Storytelling: Community-Engaged Narratives from Woody Guthrie to Reservation Dogs and Beyond

Catalog description

Oklahoma has long been central to great American storytelling practices, whether oral literatures passed down over centuries through the state's many Indigenous communities, tall tales of cowboys and homesteaders romanticizing the so-called frontier, new visions of freedom reflected in more than 50 all-Black towns founded in the post-Civil War era, or Dust Bowl narratives immortalized by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Woody Guthrie's enduring ballads. Today, storytelling in Tulsa reflects this complex heritage, with contemporary voices reclaiming narratives once suppressed while using the power of language to craft new futures in a place where stories have always been a means of survival, resistance, and community-building. In this course, students will learn about and practice multiple storytelling formats, such as podcasting, comedy, songwriting, and screenwriting, in Tulsa — "the most American of American cities," as historian Angie Debo called it. A key learning goal will be a deeper understanding of how stories shape, reflect, and build community, empowering people to take ownership of their own narratives in places that are often misunderstood. Featuring guest lecturers from Tulsa's thriving and diverse storytelling scene as well as opportunities to join open mics, story slams, and writing workshops, this course will challenge students to consider how engaging meaningfully with our communities can strengthen our narrative practices and allow us to express ourselves more authentically.