SESSION DESCRIPTION:
“Narrative is radical, creating us at the very moment it is being created.”
~ Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison, Noble Prize Lecture, 1993
A narrative consists of a collection of stories that together convey a common worldview – a shared interpretation of the world and how it works. Every single narrative has a context that is personal, cultural, socio-political and/or historical and through narrative we gain access to those contexts. Our identities are complex and no one narrative captures the fullness of who we are, but the stories we tell allow us to define ourselves and share our truths, rather than have stories told about us or narratives shaped for us.
Owning your narrative is about sharing your story on your terms and leveraging the stories of the people you serve in ways that maintains their integrity. It’s about interrogating and reclaiming narratives – reshaping our understandings along the way. It’s also about finding the stories within and being intentional with what you share and not share.
During our sessions, we will explore the concept of narrative, how it plays out in individual and collective contexts and how it affects your work as Corpsmembers and as Corps staff.
- Explore narrative and how it affects our daily lives
- Interrogate the context of narratives and how certain beliefs perpetuate harm
- Engage in storytelling
- Discuss ways to share personal stories and stories of the people we serve in ways that honors identity and maintains the integrity of the storyteller
The workshops will be facilitated by The Untold Narratives – an organization that focuses on storytelling that honors all realities and histories. Not seeing oneself or one’s community represented in narratives can make you feel like you don’t belong. The Untold Narratives works to help everyone learn the art and craft of storytelling so you can tell whatever story you want through whatever medium makes sense to bring your voice, experience and histories to life.
The Untold Narratives was founded by Dr. Liz Santiago (she/ella). Liz has been a storyteller for almost as long as she has been alive. She read voraciously as a child but had always been struck by the stories that weren’t being told. Stories about her ancestors, community, and neighborhood. She set out early to tell those stories. She earned a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College then a master’s in education from Harvard University. She taught writing and adult literacy courses for many years before deciding to take her passion for storytelling to the next level. She completed a PhD program at Lesley University focused on creative writing for literacy acquisition and liberation. As a result of that work, two projects emerged. One is a contemporary young adult novel titled, The Moonlit Vine, featuring 14-year-old Taína, descended from a long line of Taíno women who must rise within her own strength to bring peace and justice to her family and her community. The novel was published by Lee & Low and has gotten starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist. It was named one of their Best Teen & YA Novels of 2023 About Social Issues by Kirkus. Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 selected The Moonlit Vine as one of the titles to be honored on the Rise 2024 Booklist and the book has been longlisted for a 2024 Massachusetts Book Award. The second project is a website called The Untold Narratives to support all writers, emerging and experienced, in finding and sharing stories that are not typically told due to marginalization.
