The Telling Takes Us Home

Carl Sagan reminded us in Cosmos that we have wondered about the stars for as long as we have been human. "Star tellers" like Von Del Chamberlain and Lynn Moroney remind us that, for just as long, we have been telling stories about the stars to explain what we observed. This presentation describes methods of reuniting science and storytelling as complementary approaches to comprehending the cosmos. Examples illustrate how stories can serve as "springboards," inspire their listeners to new awareness, and involve astronomy educators as reporters, tellers, and mediators.