Narrative Power : Encounters, Celebrations, Struggles

Narrative power: Who has it, and what are they going to do with it? How does the ability to tell stories and the need to hear them affect who has political power and who has none? The right narrative in politics can win an election, gather a mob, destroy an enemy, start a war. In the study of history, control of the narrative confers power. It is commonly said that history is written by the victors: the narrator chooses the events that will be part of the story, and the narrative explains their meaning. In fiction, narrative conventions and clichs make writing and reading familiar stories easier, but also impede writers' efforts to tell unfamiliar stories. Is narrative inherently dangerous? Empowering? Conservative? Or liberating? A mix of established and new writers join several scholars in considering the politics of narrative manifested in fiction, history, and science. Book jacket.