Author: Victoria Yuan

Documentary Fictions

Instructors: Jonah Willihngamz, Shannon Pufahl
Winter 2020, Wed 3:00-5:50
4 units, WAYS-CE
 
More and more of the best American fiction, plays, and even comics are being created out of documentary practices such as in-depth interviewing, oral histories, and reporting. Novels like Dave Eggers’ What is the What, plays like Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles, and narrative journalism like Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, all act as both witnesses and translators of people’s direct experience and push art into social activism in new ways. In this course students will examine the research methods, artistic craft, and ethics of these rich, genre-bending works and then create documentary fictions of their own. Readings will include works by Truman Capote, Dave Eggers, and Lisa Taddeo, as well as Katherine Boo, author of the award-winning Behind the Beautiful Forevers, who will visit the class. No prior creative writing or journalism experience required. Note: First priority to undergrads. Students must attend the first class meeting to retain their roster spot.

Harriet Lunch and Film Screening

Thursday, November 7
12-1:30 pm at the BCSC Community Room
6-9 pm at the CineArts Palo Alto

Join us for two special events celebrating Black storytelling and activism with special guest TV/Film Producer Debra Martin Chase, producer of Harriet: The Lunchtime Q&A and the FREE screening of Harriet, followed by a Q&A with the producer. Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, HARRIET tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of enslaved peoples and changed the course of history. RSVP and SUID are required for entry to the Lunchtime Q&A. Tickets for the film screening will be distributed on the shuttle bus of at the movie theater if using alternative transportation. These events are jointly sponsored by Stanford Arts, the Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA), Program in African and African American Studies, Stanford Storytelling Project, and the Black Community Services Center.


Tools for a Meaningful Life

LIFE 101
Instructors: Jonah Willihnganz, Andrew Todhunter, Fred Luskin, Gigi Otalvaro
Winter 2020, Tues/Thurs, 3:00-4:20 pm
3 Units, WAYS-CE

Explores the foundational skills for a meaningful life. Features lectures by faculty from across the university and labs for experiential practice. Draws on research and practices from fields related to psychology, philosophy, literature, and neuroscience, as well as wisdom traditions from around the world. Focuses on developing human capacities necessary for a meaningful life including; attention, courage, devotion, resilience, imagination, and gratitude. Exposure to these capacities influences personal growth and its development in communities.


Introduction to Podcast Storytelling

ORALCOMM 127
Spring 2020, Fridays, 10:30-11:50
Instructors: Tiffany Naiman
2 units, WAYS-CE

This introductory course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of creating stories for new media, especially podcasting. You will learn how to develop and produce pieces across a variety of genres, from memoir to reported pieces, and you will learn the entire process, step-by-step, from pitching and interviewing to scripting and audio (and sometimes photo and video) editing. The course combines a traditional seminar format with a practicum where we workshop work in progress for fiction and nonfiction podcasts produced by the Storytelling Project. Though we focus on audio stories, the craft skills you learn here are transferable to making stories for any medium, from print and performance to web multimedia and film. May be repeated for credit.


Fight the Future


Crafting Concept Albums: Big Tales, Small Grooves, and the Art of Musical Narrative

ORALCOMM 123
Instructor: Tiffany Naiman
Spring 2020, Weds. 9:30-12:20
4 Units

Cultures all around the world tell the stories of their history, beliefs, and identities through song.  The Greeks set their epic tales of love, life, and death to music, Renaissance composers followed suit, and popular music artists do the same today.  In this hybrid workshop-seminar, students will explore musical narratives by analyzing seminal concept albums and then producing their own single-story album through written lyrics. Students will examine how artists use craft elements such as setting, characters, and plot, cover art, and musical form and instrumentation, then apply that learning in their own productions. Creating music, beats, soundscapes, and artwork will be encouraged, but the final project need only be a cycle of recorded, spoken song lyrics.  We’ll focus in particular on narratives of race, class, gender, and sexuality and their social implications as we examine works from artists across musical genres—from classic and punk rock artists such as Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and Green Day; to hip-hop, pop, and EDM performers such as Beyoncé, Lupe Fiasco, Janelle Monáe, Daft Punk, and Kendrick Lamar. Students will work in groups to choose genre, develop a sense of place and time, select narrative structures, and craft lyrics. No prior experience in music or creative writing is required.