Inviting the Wolf in: Thinking about Difficult Stories

Winner of the Storytelling World AwardA difficult story is any story whose content makes it challenging to tell or difficult to hear. Told for the wrong reasons, it can be as painful for the listener as for the teller. However, as we know from literature and media, Sophie's Choice to The Sixth Sense, told properly, a difficult story can powerfully alter not only he who tells it, but those who hear it. How can we tell the stories of wickedness and loss, sorrow and grief? How do we respectfully engage our audience and get to the core of a story's meaning? Niemi and Ellis begin with the assumption that it is essential and beneficial to tell difficult stories. Stopping our ears or stilling our tongues will not make tragedy go away; rather, the first step in ending suffering is to name it for what it is.