Thanks to APF colleague Joe Tankersley, for his visit to our Futures Research class and for giving us a first-hand account of his experiences in the Foresight field.
Tankersley spent many years as a storyteller working for Disney. He brought this skillset to the foresight world at the World Futures Society Conference in 1979. In turn he brought a more futures-oriented perspective back to Disney as well, eventually leading to the creation of the Disney foresight department which has since become a prime destination for UH foresight students.
Since leaving Disney he’s done futures work in many domains from the pharmaceutical industry to tourist destinations, but his favorite work is done for groups and communities who are trying to create change, not just be aware of it or learn how to avoid it.
The book he shared with us, “Reimagining Our Tomorrows: Making Sure Your Future Doesn’t SUCK” offers a refreshing look at the future. Frequently when it comes to the future, especially in narrative fiction the future is depicted as bleak if not downright disturbing. On the occasions that future scenarios are optimistic, they are generally more analysis than storytelling, and are thus inherently less compelling. Reimagining Our Tomorrows offers a much-needed break from these trends with his more optimistic “Speculative non-fiction” narratives. Thank you Joe!
