COLLECTIVE STORYTELLING
H79.2706.1 Marianne Petit Wednesdays 3:30 - 6:00

This production course is centered on the examination and creation of collective storytelling environments. We will survey a wide range of storytelling environments including site-specific works and environments, community-based arts projects, user-generated and participatory environments, and transmedia storytelling. This course requires field trips, weekly assignments, student presentations, and a final project.

Assignments
There are four weekly assignments (short creative writing, fan fiction, audio stories and history, interpretation and digital storytelling) for the first 5 weeks of class. All assignments will be uploaded, reviewed online, and commented on by instructor. You must present at least two assignments to class for critique. In addition there is one midterm assignment and one 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. There are two reqiured texts: "Convergence Culture", by Henry Jenkins and "Orality and Literacy" by Walter Ong. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class.

This syllabus will be updated weekly with links and notes. My office hours are Tuesdays from 10-12 / 1-3 or by appointment. (marianne dot petit at nyu dot edu)

Grading
Class Participation: 30%
Weekly Assignments: 25%
Midterm: 15%
Final Project: 30%

Class Urls

Class 1: Wednesday, September 9th

• Three in-class exercises: Interpretation, Collaboration, Participation and Constraints
• Course Introduction
• Urls of interest
• Assignment:
  • Set up blog for class (Wordpress, Textpattern, Expression Engine, whatever you prefer). This is where all assignments and reactions will be posted. Email me url.
  • Read Cambridge Introduction to Narrative.
  • The New York Times, Sun. 1/20 - Thumbs Race as Japan’s Best Sellers Go Cellular
  • Read SmithMag 6-word Stories. Read 55-Word story guidelines and online examples on LiveJournal. Read online entries at 400Words.com.
  • Select two of the forms and post to your blog (one 6 word story; one 55 word story; and/or one 400-word story of your life.) Be prepared to read one of your stories in class. Be prepared to discuss the form and your process as well.

Class 2: Wednesday, September 16th

• Creative Writing, Constraints and Community
• Review 6-word, 55-word, 400-word stories.
• Discussion: Fan Fiction and more
• Guest Speaker: NancyKay Shapiro, (writer - NancyKay Shapiro is the author of a novel, What Love Means To You People, and, under the pen-name Herself, of a collection of Buffy The Vampire Slayer fanfic, which can be accessed at http://www.echonyc.com/~stax/Buffy/herself/index.htm
  NancyKay is currently at work on another novel set in the early 19th century. She lives in Manhattan. You can download her presentation here.
• Assignment:
  • Read: Henry Jenkins "Convergence Culture", Chapters 1 (Spoiling Survivor – The Anatomy of A Knowledge Community) 4 (Quentin Tarantino’s Star Wars? Grassroots Creativity Meets the Media Industry) and 5 Why Heather Can Write: Media Literacy and the Harry Potter Wars) Be prepared to discuss in class. If you haven't already, read Francesca Coppa's "A Brief History of Fandom"
  • Read samples (i.e. see FanFiction.net -- note the quality is pretty dismal, but, examine the spectrum of interests. Seek out specific works and communities of interest to you.)
  • Choose a show / movie / book you are a "fan" of. 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.

Class 3: Wednesday, September 23rd

• Review Fan Fiction Samples and Jenkins readings
• Discussion: Oral History / Stories in parts and perspectives
  • Oral History and Oral Traditions
  • Millman Parry: http://chs119.harvard.edu/mpc/
  • StoryCorps: http://www.storycorps.net/
  • StoryCorps Great Question List
  • Radio Rookies: http://www.wnyc.org/radiorookies/
  • 1-10 Witness Project: http://www.i10witness.org/
  • Listening: This American Life: The Super (part 1: Bob) - setup | anticipation | revelation | reflection
• Assignment:
  • Read: Tell Me A Story: Narrative and Intelligence Roger Shank, Excerpt "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)
  • See class 5: Visit The Tree Museum (http://treemuseum.org/) Note it closes on October 12th. Post response / critique to blog by class 6)
  • 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. )

