Topic Brainstorm
Food
Since food is so inherent to life, it is also really important to culture. I like the idea of learning about different cultures by way of reading about their food - and I could definitely get into cooking something different every week (you know, to really experience the literature). I am very interested in the ways in which people's relationships to their physical environments have shaped their behavioral adaptations. The food page of the site has some good beginning ideas, and I also have a cookbook of street food from around the world that my grandma gave me a few years ago. It would be fun to pick out an interesting recipe and find a story that corresponds.
Sea Monsters
I have a fascination with the ocean, and especially with the idea of everything under the surface that we don't know about yet. (Really, we barely know anything!) Luckily, lots of people have shared the same interest historically. In cultures that developed near the ocean, there has been significant exploration and speculation. In Japan, for instance, there are numerous sea monster tales. I would enjoy reading about those and the many other sea monsters from around the world.
LGBTQ Mythology and Folktales
The queer community is dear to me, and is sadly underrepresented in most settings. It is difficult to find folktales and fairy tales with LGBTQ characters where they are not portrayed as sinful, such as in a morality tale. However, there are mythologies from all over the world featuring characters who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc. I would really like to read and explore stories featuring these characters, and I would also be interested in growing my understanding of our perception of gender through folktales.
The Muppets
I love The Muppets. To be honest, it might be kind of a flexible definition of a folktale, but I'll make a case for it:
A) Morality tales. The Muppets exist in part to teach children lessons about life.
B) The plot and characters are simple, as in most folktales.
C) Good triumphs over evil. Or at least, the show is very wholesome.
D) The Muppets is revealing of some aspects of late 20th-century American values and culture.
E) If I have to write, it may as well be about something I love!
And there you have it: four potential topics for my storybook or portfolio project.
Since food is so inherent to life, it is also really important to culture. I like the idea of learning about different cultures by way of reading about their food - and I could definitely get into cooking something different every week (you know, to really experience the literature). I am very interested in the ways in which people's relationships to their physical environments have shaped their behavioral adaptations. The food page of the site has some good beginning ideas, and I also have a cookbook of street food from around the world that my grandma gave me a few years ago. It would be fun to pick out an interesting recipe and find a story that corresponds.
Sea Monsters
I have a fascination with the ocean, and especially with the idea of everything under the surface that we don't know about yet. (Really, we barely know anything!) Luckily, lots of people have shared the same interest historically. In cultures that developed near the ocean, there has been significant exploration and speculation. In Japan, for instance, there are numerous sea monster tales. I would enjoy reading about those and the many other sea monsters from around the world.
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| Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene (1864) by Simeon Solomon |
LGBTQ Mythology and Folktales
The queer community is dear to me, and is sadly underrepresented in most settings. It is difficult to find folktales and fairy tales with LGBTQ characters where they are not portrayed as sinful, such as in a morality tale. However, there are mythologies from all over the world featuring characters who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc. I would really like to read and explore stories featuring these characters, and I would also be interested in growing my understanding of our perception of gender through folktales.
The Muppets
I love The Muppets. To be honest, it might be kind of a flexible definition of a folktale, but I'll make a case for it:
A) Morality tales. The Muppets exist in part to teach children lessons about life.
B) The plot and characters are simple, as in most folktales.
C) Good triumphs over evil. Or at least, the show is very wholesome.
D) The Muppets is revealing of some aspects of late 20th-century American values and culture.
E) If I have to write, it may as well be about something I love!
And there you have it: four potential topics for my storybook or portfolio project.
Hi Natalie!
ReplyDeleteReading through your possible topics for your storybook was really interesting, since they are all topics that are very different from the direction I took in my brainstorm. I think writing stories about sea monsters would be really cool, since you could read stories from different cultures and see the attitudes that each culture has towards the sea and what they're afraid of! I also think your idea of a storybook full of LGBTQ Mythology and Folktales is really interesting, since you don't really hear about many. The only LGBTQ mythology that I know of is the Native American concept of "two-spirit" people. These people embraced both male and female qualities and characteristics, and didn't identify with either the male or female gender. Lots of times they ended up being a healer or spiritual leader for their tribe, which is pretty cool. I think it would be interesting to read what stories you're able to find about LGBTQ mythology and expand what I know!
Hi Natalie!
ReplyDeleteI love reading about people's ideas for their project. As a food lover myself, I absolutely love your food idea. What a great way to connect and relate different cultures. I also like the idea you came up with your actual project. I don't know very many mythologies with LGBTQ characters and I am super interested to see what you find and write about.