https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/the-power-of-storytelling-with-ari-shapiro

 

Stories are one of the most fundamental aspects of the human experience. They seize our attention, help us make meaning, allow us to better understand ourselves (and others), and offer new perspectives on the world. But how do you make a story do all that? As a New York Times best-selling..  As a New York Times best-selling author and award-winning host of NPR’s All Things Considered, Ari Shapiro knows the power of storytelling better than most. He’s covered wars in Iraq, Ukraine, and Israel. He’s sat down with celebrated authors and struggling families. He’s reported from migrant caravans on the ground and press pools aboard Air Force One. And the longer he’s worked in the field, the more convinced he’s become of storytelling’s primal importance.  “Stories are about more than information,” he says. “They’re an opportunity to foster understanding. That’s why, whether you’re a journalist or some other kind of storyteller, thinking deeply about storytelling, and working to make your stories come alive for the audience, is so worthwhile.”