Another confession: My wife and I are infatuated with Hawaiian music and hula. At its heart, hula is about storytelling. Through dance, chants and music, performers can tell stories about anything from the courtship between two lovers to the epic myth of the creation of the Hawaiian islands at the beginning of time. And the best performers do it with an almost spiritual reverence to their history, culture and traditions.
Our beloved and respected colleague Raul Ramirez, KQED Public Radio’s executive director of news and public affairs, died Nov. 15 at age 67. Before his death, Raul was scheduled to receive the 2013 Distinguished Service to Journalism Award from the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Because he was gravely ill, Raul asked Renaissance Journalism’s Jon Funabiki, who had known Raul for more than 25 years, to read his address on his behalf. The event, following just four days after Raul’s passing, was bittersweet as Jon shared Raul’s inspiring insights about the journalistic values of diversity and excellence with his peers.
Listening to stories can make you laugh, cry, snicker or soar. Telling stories can help you retrieve lost history, discover connections with strangers, and understand your deepest feelings. Sometimes, they can even help you heal. These were some of the points I drew from a conversation with three individuals who use storytelling in their work.
