“Somehow my performing created this safe place where they could talk and share their stories. . . and the conversations that came from that. . . it was really something. People were moved, not just by what I shared, but they were moved deeply by what each other shared, Black and White, about what it was like to grow up in Memphis, Black and White, and to know about racism and deal with that.”

That’s Elaine Blanchard, writer, actor, and storyteller, talking to host Mark Fleischer about an evening at Theatre Memphis years ago, when she realized the power of storytelling to bring about real healing, prompting her to begin her work helping those in the prison system through their shared stories.

Related: Elaine Blanchard on developing Prison Stories. And Prison Stories’ monologues for healing. To contact Elaine Blanchard visit her website.

Books mentioned during this episode: Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication; Margaret Wheatley’s Turning to One Another; Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; The Diary of Anne Frank; Robin Karr-Morse Ghosts from the Nursery.

SB 30 Episode 55: Storytelling as healing with Elaine Blanchard 38:26 Share

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SB 30 Episode 55: Storytelling as healing with Elaine Blanchard