Story Paths

Join me for a rousing and illuminating conversation with Elias Gold, whom I discovered through his channel, Native Media Theory.

Elias takes us through a journey through time, from the written descritions of Viking explorers, to the earliest Spanish colonizers, through romance books, early cinema, and up to the present day, when native people are more and more stepping into roles as writers and directors to tell their stories widely.

You can watch this episode on the Story Paths youtube channel (linked below)

Here is Elias’ excellent channel.

And his Instagram account.

To keep this carefully crafted podcast afloat, please become a paid subscriber on Substack.

As examples, this episode includes clips from the following films and TV shows:

The Lone Ranger

Thunderheart

Black Panther

Pocahontas

Avatar 2

Evan Almighty

Smoke Signals

Reservation Dogs

Russell Means

Rutherford Falls

Prey

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

and thanks also to Eisa Davis for her funny and poignant song, The Ballad of the Magical Negro, performed at Joe’s Pub

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

Register here

A special (time-sensitive) announcement

I’m teaching Wisdom Stories

April 5 - April 26

Wednesdays, 11am-1pm PST

(Watch the video of this podcast instead)

Hi, I'm Theodore Lowry, here to invite you to join me in my first ever live online course: Wisdom Stories. This is a course that was written by Leah Lamb, the founder of the School for Sacred Storytelling, in which I've been a student for more than a year. In this course, you'll be invited to go into your own past and map the events that you find.

Then, to choose an event that was difficult, wondrous and transformative. Drawing from this event, you'll learn to craft a wisdom story using the soul language of myth. You'll then present this story in a supportive, caring group, and hear the stories of others.

This is a pay what you want course, with a generous minimum. The timing will work well anywhere in North America, and Europe as well.

I hope you'll join me.

Wisdom Stories

This Course Is Designed For People Who Want To:

* Bring a Spark of Joy and Pleasure into their life through a Creative Process

* Engage story as a tool for healing

* Learn how to work with story as a form of initiation

* Commit to transforming and bringing alchemy to life’s challenging moments

* Step onto the path of living as an elder, and give the power of your stories to the generations ahead

The Tuition: This is a rare opportunity to choose your own tuition rate. At checkout, you will be able to enter the amount you feel called to contribute. Please note that we ask for a minimum of $50 to support the school and make these courses possible.We sincerely appreciate all contributions. 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

(click the image above for a video preview)

Hello friends.

I invite you to join me for a storytelling festival! Here is a new episode of Story Paths! Featuring the fantabulous storytellers and poets Kathleen Prophet, EvaMarie Padmanabhan, Jessie White and my humble self.

Available from this email, or on your favorite podcast player.

You can also find the video version on our youtube channel.

ps. I’ve moved to Substack, so you can find all the episodes there.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

The old myths don't often show Divnity blazing through the sky bellowing instructions. More often the Divine is in hoofprints, bird songs, grains of snow whispering through the pines.

The story of Lippo and Tapio is an old myth from Lapland. Today, Stephanie MacKay, co-founder Fianna Wilderness School and long-time student of Martín Prechtel, takes us through this unassumingly profound story about the adventurous spirit of youth, passages of initiation, the deepening power of grief, and the necessity of failure.

Here's a link to the PDF of this story.

Story soruce: Scandinavian Folk and Fairy Tales, Edited by Claire Booss, Avenel Books: New York

Here's a link to the forest school Stephanie co-founded, Fianna Wilderness School.

Here's the link to share this podcast with a friend: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/

For comics, prints, media services and more, you can go to the Story Paths website.
There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.

To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.

To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   

To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.

Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story Ideas
Link to the course and a free month on Skillshare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

Science fiction is modern myth, though some say it doesn't have the same old roots as myth. In this episode I compare modern sci-fi visions of artificial intelligence in relation to humans, with myths about humans' relationship to gods. Both are created with creator, only with AI we humans are the creator, and with the gods we're the ones who are created. In the stories, there's a lot in common in both cases.
Thanks to K. Lee Marks for suggesting this topic.

