High Road
Let stories be your guide.
Welcome to Route 24, a new parking space for stories driving public trust!
SCENIC ROUTE parks in your inbox on Sundays to merge the lanes of realistic fiction and politics and help you find a better view.
In this Issue: Earlier this week, I wrote Fog Lights about America’s moral evolution and devolution. In lieu of sharing a new story today, I’m inviting you to participate in a thought experiment: how do we find common ground amid America’s persistent divisiveness? In 1996, Osha Gray Davidson wrote The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South, about civil rights activist, Ann Atwater, and white supremacist leader, C.P. Ellis. On opposite sides of Durham’s public school integration, Atwater and Ellis each learned how the other had been exploited by classism in the South and formed an unlikely friendship, leading Ellis to ultimately reject white supremacy. As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, and many gatherings will host a range of opinions, it’s worth exploring how best to reach those who hold the most divergent world views to our own. When policies alone fail to transform the status quo, let stories be your guide.
Scenic Byway
Joshua Michael Stern’s Swing Vote show us what happens when one man’s vote determines the outcome of an election. Bud (Kevin Costner) would rather have a few beers at the local pub than think about politics or anything else. Unlike Bud, his young daughter, Molly (Madeline Carroll), is enthusiastic about the political process, challenging her father to meet her at the local polling site to exercise his right to vote. Nothing goes according to plan for Bud which motivates Molly to take matters into her own hands, jumpstarting a race to the finish line as the candidates try to win Bud over. This is a good example of moral evolution in story form.
Both the Center for American Women and Politics and KCRW’s Left, Right, and Center have discussed the glass cliff phenomenon: women are elevated to positions of power when the risk of failure is highest. In Naomi Alderman’s The Power, women around the world develop supernatural abilities, shifting the power dynamics in their personal and professional lives. Dr. Rob Lopez (John Leguizamo) starts off as a devoted father and partner. As global paranoia builds over women developing supernatural powers, misinformation and disinformation campaigns gather speed. In fear of losing relevance, Rob becomes infected with a misogynistic mindset. This is a good example of moral devolution in story form.
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What examples have you seen that bridge divides? Was it lasting or short-lived? Why?
As always, thank you for coming along for the ride!
Stay the course,
Sam
Note: Route 24’s Toolkit and About Page are in the process of being updated. Should you have any feedback in the interim, please feel free to message me directly.