This blog is an experiment. It is my first effort at this sort of thing. It's about storytelling, and mostly consists of small stories that I’ve wanted to write over the years. They are based on real occurrences, but like all good stories, may not be entirely true. I'll play around with photos and audio in some of these as well.
I’m going to try a number of experiments simultaneously here in Bits & Peaces. I’m going to tell some stories and anecdotes. There’ll be a video version, the audio version of the video, and a written transcript. Most will be anecdotes, tales told for their entertainment value, but a few will make it to the level of stories, designed to leave the listener different than before they heard it.
Unless I say otherwise, these will be “true” – which is to say, they are as true as the things I was told, and as best my memory can reproduce. My memory is an unreliable narrator, so I do not vouch for journalistic accuracy. The length of the individual pieces will vary, but I will keep the vlogs between eleven and fifteen minutes, even if that means doing some longer pieces over multiple sessions. Some pieces will be accompanied by photos.
I was born in Greeneville, Tennessee, within spitting distance of Jonesborough where the International Storytelling Center has held an annual festival for decades. Half my lineage are the Scots and the Irish who settled this part of the US. Storytelling is in my southern blood. Friends will tell you that, with the addition of a little alcohol, I will tell tales all night long. True friends know the alcohol is an unnecessary fuel. I’ll tell tales day or night. The alcohol may make them more animated.
I hope you enjoy these. If you do, please share with your friends.