[commentary] Why are Stories Important?

October 2016

1.

I think stories are important because they are the basis of any and all feeling.

By this I mean that to see only the Form and not the Substance, is to quickly move from initial curiosity to indifference.

2.

When I hear about a friends college essay (a unique distillation of an individual’s life narrative in many cases), I see who she is, how she has responded in certain situations, and in this way I encounter her Substance- and I experience a whole gamut of emotions, from renewed curiosity to wonder, from respect to affection. In short, I feel fellow-feeling.

3.

Throughout my sophomore year, I was constantly taken up with this idea of patience and how important it is to friendship. It really is lacking these days. It so hard to hear each others stories. I think one task that artists must take on is reintroducing this idea of friends not as some non-stop, exciting alternate form of a news feed, but a human being with both ordinary and exceptional moments.