Storytelling School with The Moth: Monthly Storytelling Activity
Lesson #41: SCENE "A Love Letter to my Daughter"- Kujegi Camara
Just like real school, Storytelling School with The Moth has returned! We hope these activities will be a good way to ease yourself back into the swing of things. As you’re getting back into the swing of things, we hope these activities will be a good way to ease yourself back in. For this month’s blog, we’re taking a look at a story about overcoming the past in order to love yourself and others.
This month’s Storytelling School story is:
“A Love Letter to my Daughter” by Kujegi Camara
Watch the video:
You can read the transcript of Kujegi’s story here.
After you’ve watched and read the story, you can do the following activities:
Talk to each other about Kujegi’s story.
For each post, we’ll highlight a different crafting strategy for how to make your story compelling. For this post, we’ll focus on SCENE. In this story, Kujegi does a beautiful job of inviting the audience into vivid, detailed scenes. She includes descriptions of the physical space, as well as what is happening inside her mind and emotions, which allow us to really picture the events clearly.
What are the main scenes in Kujegi’s story?
What does Kujegi tell us about the setting? What physical or environmental details do you remember her highlighting?
What does Kujegi tell us about her thoughts and feelings? How does that contribute to the story?
Let’s Play “Have You Ever”
Raise your hand if …
You’ve ever shared your warmth with someone you love
You’ve ever compared your hand to someone else’s
You’ve ever thought “me, of all people?!”
You’ve ever weren’t sure you could take care of someone
You’ve ever had a teacher introduce you to something that changed your life
You’ve ever felt small
You’ve ever been haunted by something said to you
You’ve ever used art or performance to confront something
You’ve ever told someone they are beautiful
You’ve ever told yourself that you are beautiful
Did you raise your hand? If you raised your hand even once, that’s a story you could tell! Find someone to tell it to and try out a draft!
Activity
Kujegi uses poetry to confront a damaging moment from her past and to build herself up and tell herself that she is beautiful. Being kind to ourselves is not always easy and neither is writing poetry. Here are some prompts to try your hand at creating poetry to build and express your self love!
Share this post with a friend!
And check back the second Tuesday of every month for another story.
Storyteller bio
A mother of two little girls, KUJEGI CAMARA is a Bronx, NY native with roots from The Gambia. She currently works as the Community Engagement and Youth Program Manager at the Muslim Community Network. Kujegi is passionate about creating meaningful connections across different platforms, entities, and people. She made her way to The Moth through a virtual intensive workshop with the Coalition for Asian American Children + Families (CACF) early this past summer. In her personal time, she performs and writes spoken word poetry and is co-founder and President of the Smiling Coast Women Empowerment Network, a grassroots initiative that mentors young West-African Muslim women and helps them on their journey towards college. Kujegi enjoys all things pasta and ice cream!
The Moth Education Program works with young people and educators to build community through storytelling workshops, performances and innovative resources. To learn more, visit themoth.org/education
The Moth Education Program is made possible by generous support from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Charitable Trust, the Kate Spade New York Foundation, and Alice Gottesman, and The Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation.
Additional program support is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the New York State Council on the Arts, ConEdison, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.