What is an Apocalypse? - Stories from Horsemen

This is a story from another podcast we created for adults called Horsemen which is about the Apocalypse or “unveiling”, which began on August 23, 2017. This was super fun to create and a very interesting series of stories that belongs on this podcast because it is about how stories can be misused to manipulate people. The narrative centers around a storyteller who becomes a researcher who then creates a clinic where stories can heal people with real diseases and terminal conditions. The reason why this person could be considered a “bad guy” is because he practices a dangerous kind of storytelling - the kind where the storyteller doesn’t listen. Really listen. He is the kind of storyteller that only hears what he wants to hear and then creates powerful stories that deepen that reality and don’t make room for anything else.  This might sound familiar because we know these storytellers. We buy their products and sometimes we vote for them. And we can see that they have used this power to acquire more power, and riches, and influence, and the ability to narrow the common view of what is true and real. They don’t listen.  This is an allegory about the imbalance that can come when a storyteller doesn’t use story-listening. That is the pedagogical key to why this is included in this podcast - the importance of both storytelling and story-listening. Because without story-listening, the world becomes a place of talking. Of opinions. Of the kind of storytelling that does not create beginnings. No, telling stories without listening creates ends. And it then requires an Apocalypse to show us the truth of what we let happen.  You can learn more about Story-listening as well as pick up a few of our new “pocket” storytelling camps at howtostory.org. Pocket camps are digital products you can take with you on trips that will delight your children while teaching them new storytelling skills: including story-listening.