Back At Last

I've been extremely sick all week, which means I haven't read or written. While I was laying in bed for days on end, I found myself wishing one thing over and over (besides that I get better immediately): that someone would just come and read me a story. Or read me a chapter from the book I had put down on Sunday night when hit with whatever virus I had. Or just tell me a story off the top of their head.

I've been thinking about oral traditions. An interesting trend has been emerging in the past few years in which book sales are decreasing but audio book sales are thriving. A few months ago CBS Sunday Morning did a piece on Jim Dale, the man who reads Harry Potter, and has made quite a name for himself doing so. There is such a market for audio books that many consumers are seeking out their favorite "storytellers." Even in the digital age, people still enjoy being told a story.

There seems to be a compulsive trend to record everything we possibly can, both digitally and in print. Even I am guilty of this, consistently trying to get a timeslot at the StoryCorps booth in Manhattan so I can record an interview with my mom. I like the idea of having a piece of family history that I can listen to for many years. I also frequently listen to StoryCorp's weekly podcast, and own a book and cd of their stories. Whatsmore, I listen to This American Life all the time, which if anything is an oral tradition that moves along with history as we are living it. I would argue that their stories are some of the best structured stories around today, complete with humor, morals, and people you can relate to or be completely shocked by.

When I was a kid, my mom had these mystery stories on tape that we would listen to. Now as an adult, I look forward to going to the Strand bookstore in December and listening to a reading of my all-time favorite story, A Christmas Carol. And when the boyfriend and I took at 2,400 mile road trip, we brought along the audiobook version of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. It seems that throughout my life, I have chosen to spend some of my free time seeking out stories to listen to.

Yet google "oral tradition" and look at what comes up. It seems that every culture is "losing" stories. Amidst this constant concern that "oral traditions" are fading away, we seem to be recreating old stories and creating new ones constantly. Our stories might not be passed down by grandparents or around a campfire or by a person in the community designated for such a task; but we still are surrounded by stories that speak about who we are as a society.

It might not be the definition of oral tradition in the, well, traditional sense, but isn't it the same thing? And how much of this is a sort of cultural evolution? I understand the argument that we are losing our connection with our roots to some degree, but I wonder if we might be undervaluing so much of what we are doing.

For more information:
StoryCorps website
Link to CBS story Voice Behind Harry Potter
Interview with Bill Bryson about Thunderbolt Kid
This American Life