Sunday, June 19, 2016

Quotes About Storytelling


"Neither novels nor their readers benefit from attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea that made-up stories can matter, which is sort of the foundational assumption of our species." - John Green, From the Author's Note to The Fault In Our Stars

"You don't remember what happened.  What you remember becomes what happened." - An Abundance of Katherines by John Green  pgs. 207-208

"Reality is not just the story we are locked into" - David Grossman.

And these two from Rav Nachman of Breslov:

"People criticize stories as being somehow unsophisticated, etc, but if stories are lacking depth why does G-d start his book with them?"

"People think that stories are to put people to sleep but in truth stories serve to wake people up."

"Maybe stories are just data with a soul." - Brene' Brown

The following is quote from Rabbi Jonathan Sachs:


The Rambam says that on Pesach night we need to discuss, regarding the Exodus, what happened ("mah she'irah") and what was ("mah shehayah"). Many years ago I heard Rav Noach Weinberg explain this.  His take was that "what happened," is just the facts, as best as you can report them.  And "what was" is more about empathy, what was it like? How did it feel? I think these the two important layers of storytelling.

"It's true, even if it didn't happen." - What I say when listeners ask if a story is true.

"It's true for now." - What Rock Davis says in answer to the same question.

No-one likes the naked truth, but everyone loves a good story." - The moral of a story of the Maggid of Dubno, the way I tell it.

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