All posts by Joe Carter

Backgrounder, Culture

Rabbit Box: Bringing the art of storytelling to Athens

Ana Aldridge on Twitter: “Tonight’s rabbit box stories about immigration were amazing! @RabbitBoxATH pic.twitter.com/QZ1hmAVEew / Twitter”

Tonight’s rabbit box stories about immigration were amazing! @RabbitBoxATH pic.twitter.com/QZ1hmAVEew

“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories,” wrote Ursula Le Guin on the tradition of storytelling.

This heritage continues in the heart of Athens thanks to organizations like Rabbit Box, a local storytelling event held on the second Wednesday of every month.

According to its website, Rabbit Box’s mission is to provide a forum where Athenians and students can share true stories and “bring us closer to a common understanding, a deeper sense of history, and a shared community.”

Inspired by the rise of The Moth and other storytelling collectives throughout the nation, Marci White created Rabbit Box in the spring of 2012, naming it after a song by Athens musician, Vic Chesnutt.

Their website says the storytelling venture is mostly run by volunteers under the direction of a board comprised of Marci White, Elise Stangle, Sayge Medlin and Pat Priest.

It held its first event at a local bookstore, Avid Bookshop. However, after quickly drawing larger crowds, organizers relocated the event to The Globe, and eventually, to its current location at The Foundry in the fall of 2012. Twice a year, they hold the event at an outdoor amphitheater in Sandy Creek Park.

Every event is organized around a specific theme. January’s theme was “Rites of Passage,” where speakers shared their personal coming-of-age stories.

The event usually hosts eight speakers, one of them a willing audience member chosen at random.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Be advised, seats fill up quickly.

Those interested in attending or sharing their own story can find more information at the website. Rabbit Box also offers assistance to those who want help shaping their story, and you can listen to past storytellers here to get an idea of what to expect.

Exercises

Chp. 4, Ex #5

#5 Blog Goals:

  • Write about US Politics or National Security issues.
      1. Weekly briefing on hot topic issues – with links to other news sources or own in-depth writings
      2. Concerns about Trump presidency descending into authoritarianism and Far Right/Left movements in the US
        1. Analyze past dictatorships and compare
        2. Identify commonalities if they exist
        3. Explain Russian leadership’s view of the Western world order and how they work towards undermining it
        4. Identify and explain propaganda tactics/strategies used by Russian and western media
      3. Write about US war on terror
        1. A more nuanced understanding of Islam is vital for the American public in order to prevent bigotry against liberal Muslims while also acknowledging legitimate concerns regarding anti-liberal interpretations of the Koran (“liberal” in the Liberalism sense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism).
        2. Differentiate between various Muslim political beliefs and make them relatable to Americans (ie, jihadism vs. Islamism vs. conservative Muslims vs moderate Muslims vs. progressive Muslims)
        1. Historical background on ISIS, AQ, and other jihadist groups
        2. Describe and report on various sects/interpretations within Islam 
  • How to publicize
      1. Social media sharing
      2. Associate with like minded groups
      3. Find collegiate publications that might be interested
  • Post Weekly

 

 

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Mykela Lowe

Mykela Lowe is a third year transfer student from Clayton State University who is majoring in Public Relations. She has a gifted eye for finding up-and-coming performance artists based in Atlanta. She aspires to use her expertise in public relations to share the talents of her clients with the rest of the world.