Michael Hearn - Locative Narrative

The article itself was a little confusing and I didn't find it to be very much to the point, though what we saw and heard in class was a lot more informative to me. Perhaps that's testament to why locative narrative can be more effective than a "disconnected" explanation. Having lived in Philadelphia all my life, I think I understand the idea of how locative narrative allows people to be more participatory in their interpretation of the settings around them through direct actions since I've seen places around this city change a lot in my short lifetime and see how these changes can either make a previous understanding of that part of the city vanish or still manage to acknowledge the interpretations the people within have made upon it. Locative narrative can help maintain the latter regardless of most possible changes to the setting and allow a sense of history, both personal and citywide, live on. It's a pretty interesting concept, something more direct than reading another person's story because it allows you to see it through their own eyes.

The mural community here might be an interesting example of locative narrative because it directly changes and effects the setting through the interpretation of an artist or of the people involved. For example, there's a bridge over the Schuylkill River that has a mural painted along part of its inside walls, showing various portraits of people who frequently cross the bridge, painted by the mural artists. Perhaps this kind of locative narrative doesn't have as much history directly accessible to the viewers, but it still contains a history and interpretation of the people who live in these settings.