Storytelling is a universal human activity that involves kaleidoscopic variations across time, culture, form, and personality. From prehistoric pictograms to current computer networks, people have cast their stories in countless ways: as verbal narrative in the oral, print, and electronic traditions; as music, dance, and graphic image; and as film, television, and theater productions. Stories that one absorbs as a child imprint patterns of language, literature, and social values; stories that one chooses to remember and pass on reflect the elements most important in a lifetime. Stories shape both individuals and groups. This significance makes storytelling a subject of study in numerous fields, including folklore, anthropology, sociology, psychology, speech/communication, library and information science, education, religion, literature, and theater. Each of these domains emphasizes different aspects, but almost any exploration of storytelling involves an interdisciplinary approach in dealing with the complexities of story and society, the interaction of...