Two storytellers from Dana Hall’s class of 1980 shared their expertise at She Sails, an annual Dana Hall event that encourages students, families, and alumnae to network and learn from panelists and speakers about their careers. This year, one of the panels titled “Tell Me a Story: Careers in Media, Communications, and Publishing” featured broadcast journalist, editor, and television producer Lisa Kenny Pierpont ‘80, along with prizewinning author Margot Singer ‘80.
Singer and Pierpont offered varying experiences and insight, as each woman specializes in different fields of storytelling. They provided personal definitions of storytelling: Singer defined a story as “a blur of fact and entertainment,” and Pierpont explained how “storytelling is universal,” claiming that “it’s how you dress, how you express yourself.”
Pierpont has experience as a reporting journalist, and explained how one of her favorite parts of the job was transcribing interviews. Through the process, Pierpont says “you get to know what they really are saying.”
Singer’s writing as a novelist and consultant requires a lengthier timeframe, which she described as a “slightly mysterious process.” Singer explained how writing is elusive, and “it takes 900 drafts to see the picture,” but gaining clarity and understanding is her favorite part of the job.
AI is a timely concern in the field of communications, which Singer and Pierpont have opposing views on. Marin Brown ‘29, an audience member at the panel, noticed how “Lisa [Pierpont] was saying it’s definitely a part of society now, and we need to learn how to adjust to it. But, at the same time, Margot [Singer] was saying she doesn’t really agree with it. It was cool to see how their different fields of work are affected by it.”
Pierpont embraces AI, using it to eliminate the busy work of her job, as she claimed our innate desire for human connection and storytelling will not allow AI to replace journalists. Singer avoids using AI, and expressed more of a concern regarding the unknown of novel technology.
Walking out of the panel, Marin said she “felt very inspired, but at the same time Lisa [Pierpont] was saying she had an ‘Ah ha’ moment in 8th grade when she knew what she wanted to do, so at the same time I was like, uh oh, I don’t know what I want to do!” Pierpont realized this was the path for her in Dana Hall’s Middle School, whereas Singer mentioned that she still doesn’t know what she wants to do, and moves forward by taking the right next step.