When I was in college in 1989, my brother, sisters, and I decided to have a family portrait made for our parents for Christmas. I did not have a car at the time so my brother-in-law said he would pick me up from my dorm. In my dorm, there was a paging system that was used by the front desk attendant to inform people when they had a visitor. Unfortunately, the intercom in my room was broken, so the person at the front desk would have to do an “all-call” throughout the dorm whenever I had a visitor. My brother-in-law, quite the jokester, decided to have a little fun with this situation and he had the attendant call for “Bug” Rice. (My nickname among family and people I grew up with has always been “Bug.” It’s a long story involving a creative uncle!) When I heard that announced over the paging system throughout the dorm, I could not believe what I was hearing! I was furious that he would actually do that. It embarrassed the heck out of me, just like he knew it would. From that time forward, whenever we would get together for any type of family gathering, I could always count on him bringing up that story, much to my chagrin. Sadly, he passed away in 2007, but the story, over the years, became such a part of the family lore that it is still mentioned every once in a while by one of his daughters. Whenever I hear it now, I have to chuckle and it brings back memories of a time that used to be.
When I read the article by Perry, I thought of the story mentioned above. Perry mentions how Francis, one of the “Lost Boys,” told her that “traditional storytelling often happened in the evenings in Africa, when groups of Sudanese gathered together to share stories” (p. 334). While the story mentioned above was usually told around the table after a Sunday lunch, not in the evenings, the premise is the same. Familial stories are told that provide a connection or bond among those who hear and tell the stories. I am wondering, however, if storytelling as a means of imparting cultural and historical information (p. 335) is a dying art. When I think of storytelling in the context of families today here in America, I think more along the lines of parents sharing stories with kids from books, not instilling within their children some type of all-important knowledge that I envision happening from the Sudanese storytelling.
On page 340, Perry writes that the “audiences for storytelling in the Sudan and Kakuma primarily consisted of people who shared a common frame of reference with the storyteller.” Upon reading this, the first thought that jumped into my mind was the black feminist theories mentioned in the previous post concerning Henry and Staples. I did not have the same frame of reference and, therefore, not as much meaning was imparted as if I had been familiar with these theories.
In the interview with Ezra, Perry states that Ezra says it is “important to you as a male to learn from male older people, and then also the same thing was true for the girls” (p. 340). This gave me the impression that the storytelling that occurred was strictly segregated by gender. Did the girls ever talk to the elder males and hear their stories or did the boys ever hear stories from the elder females? While I realize Sudanese culture is different from American culture, it would seem to me that one’s storytelling history would be so much richer if stories were heard from both sides. I know that I cherish the stories I have from both my mother and father and I would consider it to be a loss to only have one or the other.
A very powerful point made by Perry on page 344 was her assertion that the “Lost Boys” began to transform the purpose of their storytelling from an act of preservation to one of advocacy for change. Until approximately five years ago, I would never have really thought about the power behind that statement. Around that time, I began to share my story with others about the struggles I had growing up and coming to terms with the fact that I was gay. Whereas I was once afraid for others to know who I was, I became increasingly adamant that what I had experienced was not going to happen to others. I spoke at a few different community functions, at a Teaching Fellows workshop, and in front of a gathering at a PFLAG (Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) convention. I began to see the power of using my story to impact the lives of others and inspire within them a desire for action, much like the “Lost Boys” wanted to use their stories to help others see the need for change in their home country. In fact, I am almost certain that storytelling has played a similar role throughout history. Through the power of the spoken word, others have been inspired to act, whether it was women’s suffrage, the emancipation of slaves, or any other historical event which marked a period of social change. As written by Phahhotep in his Maxims of Ptahhotep, “Be a craftsman in speech that thou mayest be strong, for the strength of one is the tongue, and speech is mightier than all fighting.”
Clyde Rice
Comments (7)
What a great example you have as using storytelling to share memories. A friend of mine lost a small child and one othing that brings her comfort is to tell stories about John. In her recollections you can see the love she still has for him. I think that you are on the right track when you said that now days parents think that storytelling involves reading books to their children. Each night before my son goes to bed my husband makes up a story to share with him. Usually these involve my son ans Spiderman or Star Wars, but they are never prethought of. He always asks him what do you want a story about tonight? Aydan will say.... and that is what the story is about. My husband tells great stories and although I get upset with him for taking so long to tell a story I believe he has a gift for it. He can not read well (only learned whole language) and my son can read better than him- and often tells him that. This storytelling at night is a way for the two of them to bond. I hope that when my son matures that the stories will still continue but change forms to explinations of events or actual past expereinces. When my husband was in Africa and Iraq, we would record stories from Matt for him to listen to. This helped both of them through times of seperation.
