Dear Friends,
The importance of storytelling is a constant theme for anyone working in public radio, but it’s been a particular focus for me in recent days.
I had the privilege recently of being a table leader at the UTSA “Great Conversations” event—which, for those who aren’t familiar with it, is exactly what it sounds like. Many people gather to share dinner and conversation about a wide range of topics. The topic I chose for my table was, “The Power of Story: What Makes a Driveway Moment?” Thanks to the lovely group of people who chose to share that table with me - all of whom were big fans of TPR - it was a great conversation. We talked about how we understand our lives through the stories we tell ourselves and how cultivating the art of the story can make us better leaders, teachers and even parents. We also shared some of our favorite driveway moments, both from our own lives and from stories heard on-air or seen on-line.
Some of the memorable stories that were shared were from StoryCorps interviews. As I shared in my most recent note to you, and as you've heard on-air, the StoryCorps mobile booth has been in San Antonio for the past month, collecting stories from people in our community. The interview slots have been booked solid, and there has even been a wait list. I'm confident that many amazing stories will come out of that. You'll start hearing some of those stories Friday afternoons during All Things Considered (at 4:45) and Saturday mornings during Weekend Edition (at 8:35).
I've also been immersed in the power of story in the course of preparing to give a talk at TEDx San Antonio and observing the preparations of others who will be speaking at the event. It’s impressive to see the care taken with the selection of each word, how the talks evolve as the speakers receive comments and suggestions during group “curation” sessions, and the deliberations to achieve just the right phrasing and movements. All of that effort will make for a terrific event, for both audience and speakers. TEDx San Antonio will be March 5, at Rackspace headquarters in San Antonio. More information on the event is available at tedxsanantonio.com.
What are your driveway moments? I hope that many of them are stories you have heard on TPR. Keep listening, as our goal every day is to make all we do compelling, engaging and memorable.
Warm regards -
joyce