#narrativity

[alexadelphia-official]

I am begging all of you fellow narrativity obsessed girlies to read the Old English poem Deor. It's literally about a guy who gets over his personal grief by recounting a few legends, the refrain being something to the effect of "that passed, this too shall pass", that being the legendary hero's sorrow and this being Deor's current sorrow. This poem is legit my life motto through this period of life. And also this is where I got my new handle from

@imissthembutitwasntadisaster etc

[bearingwitness]

Roland Barthes, The Pleasure of the Text

[jfpark]

Renee Gladman, "The Person in the World," Biting the Error: Writers Explore Narrative, eds. Mary Burger, Robert Gluck, Camille Roy, Gail Scott

I'm sharing this essay, which has influenced me enormously, so it may be more easily accessible to influence others. I encourage anyone reading it to dig into the astonishing work of Renee Gladman, the wonderful book this is collected in, the work of the editors, etc.

[bearingwitness]

We are always interiorly our secret age, our strong-age, our preferred age, we are five years old, ten years old, the age when we were for the first time the historians or the authors of our own lives…

Hélène Cixous, Stigmata

[bearingwitness]

I wanted the moments of my life to follow one another in an orderly fashion like those of a life remembered.

Jean-Paul Sartre, Nausea

[bearingwitness]

To create a being out of oneself is very serious. I am creating myself. And walking in complete darkness in search of ourselves is what we do. It hurts. But these are the pains of childbirth: a thing is born that is. Is itself.

Clarice Lispector, Agua Viva

[swordandboardllc]

Narrativity: AKA the Best Small Con You've Never Heard Of (And Should Attend)

Do you like small conventions? Intelligent discussion? Do you have the ability to debate points like an adult and then have dinner with the holder of said dissenting opinion? Do you have an interesting affectation (not required but definitely encouraged)? Basically, when boiled down to it, do you have an open mind and enjoy learning and the occasional well-placed f-bomb?

Then Narrativity is for you.

Narrativity: A Convention for Story

In simplest terms, Narrativity is a gathering of writers, readers, and other interested parties who want to get together and talk about storytelling, and how to do it better. With a single track of programming, ideas can carry through from one panel to the next and the conversation continues all weekend.

From Narrativity.fun

I am sitting in the airport on my way home from my first Narrativity and am already planning to attend next year. It was far above any convention I have ever attended, and undoubtedly has set my standards too high for other professional conferences.

I cannot say enough good things about this conference, the people who run it, the people who attended it, or the panels and the discussions. I had the privilege of attending as a panelist, an experience I will always treasure as this was my first speaking opportunity (both in person and online) as a professional to other and with other professionals.

The best part of Narrativity is the genuine discussion. It was refreshing. In this day and age of dissenting opinions equal hatred and a new nemesis, the opportunity to discuss topics in a creative space with the desire to come to the bottom of an issue and chew through it is rare. I had many differences of opinions with panelists and attendees, and then promptly went and hung out (at dinner, and at a dog park) with those people. Some of the best new friends I have made from this convention are people I had the most fun arguing and debating with. It was, pardon me, fucking refreshing.

Narrativity will always have a special place in my heart. I have been completely won over.

I can’t wait for next year.