This page is for published resources on storytelling, and will be added to continuously. The director, Robert Atkinson, has many books related to the Commons’ activities designed to assist anyone in writing or better understanding the power of stories.
The Life Story Interview (1998)
First-person narratives are a fundamental tool of the qualitative researcher. This volume provides specific suggestions and guidelines for preparing and executing a life story interview. Robert Atkinson places the life story interview into a wider research context before elaborating on planning and then conducting the interview. Finally, the book deals with the issues of transcribing and interpreting the interview. The author provides a sample life story interview in the appendix.
The Gift of Stories: Practical and Spiritual Applications of Autobiography, Life Stories, and Personal Mythmaking (1995)
Shows how telling our own stories can dramatically change our lives.|The stories we tell about ourselves are guided by cultural patterns and enduring elements. The current interest in mythology has made evident how the classic hero’s journey represents a theme not only common to all the world’s myths, but also our own lives today. The Gift of Stories offers a clear concise basis for understanding the nature and potential of sharing our stories. It provides specific, practical, instructional details for telling our own stories and gives the necessary guidelines for assisting … (read more).
Mystic Journey: Getting to the Heart of Your Soul's Story
When we live our lives consciously, universal motifs, archetypes, and timeless patterns emerge through which we discover not only who we are but also why we are deeply connected to all others. This is life’s greatest adventure; it is thoroughly described in the world’s wisdom traditions.
“Mystic Journey” uses a multi-faith approach to reveal the path of the soul; this not a solitary quest but rather a superhighway meant for everyone. As we explore the deeper story of our soul, we also discover that we … (read more)
Year of Living Deeply: A Memoir of 1969
Year of Living Deeply: A Memoir of 1969, is the story of one man’s search for personal spiritual growth during the transitional times of the 1960s. Robert Atkinson offers a beautifully written portrait of a defining, transformative year in his young adult life and, in the process, tells the story of a generation in transition. Beginning on July 20, 1969, with Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon, Atkinson’s journey merges with important events of the time, including Woodstock and the maiden voyage of the Hudson River sloop Clearwater. Atkinson… (read more)
Latino Voices in New England (Excelsior Editions)
Compelling stories and striking photographs illustrate the challenges and highlights of Latino/a life in Portland, Maine.
Latinos―those born in the United States as well as those who immigrated later in life―are not only transforming the country and cities, they are also transforming themselves in a difficult process of community making. This book tells the story of how a diverse group of immigrants have adapted to dramatic changes in the largely Anglo setting of Portland, Maine, building bridges instead of walls. The Latino storytellers included here address multiple challenges of discrimination, language barriers, cultural retention and adaptation, and speak of their strengths … (read more)
The Beat Of My Drum: An Autobiography
Babatune Olatunji’s record album Drums of Passion proclaimed that the time had come for America to recognize Africa’s cultural contributions to the music world. Through his many albums and live performances, the Nigerian drummer popularized West African traditional music and spread his message of racial harmony. In this long-awaited autobiography, Olatunji presents his life story and the philosophy that guided him. Olatunji influenced and inspired musicians for more than 40 –from luminaries to music students and the many ordinary people who participated in his drum circles. He writes about rhythm being “the soul of life,” and about the healing power of the drum. (read more)