Fresh Air

Stories ignite our imagination, let us leap over cultural walls and cross the barriers of time. Stories affirm who we are, and allow us to experience the similarities between ourselves and others, real or imagined. Stories help us make meaning of our lives. In this hour, TED speakers talk with Guy Raz about the art of storytelling, and how good stories have the power to transform our perceptions of the world. Novelist Tracy Chevalier explains how she discovers a compelling story from inside a painting. Graphic designer Chip Kidd creates “visual haikus” — book covers that, in a single image, tell the story inside. Writer Chimamanda Adichie warns that if we hear only a single story about another person, we risk a critical misunderstanding. And filmmaker Andrew Stanton says good storytelling is starting at the end and working back to the beginning.