Project Update

Katie told me that I should tell everyone about my project so I thought I would take this time to do just that. If you don't know, I am making a documentary about folklore and story telling traditions around the world. We have been telling stories since we were cavemen and I want to understand why story telling is important to different cultures and what the purpose is, to teach a moral, explain nature, etc. So far I have interviewed a librarian in Dominica and a village elder in Brazil. Both told great stories about spirits in the forests and how one must respect each other and nature. I found it interesting that the same character showed up in both places. An evil spirit that has his legs on backwards, so it can trick you and kill you from behind. I want to find out why both places have an identical spirit, and I think it may have to do with the slave trade, so in Ghana I want to find out if they have a similar character. Also interesting is that in many cultures the devil is seen as half man / half goat, and the legs of a goat bend backwards... just another possible connection.
I have set up interviews with people on board the ship to serve as my experts. One is a pulitzer prize winning poet, a man who has written a text book involving cultures. Another is a woman who's accomplishments in English and literature made all of my other very impressive professors want her signature. I think that these people will be more than qualified to speak about folklore.
Thats all I got for now, and I'm happy with where I am, it seems to be taking shape and getting it's focus. Hope everything is good in the States. Take care.