annotated source 03.16

Norris, Dana and Scott Whitehair, Shannon Cason, Kelsie Huff, Kevin Gladish. Memoir without a Net. AWP Conference. Chicago, 2012.

This was a storytelling panel, in which the panelists showed how creative writing can be performed in a storytelling context. Apparently, storytelling is exploding in different areas of the nation because people are realizing how exciting memoir and personal narrative can be when performed in storytelling format. Although the storytellers in this panel more closely aligned with memoir rather than essay, this was still valuable because it showed yet another context in which creative writing can reach more people. The act of presenting stories and thoughts to a live audience could be scary yet, I'm sure, invigorating. Although I don't know if I will use this format specifically as a way to present my work, it is useful to see how animated and fun a performer can make the presentation of a story. If I end up presenting at a conference and reading my work, I think it would be fun to use storytelling aspects to make my presentation more engaging to the audience. Again, this is mostly for after my project is completed, but it's still useful to keep a larger perspective of where I want my work to go.