h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This afternoon, I finished writing up some future copy for the h2g2 Post. The last thing I wrote was a short 'Writing Right' essay, half serious, half snarky, about what we learn from bad blockbuster films about how NOT to tell a story. I'd gone on to try and explain how we needed to use our writing to teach our audiences how to read the stories we were trying to tell. I read it to Electra, and we were still talking about what I meant as we went outside to run the car for a bit. I haven't been driving it much, and it needs to be started occasionally. While we run it, we sit and listen to the radio, so I turned the key and punched on the sound.

Then, NPR gave us an example of what I'd been trying to say. It's a programme called 'Snap Judgment', and I hope, if you don't have it on your radio station, you'll find it online and give it a listen.

This is the story we heard. It's funny, but it's insightful, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEPBzxwD_M

Here's another example. (Warning: this one's gut-wrenching.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHVn0QWRDBE

Now, isn't that amazing? This form of storytelling - often raw, emotional, and fairly unadorned - is backed up with a musical beat. I think the music helps the audience concentrate. It's pretty low-tech art, with minimal 'production values'.

But isn't listening to it every bit as life-changing as attending a performance of 'Oedipus Rex'? Don't you learn just as much?

Most of us aren't performance artists. We're online writers. But we have exactly the same mission in mind: to teach people how to appreciate the wisdom of the everyday. The value of common experience.

To do that, we put our heads together, and try to work out our own form of 'best practice' for storytelling - not to show off, or vie for fame and fortune. Not to drop names, or preen, or count coup, or harangue. Just to learn how to tell a good, plain story in such a way that we reach the person at the other end of the computer connection.

I'm kind of tickled that it looks like others are doing this, too. Maybe it's an idea whose time has come again. That makes me hopeful.

Here's a link to their podcast, in case you'd like to hear more: http://snapjudgment.org/podcast

Or listen to the NPR broadcast online: http://snapjudgment.org/radio-show

There are some performances on Youtube, as well.

Such a thoughtful post Dmitri - well it really got my brain cells working. Thank you!

Thanks, Lanza. Hope you enjoy the links.

I listened to one - I'll try and find some time to look at the others later

This is great! Splendid in fact! I'd not heard of Snap Judgement before. I shall keep a check on their website. Thanks!!

I've always loved the mixed medium of music and the spoken word, because I think writing is music anyway, with its rhyme and rhythm and za za zoom.

I have a treasured CD of my favourite Beat poet, Michael McClure reading his poetry, accompanied by the late great Ray Manzarek (from The Doors) on keyboards. Its amazing how the sound harmonises with the word and vice versa.

I did some music/word performance at one stage of my life. I read out some of my weird rambles, with my husband on guitar and sonics. Only, in my case, the idea was that people could listen to the music, when they got fed up with listening to me. haha.

Sounds like a great approach!

I'm glad you like this.

It reminds me of the Beats, too - and takes me back to reading 'Howl' aloud at uni, at my instructor's request, so that everyone could savour the sound of it.

You read Howl aloud? That's amazing. Wish I'd heard that. Do you have a tape? Yes, Howl, surely one of the finest examples of the music of writing. Incantatory. Is that the word? Incantatory. Great word.

I guess that storytelling was originally a spoken art. An incantatory art.

And now writers have the challenge of working with the online medium. and the page. How to keep the reader interested. Like you say.

What else can aid the music of the written word? If the text is standing alone, without an audio facility.

Do you think the layout of the text is important? As if it's a music score.

I like easy read text with a lot of space, a lot of paragraphs.

Also pictures. That's why is so great, and the photos with Guide Entries. But then I have a magazine mind anyway, I'm attracted to collage.

Very interesting.

No tape, unfortunately. I read it according to Ginsberg's directions - as much as possible, one long breath, so it came out strained by the end of the line...amazing effect.

Yes! Pictures. That's why we do them. To engage both sides of the brain. It helps.

Oh really? One long breath. I'm going to try that, really I am. Like, after supper.

Both sides of the brain? That's interesting indeed. Indeeeeed. Pictures. Pictures. That's what it is. Pictures. Storytelling is pictures. And maybe some other things , but yes! Hah! And the challenge is the flat page. How to sculpt multi sensory, multi dimensional textures on a flat page.

Damn. Pace pace.

Pace, as in movement?

Or pace, as in ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Rpdzlje3M

There's a nur smiley? Has there always been a nur smiley?



I'm very happy with the nur smiley.

I was more like pacing the room. But I can pace in p(e)ace. Despite the complexities of storytelling.

That's beautiful, Placido Domingo. In Pace. That's really beautiful.

Have human beings always been storytellers? Who told the first story? And what was it about, I wonder?

The first story...told around a campfire about 40,000 years ago...

Once upon a time, there was a hunter. He wanted to find some game, because his tribe were hungry. The night before the big hunt, he had a dream. In it, a mastodon appeared. The hunter raised his spear, and called for his friends to help him kill the mastodon. They would eat for many days.

As he threw his spear, the hunter saw its arc...away in the sky. Behind the spear, he glimpsed the mountains. He knew this place...then the hunter woke up.

The next day, the hunter led his friends to the place he had dreamed about. Sure enough, they found a mastodon. They killed it, and the tribe ate for many days.

'That was a good story, Grandad,' said little Areku. 'Is it true?'

'As true as I'm sitting here,' replied the grandfather. 'I was that hunter. Go to sleep: maybe you will dream of where to find prey for the hunt.'

And off they went to bed, happily.

That's amazing! Imagine that! Oh, you just did. That's really evocative. The dream, the arc of the spear, the mountains.

And storytelling is still about survival, isn't it. Is it? Physical and spiritual survival. Different subject matter, different needs, but it is still about survival. What do I mean by that? I guess the need to communicate is vital. Interconnectedness. Or something.

Holy snakes, you got me thinking here, friend.

Yes, I think is IS about survival.

You do?? This is most interesting. I am officially obsessed.

Ah, telling stories with a beat. Heartbeat. Survival.

And we all have a story! Yes!! We all have our own tune, passion, delight, tragedy.

It helps me to connect with the raw instinct, the original pulse of storytelling, it really does!

It's all your fault, you mentioned the beat. .

And the beat goes on....

Indeed it does. What do you think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0OdNY8Aybw

I think he should work on his delivery - but I love the sentiments.

Woody Guthrie was an inspiration to so many...

Guthrie left notebooks with unset poems. I enjoy the setting Billy Bragg did for them. Here's a short example, 'Ingrid Bergman':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYD4ppu9eV0

Yeah, his delivery leaves something behind to be wished for, doesn't it?

But it's interesting nonetheless

Now to listen to that link

mmmmmm I just lerv the Dylan beat. I'd not heard this poem before! I listen to Dylan most days of my life, ah yes I do.

I've been hearing the beat all day, even at the dentist this morning. Inspired!!