COLLECTIVE NARRATIVE
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.
My office hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2:30-4:00. You can sign up for them here: https://itp.nyu.edu/inwiki/Signup/Marianne (or email marianne dot petit at nyu dot edu)
I am also available at other times by appointment.
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%
Student Work/Urls
Week 1 - Wednesday 1/30
The Story
- Discussion: Three in-class exercises: Interpretation, Collaboration, Participation and Constraints
- Course Introduction and Syllabus
- Urls of interest
- Discussion: 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. In addition, there are other types of community built around creative practice. Fan Fiction communities abound. Every February 1st, people worldwide participate in the The Hourly Comic.
- 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
- Visit The Guantanamo Public Memory Project at the Kimmel Windows (LaGuardia Place & West 3rd / New York City - closes 2/3 online at http://gitmomemory.org/)
- Read handout: Cambridge Introduction to Narrative
- Read: Henry Jenkins "Convergence Culture", Chapter 5 (Why Heather Can Write: Media Literacy and the Harry Potter Wars) Optional: Chapter 1: Spoiling Survivor – The Anatomy of A Knowledge Community)
- This week you are going to write a story. Choose from the 6-word story, Hint Fiction, the 55 Word Story, or Fan Fiction as a structure (if you choose Fan Fiction limit yourself to 700 words or less.) 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 and discuss your stories in class.
- This week you are also going to pick one day and document every hour of it. You can do it with drawing, photography, collage, sound, whatever material you want. The important thing is to follow the hourly format closely. Be prepared to share in class and discuss the process.
Week 2 - Wednesday, 2/6
Oral History / Group Storytelling / Stories in parts and perspectives
- Discussion: Oral History and Traditions
- In-class listening: The Super
- 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 3 - Wednesday, 2/13
Oral History / Group Storytelling / Stories in parts and perspectives
- Discuss readings
- Review assignments
- Guest Speaker: Petra Farinha (tentative): Sandy Storyline
- Assignment
- Go to The City Reliquary Museum (note: hours are Thurs-Sun 12-6)
- Read Leslie Bedford's "Storytelling: The Real Work of Museums", Chapter 2: The Memory of History, and Elisa Giaccardi's "Collective Storytelling and Social Creativity in the Virtual Museum
- Online links: The Museum of the Person and Dennis Severs' House: http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/
- Begin thinking on the next assignment "Memory, Stories, objects, and Locations (Due in two weeks: February 27th)
Week 4 - Wednesday 2/20
Memory, Story, Object, and Location
- Dress warm! We're going on a Levy's Unique Walking Tour: http://levysuniqueny.com/
- 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 5 - Wednesday 2/27
Memory, Story, Object, and Location/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 13th)
Week 6 - Wednesday 3/6
Participation, Interactions, Transactions and Narrative Spaces
Week 7 - Wednesday 3/13