Class 4: Wednesday, September 30th

• Review Audio Stories / Oral Histories
• Discussion: Interpreting Stories and Digital Storytelling
• Pedro Meyer: http://zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/fotografio/
• Vikram Tank's Flittr
• http://www.storycenter.org/stories/
• Guest Lecture, Joel Lambert, The Center for Digital Storytelling
• Assignment:
  • Read: handout: Center for Digital Storytelling Cookbook
  • Read handout: Except form Will Eisner's Writing & Sequential Art
  • Following the forms presented / discussed in class make 1 minute digital story. Post online. Be prepared to show in class.
  • See class 5: Visit The Tree Museum (http://treemuseum.org/) Note it closes on October 12th. Post response / critique to blog by class 6)

Class 5: Wednesday, October 7th

• Review Digital Stories
• Discussion: From screen to space, community and participation. Guest Lecture by Matthew Belanger.
• Assignment:
  • Read "The Memory of History"
  • Read Arlene Goldbard's "The Story Revolution: How Telling Our Stories Transforms the World"
  • Visit The Tree Museum (http://treemuseum.org/) Note it closes on October 12th. Post response / critique to blog by class 6)
  • Begin work on midterm: Due in two weeks (Class 7 - 10/21) - CHANGE - due in two weeks: response work to either Tree Museum or Brooklyn Historical Society field trip

Class 6: Wednesday, October 14th

• Public History and the Museum Field Trip: Brooklyn Historical Society In our Own Words | Lecture with Alison Cornyn
• Assignment:
  • Response work to either Tree Museum or Brooklyn Historical Society Field Trip

Class 7: Wednesday, October 21st

• Review of Response Work
• Assignment:
  • Watch: Jonathan Harris TED Talk on Collecting Stories. Post response.

Class 8: Wednesday, October 28th

• Discussion: Part 2 and Final Projects
• Guest Lecturer, Larry Smith: SMITH Magazine
• Assignment:
  • Read: Read Henry Jenkins Convergence Culture, Chapter 3, "Searching for the Origami Unicorn: The Matrix and Transmedia Storytelling"
  • Review Stephen Fry's "The Dongle of Donald Trefusis" at http://www.stephenfry.com/dongle/
  • Write: Reaction to both, post to blog. Be prepared to discuss in class.
  • Write: Final Project Proposal - be prepared to present in class

Class 9: Wednesday, November 4th

• Review: Final Project Proposals
• Discussion: Transmedia Storytelling
• Assignment:
  • Begin work on Final Projects - be prepared to show preliminary sketches
  • Read: Clay Shirky Here Comes Everybody, Chapter 3: Everyone Is A Media Outlet and Chapter 4: Publish, Then Filter
  • Read: Henry Jenkins Convergence Culture, "Conclusion Democratizing Television? The Politics of Participation"
  • Read: Star Trek DIY

Class 10: Wednesday, November 11th

• View: Final Projects in Progress
• View "Mysterious Object at Noon"
• About the film: Wikipedia, DocumentaryFilms.net, NYTimes
• Assignment:
  • Continue work on final projects
  • Read Leslie Bedford's "Storytelling: The Real Work of Museums"
  • Read Elisa Giaccardi's "Collective Storytelling and Social Creativity in the Virtual Museum
  • Visit The City Reliquary Museum: http://cityreliquary.org/aboutus/archives/cat_visit.shtml

Class 11: Wednesday, November 18th

• Discussion: Memory, Story and Object
• Field Trip to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum: http://www.tenement.org/ Meet at Museum at 3:30
• Assignment:
  • Post response to field trip
  • Continue workon Final Project

Class 12: Saturday, November 21st

• Present Final Projects in Progress
• Community-Based Art
• Assignment:
  • Continue working on Final Project
  • Read selected chapters from The Creative Community Builder's Handbook

Class 13: Wednesday, December 2nd

• Review Projects in Progress.
• Discussion: Memory, Story and Location
• Assignment
  • Continue working on Final Projects

Class 14: Wednesday, December 9th

• Review Final Projects