See a mindmap of what we're talking about here.

Here's the link to share this podcast with a friend: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/

For comics, prints, media services and more, you can go to the Story Paths website.
There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.

To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.

To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   

To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.

Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story Ideas
Link to the course and a free month on Skillshare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

Watch the video of this podcast here.
There's been a lot of talk about the dangers of AI lately, but rather than gossip behind the robots' backs, wouldn't it be better to go to the source? With the help of my good friends Jaya and K.lee, we ask Chat gpt questions about the dangers of AI. And this episode wouldn't be complete without a survey of the ways in which AI (robots) have shown up in our imaginings, territory largely explored by our sci-fi writer brethren and sistren. How do these imaginings affect our world views? And lastly, leaving apocalyptic stories aside, we explore a rarer vision of AI.

See a mindmap of what we're talking about here.

Music in this episode is by my guest K. Lee Marks. You can find more of his work here and here.

He also helped me start this podcast, and if you'd like his help starting yours you can go here.

Here's the link to share this podcast with a friend: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/

For comics, prints, media services and more, you can go to the Story Paths website.
There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.

To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.

To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   

To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.

Intro song by JeffSpeed.

Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story Ideas
Link to the course and a free month on Skillshare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

An unusual 'review' of this popular film, looking at why Hollywood film makers and many others are turning to indigenous culture for a sense of... well, culture?
This is less a review, and more a look into what the film says about settler culture in North America.
If you haven't seen the film you may still like this, but parts may make more sense if you've seen it.

If you'd like to see a film with similar themes that's far more creative, with a far lower budget, do check out Neptune Frost. You can see it on Kanopy, and you can get a membership to that through many libraries.

Also, Indigenous creator Elias Gold from the Native Media Theory Youtube channel made an excellent video about this film which you can find here.

Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/

The Story Paths website is here.
There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.

To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.

To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   

To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.

Poem by Jessie White, songs by Theodore Lowry and JeffSpeed.

Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story Ideas
Link to the course and a free month on Skillshare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

 Is it projection to ascribe human characteristics to animals? Maybe, sometimes... but it may also be foundational to storytelling and myth, and a key to deep empathy with beings outside our own species.
In this, the finale of Season 2, we dive right into all this geeky storytelling stuff.

Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/

Also a special announcement: The Story Paths website is here.
There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.

To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.

To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   

For music and sfx credits, see the transcript.

Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story Ideas
Link to the course and a free month on Skillshare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

A quick solo episode where I get into what personfication is, and why it's a great way to get a handle on beyond-the-brain-complex trends and patterns in this mystical reality of ours.

Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/

To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.

The podcast Instragram is here.

To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.  

Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story Ideas
Link to the course and a free month on Skillshare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

 Leah Lamb teaches how to think in the language of stories. I’ve been taking classes with her for the better part of a year, and I can say it works. In this interview she steps back and looks over two huge stories of our time, the story of climate change, and the story of initiation.

A bit about Leah:

Leah learned about how stories could be allies and friends when she was a child wandering the fields, creeks, and ponds of a rural farm in Vermont. Her first loves were writing and theater. Leah experienced first-hand how stories can unite when her play about suicide, “Berries,” was produced by VA Young Writers for The Theater. She went on to study the Eric Morris technique and the Meisner Technique at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and interned at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Her love of the environment led her to study at Prescott College, where she earned a double major in outdoor experiential education and environmental education through performance. After she worked with youth at risk for many years as a wilderness guide with Outward Bound and other programs, her commitment to social justice led her to earn a master’s degree in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University.

To explore Leah’s upcoming classes, go here: https://leahlamb.com/upcoming-classes/

Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/

To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.

The podcast Instragram is here.

To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here. 

Credits
Music and SFX by 
JeffSpeed68
Theodore Lowry
Mwic
cube3
Luckylittleraven
postproddog
L. Subramaniam

Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story Ideas
Link to the course and a free month on Skillshare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe