Includes decades of research on story, the techniques used to engage and immerse an audience, and how narrative immersion and stories can be used in libraries.

Storytelling is both art and science. In this volume, author Brian Sturm shares the results of his decades of research on “immersion” in storytelling. Readers come away with a full understanding of immersion and how performers can foster it. Chapters on performance theory and technique show how audience engagement is built and how listeners can be guided to identify with story characters to make tales more memorable.

The book begins with an introduction to immersion and trance research, discusses the values of immersive experiences, and introduces readers to narrative immersion and storylistening. Sturm then teaches the craft of immersion, including the techniques used in oral storytelling, how to choose a story for performing, techniques for learning and preparing a story, and techniques to rely on during active storytelling. Finally, storytelling is connected to libraries, as part of programming, marketing, and management. The final chapter highlights the value of immersion in libraries as a connection to place, to people, and to learning.