This class examines some leading examples of major genres of storytelling in the Western tradition. We will be asking why people tell (and have always told) stories, how they tell them, why they might tell them the way they do, and what difference it makes how they tell them. We'll combine an investigation of the changing formal properties of narratives with consideration of the historical, cultural, and technological factors that have influenced how tales get told. In keeping with its CI-H and HASS-D label, the class will involve substantial attention to students' writing and speaking abilities.