Aimee Cree Dunn
English, M.A.
About
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Raised rural in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan without a television or similar entertainment, books and the forest figured prominently in my childhood. These and my mixed-blood family's peripheral involvement with the Anishinaabe community in northern Wisconsin provided the foundational inspiration for my teaching and writing career.
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Although history, science, and philosophy fascinate me, it is the sharing of stories that holds me enthralled. From films to literature, fiction has a way of capturing the heart, engaging us with this world even when the mind can't quite understand it.
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The power of stories stretches back to time immemorial sharing lessons, humor, insights, history, perspectives and more. Teaching stories and the art of storytelling, be it fiction or non-fiction, connects us to an age-old human tradition. In listening to and discussing these stories, we come closer to that "truth that lies between us," to that truth behind the universe that is "the answer to the ultimate question," as Douglas Adams writes, "of life, the universe and everything."
Whether its listening to the stories the land has to tell, coming to understand the insights of a traditional story long-told, or being touched by a character's experiences in a richly textured film or novel, having the chance to share those stories through my courses or through prose, poetry and fiction of my own are two of the most meaningful aspects of my work. Sharing those stories with others is why I do what I do. Stories can, have and will change the world making it a better, more caring place to be.
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"[O]ur relationship with land cannot heal until we hear its stories. But who will tell them?"
- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass