In school, we are exposed to so many different forms of media and subjects, all of which help us to learn more about the world and ourselves. These forms of media could be books, TV shows, articles, artwork, music – the list goes on.
With school having already begun for most of us students, it is important that we all take some time throughout the week to focus less on the stress of school and center in on something that we find enjoyable about it.
While this can get difficult – especially with the influx of homework and exams on your plate – I have always tried to make it my mission to try and find one thing about each of my classes that makes me a bit more excited about attending them!
One class I really enjoyed was a class I took last year in college called ‘Story.’ Storytelling has always been something that holds a special place in my heart because of all the different ways you’re able to tell a story and the formats you can use to share that story with an audience.
While the class did get overwhelming at times with the amount of homework and reading assignments, I quickly found something to enjoy that made it more pleasant. With the number of readings we did, it was in this class that I discovered one of my favorite authors and storytellers to this day: Haruki Murakami.
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese contemporary author and storyteller who specializes in novels and essays centered around fiction, surrealism, postmodernism, and magical realism.
In my ‘Story’ class, we had the opportunity of reading a few pages from one of his novels titled A Wild Sheep Chase, which blends together a mix of different genres – myth, philosophy, adventure, fantasy, and suspense – to showcase a man’s journey of being forced to find a mythological sheep or face dire consequences.
The book itself is beautifully written, compiled with various elements of storytelling methods I had been learning about in class. Not only did the book help me to excel further in class, but it also allowed me to grow my love for storytelling and writing articles and stories for others to enjoy reading.
From that moment forward, I have continued to read and completely immerse myself in books written by Murakami. This past summer, I took it a step further and got the mythical sheep from A Wild Sheep Chase tattooed on my arm to showcase my love for storytelling.
Reading Haruki Murakami novels continues to remain a hobby of mine even now as I begin my third year of college. A few of my favorite novels that I have read from him recently include Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Men Without Women, After Dark, and Dance Dance Dance.
Haruki Murakami and his novels are guaranteed to leave a long-lasting impact on all his readers, and I can assure you that your storytelling and writing skills will grow as a result!