East Tennessee State Creates a Podcast Showcasing Regional Storytelling
Amy Hill
Storytelling is one of Appalachia’s oldest and most revered cultural treasures. Few colleges or universities have roots as deep in Appalachian storytelling traditions and communities as East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Located in Johnson City, ETSU saw the launch of the National Storytelling Festival and the establishment of the International Storytelling Center in neighboring Jonesborough. Both cemented the region’s reputation as the heart of Appalachian storytelling. What does it mean for a world-class university to participate in a thriving regional storytelling community? ETSU established one of the first official academic storytelling programs four decades ago. Undergraduates can earn a minor in Storytelling, while graduate students from all over the country come to ETSU to pursue a Graduate Storytelling Certificate or a Master’s Degree in Storytelling Studies.
In the Fall of 2021, StoryCenter partnered with ETSU’s Department of Communication & Performance to lead a cohort of 10 graduate students and faculty through the process of developing a brand new podcast showcasing their storytelling work both locally and nationally. We began the workshop by collaboratively developing the podcast’s title, communicative purpose, and content themes. Each participant chose a specific topic and produced their own segment as part of a cohesive podcast. Their episodes vary from guest interviews to traditional spoken-word monologues to research-driven local snapshots. StoryCenter also provided ETSU with the technical expertise to develop a sustainable plan for publishing episodes and a collaborative approach to maintaining a consistent voice across episodes. The workshop culminated in a listening party where each participant shared their original 10-20 minute podcast segment with the rest of the group. They are also developing episodes focusing on potential students, alumni, and fundraising.
The podcast is set to launch in the Fall of 2022, and ETSU’s Department of Communication & Performance looks forward to engaging its local and regional storytelling communities by highlighting the work of the university’s undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and local storytellers. For a taste of regional Appalachian storytelling, you can sample this episode, Plaque Story, from Cory Howard, a graduate student in the Communication and Storytelling Master of Arts program. Cory recounts his efforts to answer a question no one seems to be asking: Who writes the text for those plaques you see at historic landmarks? Or check out Emily Katt’s Grimm’s Fairy Tales, an intergenerational conversation about the contemporary meaning and role of (some preposterous) fairy tales from long ago. Emily is a Section Instructor in Communications at East Tennessee State University.
Image appears courtesy of ETSU. All Rights Reserved.