The Art of Storytelling: Telling Truths Through Telling Stories

by Amy E. Spaulding

Storytelling is an art, as well as a skill. It allows the listener to take an idea and shape it into something that is relatable on a personal level. In The Art of Storytelling: Telling Truths Through Telling Stories, Amy E. Spaulding enables the reader to learn how to develop this skill, while also discovering the tradition of storytelling. Spaulding covers a wide array of important storytelling elements, from advice on choosing, learning, and presenting the stories to discussions on the importance of storytelling through human history and its continued significance today. This book includes an annotated list of stories, as well as a bibliography of collections and a brief list of recommendations for online sources. Designed for anyone who wants to develop the skill of telling stories, The Art of Storytelling is a resource for drama students, teachers, librarians, and for those learning on their own without a formal class setting.

Genres: Reference

216 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2011

Reviews

[Joe Pratt · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Amy Spaulding’s excitement about storytelling certainly came through, I didn’t feel she expressed her ideas in a sensical way. It read as though she dashed off her thoughts late at night on a computer and never edited them. I often didn’t understand how one paragraph would connect to the next or how an argument she was making related to the chapter’s theme. (For instance, the chapter on ethics and psychology wasn’t about ethics at all).

The title of the book got me thinking about how I’d like to incorporate story telling in my seminary teaching. Beyond that though, the only value I got from the book was a few brief stories I could use:

- The story of the Hungarian girls learning English
- The dog doctor story
- The story of the salted coffee
- The story of the centipede’s legs
- The one legged electrician’s apprentice story

I would probably hesitate recommending this book to anyone. Sorry Amy, love your enthusiasm though!

[Janin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book on storytelling and -why- we need stories.

[Vince Petronio · Rating 4 out of 5]

New course for Fall 2014... if the curriculum affairs committee ok's it... should happen and really looking forward to teaching this new course.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book about story telling.

[Fadl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good intro book to story telling that shows the humane connection and importance of story telling on sharing experience and emotions.
One benefit of the book is the huge resources made available in appendices A to C.