TLPL 202 - Good Stories: Teaching Narratives for Peace and Justice
Meets MW 11-12:15
ESJ 2212
Instructor: Maggie Peterson (magpete@umd.edu)
Why are humans so fascinated with stories? What compels us to listen and connect with good stories, told well? How are stories related to our humanity? In what ways do stories transcend history and culture to provide enduring models and warnings for both the individual and society?
These questions are alive within a world where we are steeped in story, told through ubiquitous “texts.” In this course, we will take up and examine carefully the meaning and craft of a few of these “texts” – the interview, the TED talk, the oral story, the joke, alongside ancient stories from many cultures. Through these case studies of narrative, we will develop a working theory of narrative as a way of knowing, question modes of the delivery of story, and consider the ways in which stories help us humans to understand and communicate our own being.
