Telling Stories
Kalli Anderson & Kaija Siirala
The first piece I came across by Kalli and Kaija was Night Swimmer, which follows Marilyn Korzekwa, a 61-year-old open-water swimmer, as she attempts to be the first person to complete a crossing of the eastern end of Lake Superior, from Michigan, USA to Ontario, Canada. In nearly all Kalli and Kaija’s work there’s a visceral sense of place. And hearing the way they both talk about place within their work was truly mesmerising; Kalli and Kaija are constantly questioning how to elevate the experience of non-living beings and navigating our relationship with the world around us. In this interview you’ll learn about narrative structure and how Kalli and Kaija make collaboration work for them. This piece also features an audio challenge from the wonderful maker T.H. Ponders. You can find the episode here.
RESOURCES
Our Top Picks:
Twiblings by Kalli Anderson and Visiting Day
Bird City Lights by Kaija Siirala
TAKEAWAYS
Play with structure.
Stay curious.
Create files for the stories you’re interested in and follow your spark.
This American Life showcases one way of telling stories… but it’s not the only way. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
CHALLENGES
Please send us your challenges to tellingstoriespod@gmail.com so that we can feature them on the site! You heard a lovely piece by T. H. Ponders at the end of this episode. You can listen to more of their work here.
Kalli and Kaija challenge you to convey the subjective experience of moving your body in a way you really like.