Conversation

Casey: Just to be clear, when we talked about ‘serve and return’ in Beyond the Book, we’re talking about conversations between people – some real, some imaginary – some of whom are bigger than others – that are sensitive, fun and capacity-building.
As opposed to a game of ping pong, n’est-ce pas?

Esme: First of all, yes. Second of all, you do know that’s not Spanish, right?”

Casey: I do. But didn’t you recently decide that a) the foundation of storytelling and story acting is Seeing into Conversations [link to purchase chapbook], and that b) the adult’s job is to serve as both scribe and translator? [link to clip, Storytelling Begins]
Esme: Sí.

Casey: And before that we were counting all the ways children use stories to talk and think about cause and effect?

Esme: Also sí.

New Voice: You do know that her favorite chicken-crossing-the-road riddle is the one where you get stuck to a cactus?

Lil C: Who said that? 
Wait! I get stuck to a what?!
Esme (wildly waving homemade story wand): Welcome to the conversation. I hereby dub thee Feature!

Casey and Lil C: Why?
Esme: Humans know that while conversations between two people can be occasions for joy, they can also be fraught and challenging, with occasional calls for stomping.
Feature: So…

Esme: So, if you were to visit a preschool classroom where young children are attempting to play, or if you could listen in on the conversations about play between children, teachers and parents…
Feature: The point she’s trying to make is that I’m here because a) Lil C needs a friend, and b) after dyads and triads comes…”
Cow: Moo? Moi!
Esmeralda and I stopped writing.

B is for Beyond the Book                                D is for Drama