I picked up
a copy of The Grimm’s Fairy Tales while in Barns and Noble Sunday afternoon, and
before leaving the bookstore read the first story, over a cup of coffee. It is called The Frog Prince, and was included
in the first collection over two hundred years ago.
To those of you who know me, it comes as no surprise, because you’re already aware that I’ve been fascinated with story for quite some time. In fact, I believe everyone has a story, and before you can truly know a person, it’s imperative that you know his, or her, story. The chapters of our lives play heavily into the people we’ve become.
Don’t be alarmed. I’m not making a case for developmental psychology, or behavioral therapy. This post is about story, plain and simple.
However, with that being said, it does seem as if story is written into the DNA of human personality. Almost like it’s hardwired into the Gnome and stamped on our collective imagination. Story has always been with us.
Primitive civilizations used story to preserve culture while teaching future generations. As long as man has been on the earth, story has had something to offer. The medium morphs, but the meat of what story is about holds a steady resolve.
There was a time when stories were the main event shared around the village campfire. Homer’s Epic’s, The Iliad and The Odyssey were oral traditions dating back 670 years before the birth of Christ. If you’re looking for older documents you have to go back another 1400 years to The Epic ofGilgamesh, which was written on 12 clay tablets about 4000 years ago.
Since that time the medium of story and the way it has been presented and preserved has continually changed. It’s ridden the waves of Papyrus in Egypt, and Parchment from Pergamum. From Chinese Block printing to Gutenberg’s press story continued to captivate the hearts and minds of every generation.
And now were living in a digital age where many people no longer purchase printed books. Their medium of choice are e-readers, such as Kindle and Nook.
It is reported that Amazon sells a million and a half e books a day.
Those in the know say the publishing world is in the midst of a revolution, much like the music world experienced over a decade ago. Self-Publishing was once considered a thing of vanity, but now has become a platform from which many are finding a pathway to success.
I was born in 1962 and grew up as a Baby Boomer watching stories through the medium of television and big screen movies. My father was born in 1941 and grew up listening to The Lone Ranger on the radio. Once again -- The medium was different, but the meat was the same. The common denominator being-- story.
Story has been around for a very long time and it will outlive everyone reading this blog post. Times may change, but people will always be hungry for another adventure, comedy, poem, or romantic interlude.
As long as there are readers, the world will need writers, and if before I make it, they lay me to rest, please grant this wannabe, one final request. Carve on my stone, “He Died Trying.”
To those of you who know me, it comes as no surprise, because you’re already aware that I’ve been fascinated with story for quite some time. In fact, I believe everyone has a story, and before you can truly know a person, it’s imperative that you know his, or her, story. The chapters of our lives play heavily into the people we’ve become.
Don’t be alarmed. I’m not making a case for developmental psychology, or behavioral therapy. This post is about story, plain and simple.
However, with that being said, it does seem as if story is written into the DNA of human personality. Almost like it’s hardwired into the Gnome and stamped on our collective imagination. Story has always been with us.
Primitive civilizations used story to preserve culture while teaching future generations. As long as man has been on the earth, story has had something to offer. The medium morphs, but the meat of what story is about holds a steady resolve.
There was a time when stories were the main event shared around the village campfire. Homer’s Epic’s, The Iliad and The Odyssey were oral traditions dating back 670 years before the birth of Christ. If you’re looking for older documents you have to go back another 1400 years to The Epic ofGilgamesh, which was written on 12 clay tablets about 4000 years ago.
Since that time the medium of story and the way it has been presented and preserved has continually changed. It’s ridden the waves of Papyrus in Egypt, and Parchment from Pergamum. From Chinese Block printing to Gutenberg’s press story continued to captivate the hearts and minds of every generation.
And now were living in a digital age where many people no longer purchase printed books. Their medium of choice are e-readers, such as Kindle and Nook.
It is reported that Amazon sells a million and a half e books a day.
Those in the know say the publishing world is in the midst of a revolution, much like the music world experienced over a decade ago. Self-Publishing was once considered a thing of vanity, but now has become a platform from which many are finding a pathway to success.
I was born in 1962 and grew up as a Baby Boomer watching stories through the medium of television and big screen movies. My father was born in 1941 and grew up listening to The Lone Ranger on the radio. Once again -- The medium was different, but the meat was the same. The common denominator being-- story.
Story has been around for a very long time and it will outlive everyone reading this blog post. Times may change, but people will always be hungry for another adventure, comedy, poem, or romantic interlude.
As long as there are readers, the world will need writers, and if before I make it, they lay me to rest, please grant this wannabe, one final request. Carve on my stone, “He Died Trying.”
Stay tuned for part two. Until then, read something.
