Storytelling has been one of the oldest past-times and greatest source of human interaction the world has ever known. In fact, to state that there exists any human occupation earlier in history than storytelling is to commit an error in logic: to have access to any historical fact, one would necessarily first have some storytelling artifact (be it ruins, carvings, cave paintings, etc.) to expose the history.

The ancient Greeks (and the modern French) have the same word for 'history' as 'story'-- fiction and nonfiction thus occupied the same place in the mind-sets of these people. As far as we can tell the human race has always struggled to tell its stories, thus laying credence to the longevity and durability of the storytelling craft. Anything that we have aspired to do, we have also aspired to make sure countless generations after us know we have done it, or at the very least day-dreamed about it (ie: Deep space exploration, create world destroying artificial intelligence, etc).

However, despite the crafts' lengthy past, its future is not so guaranteed. A culture drowning in a sea of heightened communication (cell phones, the internet, satellite, wi-fi...) has ushered nothing but an overwhelming sense of despair to the devout storyteller. I do not necessarily strictly refer to any one particular form-- be it writing, the visual arts, sculpture, music, et alia-- but its connected form, the blending of all forms into a culture, is in need of an advocate. We have gone from hour-long orchestrated symphonies to twenty-second punk rock songs. Modern society has evolved from something slow and methodical to something parading recklessly at light-speed.

In a day where everything is referred to as an allotted time-slot, it is more important than ever to assure the quality of material that makes the daily routine. The poetry contests of attic Greece have been replaced by business meetings and competing technologies. The Laureate has become the master of technology. And silenced are the minds like those who created the pyramids and their inscriptions, or recited poetry and philosophy in the marketplace. And, though not necessarily endangered as of yet, if neglected gone too will be the art of storytelling.

In her book, The Need for Words, Patsy Rodenberg points out that our ability to tell oral tales has been effectively diminished. The tale of Arthur and his knights was set to a tangible form only centuries after what might have been the true Arthur's lifetime. Homer's epic poetry, in its impressive length, was originally recited by memory.

Can you think of any stories you have heard that were powerful enough to stay in your mind your entire life, only to be passed to your children? And, if so, was it a tale written by anyone who is currently alive?

As I have said, the field is not entirely dead. Perhaps you could recite a movie from heart that you had seen as a child, and perhaps the writer and/or director still continues their art. However, nothing remained safe and sacred except that it was adamantly protected and preserved. At Monster Intern, we are devoted to the powerful and enduring methods of storytelling, in as many forms as we are able. We hope to advocate, participate, and create stories that will last in people's minds-- stories that pay homage to the great epics of old and pave paths for the tales of the future.

We hope to build more than a foundation for the arts, but help foster a society strong in its ability to tell its own story-- a society that knows itself and is unafraid to speak what it knows.

   -- the interns