Author Archives: pcostello

Israel V Hamas or Violence Versus Justice

The viciousness of it all caught everyone off guard, even Gazans I know. Now that this brutality is being returned in spades by Israel, it does not catch anyone off guard, especially Gazans. For them, brutality is what they have … Continue reading

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Time for a Narrative Criticality- Take Back the Story

A HAPPY REUNION A few weeks back, Golden Fleece had a reunion. What is Golden Fleece, I hear you say? It was the name a group of  30 DC organizational storytellers called themselves back in 2002-3.  The name, inspired by the … Continue reading

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How come Story came to rule over the Kingdom of Lies?

          “Satan- he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jesus)  20 years ago, trying to convince organizations to use story as a powerful means of communication and change was like Sisyphus rolling the stone … Continue reading

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The Principles of Narrative Ethics

The ethical principles of narrative work include ·       Everyone has a story ·        Every story is worth telling ·        Every story makes sense in its context ·        No one has the full story ·        We hold the narrative rights to tell our own story over … Continue reading

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The reason why we might be so depressed as a nation

Wellbeing and Wellness are never more important to all of us these days. We make ourselves aware of the toxic dangers that lurk in obvious places, like lead in paint or asbestos in cladding or the quality of the air … Continue reading

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The Evil Empire of Story

  You might have thought we learned our lessons from President Bush”s non-existent WMDs- (Weapons of Mass Destruction)  It only cost us a war.  Or from Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme. It cost people 50 billion plus. We might have treated … Continue reading

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Three Things I know about Stories Plus One

Three things I know about Stories. 1.Stories matter! They create power, incite insurrections, cause trauma, offer healing, feed despair, nourish hope. I am a warrior in the war of stories, mapping their lethal power so as to disarm and expose … Continue reading

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O what a show.

Welcome to the 118th Congress. What a show!  And what amazing timing. Two years to the night, the members meet to empanel a new Congress as their way of remembering the January 6th, 2021 attempt to disrupt the orderly transfer … Continue reading

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So this is Christmas

“So this is Christmas”.….sings John Lennon, in the anthem of our season. So what? Many might say. But it might be worth trying to recapture the event before it became a song or a carol. O Little Town of Bethlehem… … Continue reading

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Don’t mention the pandemic!

One of the nation’s largest therapy conferences happens annually in Washington DC. This year, the first in person for two years, the theme was “Meeting the Moment.” At first sight, I thought, “Yes” that is a great theme. How are we meeting … Continue reading

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