: Excerpt from "They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky" (Benson Deng, Alephonsian Deng, Benjamin Ajak)
- Read handout: Excerpt: Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorp (Edited David Isay)
- Create: Audio Story in Three Parts (can follow any of the examples reviewed in class: Three different perspectives on a single subject; Three components necessary in completing a single tale, etc. You can work in teams. Upload to blog. Be prepared to present in class.
Week 4
- Discuss readings
- Critique of Assignments 3 (and pending 1&2)
- Assignment
Week 5
Memory, Story, Object, and Location
- Field Trip to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum: http://www.tenement.org/ Meet at Museum at 3:45 (tour begins exactly at 4pm and runs 1.5 hours)
- Assignment
- Create: In response to the readings and this week's field trip create a response to the theme of "Memory, Stories, Objects and Location". This assignment is very open and can take on any form. Can be done alone or you can work in teams.
Week 6
Participation, Interactions, Transactions and Narrative Spaces
- Critique "Memory, Stories, Objects and Location"
- Assignment
- Read Henry Jenkins Convergence Culture, Chapter 3, "Searching for the Origami Unicorn: The Matrix and Transmedia Storytelling" and "Conclusion: Democratizing Television? The Politics of Participation"
- Begin: An exchange between two people is easy. Add a third and what happens? For this exercise you are going to create a structure that requires the participation or a transaction with or between threeor more people. This assignment can take any form, but, must involve in some form the creation or exchange of a "story". Begin work on Participation, Transactions and Narrative Spaces assignment (Due two weeks: March 28th)
- Watch Granito - Every Memory Matters: http://vimeo.com/16498850 and visit http://granitoemm.com/home
- 360 Tiziano project: http://360.tizianoproject.org/
- The Dongle of Donald Trefusis and The Fry Chronicles
Week 7