5.0 Considering the Descent from the Attic: Literature about Story and Change

Midway through my graduate program I attended a student presentation of a change project that convinced me of the power of storytelling to foster change in a social system. In their project, the students had attempted to craft a common story for our academic center by bringing together the stories from two different points of view – that of the faculty and staff with that of the students. Their presentation offered a hint of the complexity and potential that story possessed. Later, I met with the students to discuss their project in more detail and they recommended an assortment of reading materials for my own exploration. The following selections highlight some of the key pieces that fostered my understanding of story as an instrument for change.