Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are the qualities of a great storyteller, and why are they important? What writers and filmmakers are popularly upheld as great storytellers?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may benefit from a brief introductory discussion on the concept of storytelling as a basic form of human expression in which people share stories with an audience either to entertain, enlighten, give moral instruction, or preserve their culture. Students may have a relative, teacher, or friend who tells great stories; in addition to writers and filmmakers, they may mention a comic artists, entertainers, songwriters, chefs, dancers, photographers, architects, and others. This question might be used to introduce the author Stephen King, commonly considered a master storyteller in the horror and suspense genre, or to preview the way in which The Body is told (the perspective of an adult recalling childhood events).

• “How to Tell a Captivating Story—From a Wedding Toast to a Job Interview” is an article from NPR that reveals storytelling strategies. The site provides a 26-minute listen along with the text.