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| Justin Shaffer Duffy told about how he came to Worcester...whooeeeee! |
There will be a website where last night's video and even more stories about Worcester in the World will be posted. Big thanks to Brittany Durgin from Worcester Mag for covering and all her superb photos. Here is an open letter from last night's prime mover and organizer, Josna Rege...
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| Julius Jones, emcee |
Dear Storytellers, Aspiring Storytellers, Judges, Emcees-par-excellence, Publicists, Worcester-insider Advisors, and our intrepid video crew: Check out this link to a photo gallery at Worcester Magazine! Last night's first-ever massmouth story slam in Worcester was a success because of all of you. Thank you so much for your participation in an event that was much more than mere entertainment. It was moving, brilliant, heart-warming, thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and a testament to the beauty and vitality of the people of Worcester. Thanks in particular to those of you who had the courage to stand up and tell a story in front of a mic for the very first time. And a big thanks to Worcester State University, to massmouth, and to the Sahara Cafe and Restaurant for having made this possible. As we were packing up last night, several people asked when the next story slam was going to be, and some of them promised to be involved in it as hosts and storytellers.
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| Grace Duffy, 1st place slam winner! |
If you weren't able to attend last night, the good news is that it looks as if there's going to be a next time. It's up to us, but if you are interested in any capacity, please let me know and I will keep you on a mailing list for the future. In the meantime, you guys are the best! Do stay in touch, and please let me know if you have any friends who might like to participate in next month's storytelling workshop for Worcester-area high-school teachers, supported by a faculty mini-grant from Worcester State University.
All the best, Josna *
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| Farid, owner of Sahara Café |
Editor's Notes: *Josna Rege is Associate Professor of English and
Director Global Studies Worcester State University. She may reachedat: jrege@worcester.edu
Many thanks to Professor Rege who conceived of this slam as part of her project which is part of a larger venture called “Worcester in the World” Information below from WSU website: The
theme for Fall 2011 is entitled “Worcester in the World”; its focus is
on the processes involved in globalization and how the local and the
global mutually influence each other. Its mission statement is the
following:
In
the current era social problems are increasingly defined in global
terms. Threats to health, political stability, and the environment can
best be understood as arising within a world that is increasingly
integrated in terms of trade, communication, and transportation.
This
complex interconnectedness also allows expanded opportunities for
positive social change through increased democratization, economic
opportunity, and conflict resolution.
Worcester
in the World will explore the ways in which globalization is presenting
new problems and opportunities, and will emphasize that the “global”
cannot be understood without reference to the “local.” As communities
are affected by globalization, so too they respond, resist, and
contribute to it, in a mutually reinforcing cycle.
These
complex processes require a deep and multidisciplinary analysis. Thus,
Worcester in the World will involve students, faculty, administrators,
staff, and the larger community joining together to investigate the
problems and opportunities inherent in globalization.
Worcester
in the World received a grant from WSU’s Strategic Planning Trust Fund.
A number of curricular and cocurricular activities are planned for Fall
2011. In addition, we will put out a call to faculty and student groups
to propose their own programming. (Use
of the word “Worcester” is a metaphor for the local. Events, programs,
course, etc. do not need to be literally tied to Worcester, but should
embrace the local/global thrust of the mission statement).
