Lost in the shuffle of what I guess is the more important news was the fact that Irish writer Frank McCourt passed away at the age of 78. McCourt's opus, Angela's Ashes, was an unlikely success: an autobiographical tale of one hell of an impoverished family in Limerick, Ireland.
There is nothing earth shattering about the book, and maybe that's why McCourt was awarded a Pulitzer for telling it like he did. It is written in the voice of a child who recounts sordid story after sordid story. For example: After little Frank's drunk father left the family, supposedly to work in a munitions factory, Frank was the sole breadwinner in the house by stealing milk and bread. The whole block shared a single outhouse. Frank's grandmother scrubbed him to within an inch of his life on the day of his first Communion. On and on these wonderful vignettes go.
These are anecdotes of no particular import that formed one of the best-selling and most loved books of the 1990s, spawning a profitable and well-loved movie transformation in 2000.
The success of Angela's Ashes and other books like it (and there have been copycats!) did teach us that the most popular stories that seem to resonate with readers and spur new and positive changes are often the true ones. Sound like a good blog? See, people want to hear how things actually do work and how they have worked. People want to share their experiences with others who might feel better (or touched) by them. We want to hear what has happened, not what may have happened.
During this deep recession, anyone telling tales -- customers, prospects, or friends -- is well advised to give it to them straight with no chaser. I try to do that and am told to be more subtle. (Like that'll ever happen.)
Work of the best storytellers are, like McCourt and Bukowski and others before and since, the type that make you go "Crap, I didn't think of that!"
Many moments within McCourt's tales of life in Limerick have given us a bit of hope for brightness. You know that is something we all can't wait to talk about.
.....For less wistful tweets, do the Twitter dance @laermer and don't forget to check out Bad Pitch Night School (During the Day)!