Amy Reep
Posted by Amy Reep | June 16, 2010 4:37 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 16:37
Storytelling is a great way to bring families together. It is wonderful to share memories of past ones through stories. I think in my family and in yours, sharing stories about loved ones is what keeps us together. Even if they are about past loved ones the stories bring to life memories that would be forgotten without being retold. You are correct in that storytelling does appear to be a dying art. It is a shame that people are losing that connection with one another. I think maybe technology has something to do with it. Well look at us now. We are separated and still having a conversation because of technology. Technology has a huge impact on the way our society is today. In fact I wonder if it is what is killing some good old fashion storytelling. If you ask young students what they do when they get home it usually involves, T.V., Wii, PSP, the internet, facebook, a bunch of technology and a little bit of engaging in a conversation with a family member. Therefore hardly any storytelling can be going on. It is such a shame. Your story about Paging Bug Rice was funny. Your storytelling made a stranger laugh. Awe the benefits of storytelling. Hummm, I have no clue as to if the Sudanese storytelling was gender segregated. That would be interesting to know. I also wonder if it is so, why would they need to separate the sexes? You are right, speaking up and out, sharing your thoughts and voice can be very empowering. I believe these Lost Boys of the Sudan needed some empowering after all they had been through. Their help in the research paper we read and their contributions to their community in storytelling gave them the power they needed to restore themselves after horrible hardships.
Posted by Maria Blevins | June 16, 2010 7:03 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 19:03
I think storytelling among families is probably more prevelant than we think. How many times do we venture into a new family and have opportunities to hear their stories? Do we discuss our family stories at the lunch table at work or casual conversations with friends? I don't think so. I think, after reading your post and comments that storytelling is probably kept private among families. I mean, we would never know Clyde's story about "Bug" unless he had told it. I don't think Clyde is inviting me over for his 4th of July picnic, therefore I wouldn't have an opportunity to hear his family stories.
And a note about technology keeping us from storytelling...look at how it has drawn us closer together in the past several years. My family is spread out all over the country, but through facebook and skype, we can keep in touch and tell stories just like we were living in the same community.
Posted by jennifer wagoner | June 16, 2010 7:25 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 19:25
Clyde, I loved the Bug Rice story. It make me wonder how many of us have stories like that to share over and over through the years. I think maybe storytelling is becoming a lost art in our society today and it saddens me. I try so hard to spend time with my children and tell them about our past through stories I remember my grandparents telling me. Sometimes they think the're silly but I'll bet they'll remember them fondly one day. The Lost Boys have something very special through their use of story telling.
Posted by Linda Bohland | June 16, 2010 9:05 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 21:05
I loved your "Bug" story; however, I can see how it may have caused you grief during that phase of your life. How wonderful that his daughter still clings to the memory of her father, the storyteller! I wish storytelling were done more often in my family to preserve the family history. Only one of my grandparents ever lived long enough to meet my children. Fortunately, they were all old enough when she died to remember her and the stories she would tell. I think about the simplicity of life when our grandparents were sitting around the woodstove telling stories. I remember visiting my grandparents in Boone as a child. They didn't even have indoor plumbing until 1979. So needless to say, when we went to see them, we didn't watch t.v. We all sat around the fire in the winter or the kitchen table in the summer and just talked in the evenings. My how things have changed. While I love the ability to connect with friends and family all over the world using facebook and skype, I long for a more simple, less frazzled lifestyle.
Posted by Karen Chester | June 17, 2010 12:38 AM
Posted on June 17, 2010 00:38
Clyde,
Story telling is definitely one of the ties that help bind people together. In a culture like the Sudanese, where langauge is not written down, stories are told. They were used to teach lessons, inspire others, make decisions and simply share experiences. I have memories of story-telling from my childhood that have stayed with me. What is interesting to me, however, is that I do not remember all of the stories (I do remember many), but I remember the feelings that came with them. It was a feeling of comfort and safely as I heard the soothing voices of my family (parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles) talking low at the end of an evening, talking and laughing. It was connection. I think the lost boys are trying to keep that connection alive and share their stories with the world. This is all they have left of their culture.
I am currently at a cabin with my daughter and a friend and her daughter. We are celebrating our daughters high school graduations ( I found a local library with internet). The girls have quite a story to share about fishing in the river as the dam upstream let out and they had to fight there way back to shore with fishing rods in hand. Luckily we can laugh at it since they made it safely back. This is one of the stories that they will tell others and bind them together as they go separate ways in college. These stories are our memories.
Susan Hines
Posted by Susan Hines | June 17, 2010 1:11 PM
Posted on June 17, 2010 13:11
Clyde,
Our minds are much too similar my friend. I loved the Bug story as did everyone else, I too have one that I am not quite ready to made public…let’s just say it had to do with my nick name, Dick, from my mother and leave it at that. Your posts are always so thorough that I read every one of them without comment because I have nothing new to add as, usually, we have observed the same things and pondered the same ruminations, or you have broken some new ground I hadn’t considered. So this is more to say, your posts are enjoyable, and I agree with everything you have to say, but most of all, thanks for your insights, I may well steal some one day .
Also, in a response to one of my posts, you had mentioned Bill Bryson, author of Mother Tongue, and asked if I have read it. Yes, I sleep with it under my pillow. My wife makes fun of me because I honestly do have it on my night stand and have read it about six times. She calls it my religious stack because Bryson is on top and the Bible is on bottom, and I read one or the other, every day. He also wrote a book called Boone, which you should check out. It is an amazing local book that put Boone on the map of literature. Also, he lives in Blowing Rock, or at least vacations there so keep your eyes out because you might meet him someday.
William Byland
Posted by William Byland | June 18, 2010 7:40 PM
Posted on June 18, 2010 19:40