"I've spent about 15 years plus some working with people's stories in a series of communities in this country. I write plays from oral histories for those communities. Just finished my 30th. I'm watching people's lives and communities literally change, sometimes drastically, for the work. "Spider Speculations" is the beginning of trying to understand the hows and whys of all the changes."-Author Jo Carson Jo Carson lays bare her personal investigation into her own creative process after a spider bite on her back begins a series of life-altering events. "Spider Speculations" applies cutting edge mind-body science, quantum physics and ancient shamanistic techniques to describe how stories work in our bodies and our lives, and what happens when real stories are used in a public way. Carson, whose ability to capture the spoken word hallmarks her community-based work, sets down this story in her own distinctive voice, interspersing the journey with examples of her performance work. This truly original American book will speak to anyone thinking about art and community or engaging with people's stories. Jo Carson is a writer and performer living in John City, Tennessee. She has published award-winning plays, short stories, children's books, essays, poems and other work. Her play "Whispering to Horses" and solo show "If God Came Down"premiered at Seven Stages in Atlanta. She currently performs "Liars, Thieves, and Other Sinners on the Bench," made up of selected stories from her oral history plays, which will be published by TCG in 2007.