Beyond Boundaries · Essays and tidbits from Nancy Bo Flood
“Sometimes a tree can tell you more than can be read in a book.” —Carl Jung Do trees make sound? Do they talk amongst themselves? Do they talk to us? What do they tell us? The season of the year? Their life story? The tale of the surrounding community? Here are a few photos from…
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Times have greatly changed the rules for writing in children’s literature. Sex is okay but periods … maybe. Swearing, exploring gender identity, exploring sexuality – go right ahead. But spirituality? Tip-toe with caution.
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We stump across the stage or parade down your street.
Hear us ROAR our terrible words.
Listen. Laugh. Perhaps shiver.
Some stories are too big to put on paper or canvas. This week, we take a look at street art, art that involves the community.
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I am deaf. I cannot hear anything, not even my own voice. But every day I share my stories—what I am thinking, what I have learned, what worries me. I listen to others with my eyes; I speak with my hands, my whole face, my body language, too. American Sign Language is like speaking a silent song. Watch.
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We tell our stories – we tell on ourselves – by the symbols we wear on our skin. Who are you? Tattoo is how I tell you. Look at my face. Tattoo symbols tell you of my family, my heritage, my status. Oldest daughter? Youngest son of whom, a chief? A warrior? What brave deeds…
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Mime, speak without words! You will never hear my voice. You will never forget the stories I tell. Watch! The mime moves soundlessly across the stage, his back to us. He turns around. His face is white. His eyebrows are outlined black. His smiling lips are bright red. We watch as he climbs stairs where There are no stairs Opens a window Peeks in Surprise!
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Dance speaks to everyone. Dance is spoken in many ways, in many places. Its language is universal. We tell our stories on ballerina tiptoes … with the stomping of leather boots or the leaping and collapsing of modern movements and shapes. We tell our stories. Dance shouts when voices are silenced. Dance unites generations. Dance celebrates the sacred moments of life without words or speeches. Sometimes in solemn procession, sometimes in wild jubilation.
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