Zander: A Sketch and a Theory

My name is Zander, a nickname I got in first grade and that has stuck so strongly that I often have friends who know me for years and are still surprised my actual name is Alexander. I'm from Denver, Colorado, I'm an English major and a Human Biology minor, and this is my final quarter at Stanford. Woah...

At the end of sophomore year, I traveled the US by train for three weeks and wrote a short story based on the experience. To prepare, I read stories that took place on trains throughout American literature. It was a ridiculously interesting exercise -- I recommend it. Last year I studied in Oxford for two terms, doing tutorials in children's literature and screenwriting. In Wales, I jumped across the tallest steel frame aqueduct in the world and... basically... made it. I would not recommend that.

I love stories, a ton. I read too many books, follow too many TV shows, and watch too many movies. To balance that out, I pretend to be outdoorsy. Lately I got back into the novel, which I never seemed to have the time or stamina for for a while, so this year I've read two really thick novels, The Art of Fielding and Cloud Atlas. Both are absolutely incredibly and just consume you in their world.

 Notice the wallet outline in my pocket and the oncoming boat. Obviously didn't think this one through....

I believe every story is new because, like Chaz, I see every person as bringing something unique to a story, something nobody else could bring. Each storyteller has their own voice, their own perspective, their own experiences, that no one else will have, and therefore they will create a story that no one else has ever told, at least not in that way. I would disagree with the idea of separating a story's narratological aspects from its content to assess its newness because the voice, form, etc, make up and define a story just as much as its content.