Stories for a More Beautiful World Resources

BOOKS

‘Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I’ve been told the audiobook read by Kimmerer is fantastic as she has a great voice and hearing her read the text adds meaning to it. 

‘Storytelling for a Greener World’ Editor Alida Gersie, Anthony Nanson, et al

‘Climate: A New Story’ Charles Eisenstein

‘The Natural Storyteller: Wildlife Tales for Telling’ Georgiana Keable

‘Stories to Light the Night: A Grief and Loss Collection for Children, Families and Communities’, which includes environmental grief and the story by Jenni ‘The Mulberry Tree’ Susan Perrow 

‘How to Talk about Climate in Way That Makes a Difference’ by Rebecca Huntley

‘Summertime: Reflections on a vanishing future’ Danielle Celermajer, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney. I haven’t read this yet, but after hearing the author interviewed and reading and hearing the extract, I plan to read it. ‘Jimmy escaped the fires, but not the pain of devastating loss’. Listen here. 

VIDEOS, PODCASTS and RECORDINGS

Jenni Cargill-Strong explains Storytelling for Changemakers at Politics in the Pub event, hosted by the Ngara Institute, Northern NSW. Seven activists were invited to speak. Jenni demonstrated and explained Storytelling for Changemaking. (See below a definition of Neo-liberalism which Jenni refers to in this video)

Jenni’s Story Tree YouTube channel: Jenni Cargill-Strong

YouTube Playlist of diverse storytellers telling varied taleshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJMzVb6qiz4CnTFseZAIoe1VRfD7FXCIY

Joanna Macy explains and tells the ancient Tibetan prophecy story The Shambahla Warrior.

Dr Martin Shaw (Wales) check out this author, mythologist and storyteller for his books, essays, podcasts, videos and interviews, School of Mythology

Charles Eisenstein For deep philosophy around social change and some work on story, Author of ‘Climate: The New Story’. Prolific content in essay, video and podcast form. Especially explanations of Interbeing. 

George Monbiot (UK), Journalist for Guardian and BBC, Member Extinction Rebellion. Watch his TED talk: The new political story that could change everything’ TED talk (15 mins)

Michael Meade  ‘Living Myth’ Podcast- especially: ‘Making the World’, Episode 172 for Earth Day 2021, exploring and western disconnection from nature consciousness.

Michael Meade retells the Native American story ‘Black Dog and Weaving Woman’ and explains it to Russel Brandt (video 7 mins 33s), relating it to an Irish myth here. He explores it further in his blog here. Written version here.

Jenni Cargill-Strong From Stories of Place to ReWilding our Consciousness’, Healing Story Alliance Teleconference Recording

Healing Story Alliance- Teleconference recordings

How trees talk to each other, ecologist Suzanne Simard’s TED Talk tells a new story about forests. 

BBC ‘Dr Who’ episode with Vincent Van Gogh and quote about transforming pain into ecstatic beauty https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=866257367254311 starts 1.54 mins

ESSAYS and WEB ARTICLES

‘Small Gods’ by Dr Martin Shaw

‘The perfect story: It’s about where you draw the target’ by Aaron Howard on ways to frame a story including the tale of the Prince and the Archer. https://jhvonline.com/the-perfect-story-its-about-where-you-draw-the-target-p10650-147.htm

Kenneth McLeod’s Age of Transition diagram of his four-part conceptualisation of cultures, interlocking parts including Mythos  https://www.ageoftransition.org/transformation

‘Do not lose heart. We were made for these times’ Essay by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. via New Story Hub of Findhorn

‘Black Dog and Weaving Woman’, Michael Meade explores this Native American myth in a blog here and retells the story here.

Findhorn, fantastic blogs, newsletter, resources http://newstoryhub.com/ and webcasts with renowned thinkers and speakers: Living-the-New-Story-series http://newstoryhub.com/workshops/living-the-new-story-series-3/

‘Jimmy escaped the fires, but not the pain of devastating loss’, An essay that went viral then blossomed into a book ‘Summertime: Reflections on a vanishing future’ A very different kind of nature writing by Danielle Celermajer, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney. Listen here.

CLIMATE DESPAIR and The Story That Gets You Off the Couch by storyteller Judith Black https://www.nestorytelling.org/climatedespair/

JOANNA MACY: ACT YOUR AGE QUOTE https://www.filmsforaction.org/takeaction/five-ways-of-being-that-can-change-the-world/

FOR ACADEMICS AND SCIENTISTS

Academics can change the world if they stop talking only to their peers https://theconversation.com/academics-can-change-the-world-if-they-stop-talking-only-to-their-peers-55713

ONLINE STORY COLLECTIONS

‘Earth Stories Collection’ Planetary mythology to bring individuals back into relationship with Humanity, the Community of Life and planet Earth. A collection of folktales that pertain to Systems Theory thinking. https://theearthstoriescollection.org/en/home/

A Growing Collection of written COVID-19 Tales From Kids, Parents, and Global Storytellers: https://howtotellstoriestochildren.com/blog1/coronavirus-home10

 

SONGS

Joni Mitchell  ‘Woodstock’

Good Harvest covers ‘Woodstock’

Beatles The World is Round

 

A definition of Neo-Liberalism: Neoliberalism, ideology and policy model that emphasizes the value of free market competition. Although there is considerable debate as to the defining features of neoliberal thought and practice, it is most commonly associated with laissez-faire economics. In particular, neoliberalism is often characterized in terms of its belief in sustained economic growth as the means to achieve human progress, its confidence in free markets as the most-efficient allocation of resources, its emphasis on minimal state intervention in economic and social affairs, and its commitment to the freedom of trade and capital.    Britannica