The students had just divided into groups to share about a story idea that was triggered by the prompt. They each had a few minutes to share while the partner listened. The partner then shared one thing that liked about the story. Afterwards, I asked, “How was the experience?” One of the students raises his …Read More
Author: Dr. Joel Ying, MD
Physician-Educator-Storyteller. Integrating the power of story into medicine, healing sessions, workshops, speaking and performance.
The Milk Paradox
If I drink a full glass of cow’s milk, about 30 – 60 minutes later the bloating, gas, and diarrhea begin. I am lactose intolerant. About 65% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant, so why is it that dairy is such a big part of our culture. This is the milk paradox! Around the …Read More
FGCU Storytelling Conference ~ June 21 – 23, 2024
FGCU Storytelling Conference Theme: “Storytelling as Healing: Creating Community, Transforming Lives” June 21 – 23, 2024 fgcustorytelling.com/conference Featuring stories and presentations by Susan O’Halloran, Robin Schulte, Mary Lou Williams, and Joel Ying. Do you want to know more about the healing art of oral storytelling? As a holistic doctor, I believe that medicine is anything …Read More
Ninth Night ~ Texas Storytelling Festival
I had the honor of telling a story in the regional showcase of the Texas Storytelling Festival on March 8, 2024. The community of Denton, Texas, (just outside of Dallas) hosts this 4-day event with performances, workshops, and other community events. If you are looking to experience a well-organized storytelling event, put it on your …Read More
How Great Thou Art!
My grandmother passed away over 10 years ago, and I wonder at the memory that is beginning to fade. We have family photos. My uncle has recordings somewhere on an old video camera. I’ve crafted stories about her, and I can see her face every time that I describe her. There is a deep connection …Read More
Feels Like Family
We’re back together again. It’s summer, family vacation with the cousins. My cousin, Alicia, is my age. We’re in those pre-teen years, and we’ve been together almost every summer for as long as we can remember. Including the year that she refused to eat the green macaroni. We see each other across the parking lot. …Read More
By the road to the contagious hospital ~ William Carlos Williams
Spring and All [By the road to the contagious hospital] by William Carlos Williams (1883 – 1963) I By the road to the contagious hospital under the surge of the blue mottled clouds driven from the northeast-a cold wind. Beyond, the waste of broad, muddy fields brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen patches of …Read More
The Fisherman: A Tale of Passion, Loss, and Hope ~ Jan Blake
“Stories are templates… maps to what it means to be a human being,” says Jan Blake in her TEDx Talk. Regret is one of the many stories that we must all learn to live with. Perhaps you are looking towards more modern stories, blockbuster or art house movies, to guide you on what it means …Read More
Pig Butchering Scams
It is a well-known fact that you should “fatten the pig” before slaughter. If you raise livestock, you need to feed the livestock (and feed them well) if you intend to harvest them for meat. If this offends your sensibilities, you might want to think twice about eating bacon. The facts behind how food gets …Read More
Story: Persephone and the Seasons ~ Joel Ying
Why did Persephone eat that pomegranate seed? As seasons shift and the Spring Equinox approaches, science gives us an explanation. The earth rotates on its axis, and the side that faces the sun has daylight and the other side is in the darkness of night. However, the Earth also revolves around the sun with a …Read More