Tonight when I was walking home I passed by an exhibit at the BCE place called World Press Photo 15. It featured amazing photographs from around the world. One set that really captivated me were the ones of the girls kidnapped in Nigeria by Boko Haram. It showed their class pictures and school uniforms and a page from one of the girls’ diaries. One part of the exhibit was sectioned off because of the graphic and violent content. There was a picture of a girl in China that had been arrested for prostitution (it is illegal there), and her legs were cuffed to a metal chair.
Earlier in the day I went to my creative writing class at U of T. It’s called Creative Writing Through Reading. We talked about shapes of stories. It was so interesting – I have never thought of stories in this way before. It reminded me of Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey. A good story involves a hero that struggles against all odds and eventually overcomes and prevails. He never ever gives up. Here are a few of the shapes that we learned about in class:
It kind of makes you think of your own life story and what model it follows. I would say mine is “Man in Hole”. I’ll let you know when I’m out of my hole and whether I’m better off for the experience (I can already tell that I am!).
She's Come Undone 