The Power of Storytelling

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By way of illustration, Williams offers the story of her uncle, Richard Tempest, who was running for state senate in Utah when Williams and her cousin took part in a protest at the nuclear test site in Nevada. “My uncle’s wife, mother and sister-in-law were all exposed to nuclear fallout from the testing in Nevada,” she says. “They all developed breast cancer and had to have mastectomies. My uncle went down to the test site to see what the protests were about. Later, when he was asked by the Sierra Club to state his stand on environmental issues, he stood up and said, ‘My name is Richard Tempest, and I am a member of the clan of one-breasted women.’”

The intense, appreciative silence in the room is broken by a collective sigh as Williams’ story ends. “That’s the power of story,” she smiles. “Ask yourselves what stories you are carrying that can help illuminate the open space of democracy.”

Making Us Think

Williams’ love for spirited conversation draws readers of all ages and persuasions to her books, and the group that has gathered to hear her speak expects to be challenged. Williams shares her involvement with the Castle Valley community and their efforts to protect the lands surrounding their town, and other stories and discussions follow. A young Native American woman tells how she confronted a teacher who was making stereotypical remarks. A Palestinian student relates how he was discriminated against, and challenges the statements of his Israeli counterpart across the room. The group touches on genocide in Rwanda, the push for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the war in Iraq. Throughout, Williams encourages frankness, commending those who disagree or ask uncomfortable questions. “It’s not altogether pleasant, and there’s no guarantee as to the outcome,” she says. “But if we cannot do this, I fear we will be left talking only with like-minded people.”

Not everyone is comfortable with Williams’ open discussion of controversial issues. With the publication of The Open Space of Democracy and start of a nationwide speaking tour, she created an unexpected stir. Shortly after the tour began, her invitation to speak at Florida Gulf Coast University was withdrawn by the school’s president, William Merwin. The reasons cited for the withdrawal were Williams’ refusal to submit her talk for approval and fears that she would be too critical of President Bush. “I refused as a matter of principle,” Williams explains. “It was an issue of free speech under the contract I signed with the university.”

The response of the students and faculty was immediate. They filed a formal letter of protest with President Merwin, and worked together to sponsor another talk by Williams at the college later in the month. Though Williams was grateful and impressed by the students’ insistence on maintaining open dialogue on their campus, she is still deeply disturbed by the experience.

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