Spin Me a Web of Stories

Words by Linda Boyle and Eavon Ngo-Solis
Music by Linda Boyle
©2005 Linda Boyle

Linda Boyle and Eavon Ngo-Solis were teachers at Sullivan High School in Chicago. This song was created from a writing prompt given to English language learners by Eavon, their teacher. Eavon understood the importance of her students sharing their stories, having fled Vietnam at the age of three with her parents. Linda recorded student responses to this and another prompt, and created a chorus to link their narratives. The juniors and seniors were from many African nations, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Americas, and Europe. They bravely shared their struggles as emigrants and refugees escaping war, hunger, and poverty, and the hope for a safer, more just way of life in the United States. Many of their narratives are on the Brave Songs CD by Linda, with further information on the accompanying slideshow. Margaret Muthiga, a teacher at Kilimo Primary School in Egerton, Kenya, heard the narratives and chorus at a workshop, and wanted to share them with her students. She graciously translated the song into Kiswahili.