The risk of reading historical novels is that sometimes, instead of meeting people from the past we run into modern characters dressed in funny clothes play-acting medieval (or Renaissance, or Roman, or whenever.) That’s the problem I recently had with Crossed, the tale of the Fourth Crusade written by Nicole Galland. While I enjoyed the … Continue reading Crossing the Medieval and Modern
Lost in Real Life
It has been ten years, and I still fume about the ending of the TV series Lost. To this day, when I see the name of Damon Lindelof, the show-runner of Lost, attached to some new project, I take it as a red-flag of caution, not a badge of quality. Lost was the hit TV … Continue reading Lost in Real Life
Stories in the Time of Pandemic
In 2006, I participated in an off-beat storytelling project. A group of Pittsburgh storytellers gathered to go through The Decameron, a collection of short stories written by Giovanni Boccaccio. Our director, the Canadian storyteller Dan Yashinky, guided us through the book, suggesting tales for each of us to look at based upon the types of … Continue reading Stories in the Time of Pandemic
It’s the Little Things: The Clothes Make the Motion
Perhaps because I am a performer, I notice how clothing shapes my movements. When I get my Elizabethan doublet fully buttoned up, the tight fit and stiff cloth force me into a straighter, more erect posture. When I tell ghost stories on a cold October night, a jacket allows me much more freedom of … Continue reading It’s the Little Things: The Clothes Make the Motion
It’s the Little Things: The Problem with Pockets
We live in the world of the everyday. Sure, the big sweep of history and politics and ideologies matter. They shape our world. But mostly we live in the world of little things: the foods we put on our plates, the music we listen to, the trinkets on our desk, the clothes we wear. These … Continue reading It’s the Little Things: The Problem with Pockets
Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” and the Limits of Innovation
I am a big fan of Joss Whedon’s work. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Firefly to his version of Much Ado About Nothing, I find his work constantly engaging and entertaining. And so, when I ran across the DVD collection of his TV series Dollhouse in my local library, I was quite excited. I … Continue reading Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” and the Limits of Innovation
Reflecting on Skywalker
In my previous post, I laid out 4 questions I hoped the final Star Wars movie would answer. Now that The Rise of Skywalker has been out for a while, and I assume everyone with an interest in the answers has seen it, I think the time has come for me to revisit the questions. … Continue reading Reflecting on Skywalker
Waiting for Skywalker
The Rise of Skywalker, the final Star Wars movie opens in a few days. As a Star Wars fan since the original release of the very first movie, I am eagerly awaiting the final movie of the saga. I am eager to see how the story concludes, and am also hoping to finally uncover the … Continue reading Waiting for Skywalker
Advantages of Limits: Triangulation: Dark Skies
We artists like our freedom. We want to explore whatever ideas intrigue us, follow our inspirations where ever they lead us. We loved being told to “write about whatever you want.” Creative Freedom at last! And yet, we also dread being told to “write about anything you want.” Our minds go blank. Too many choices! … Continue reading Advantages of Limits: Triangulation: Dark Skies
Why Ghost Stories?
The first stories I learned to tell were ghost stories, and ghost stories have remained one of my favorite types of stories. I tell a lot of them, particularly in October. And so people often ask me why ghost stories? Why are we drawn to them? Why tell them? In thinking about that question, I … Continue reading Why Ghost Stories?
Alan Irvine's Story Stuff 