Ludic Narrans (Playing Around): Stories of/by/for the Fields of Play

Since 2024, Drew Davidson has been conducting an exploratory qualitative study, Stories of/by/for the Fields of Play, with Emily Matheny and many others. Through questionnaires, 175 in-depth interviews, and community participation, he has been engaging with stories around the fields of play; like games, mixed reality, theatre, sports, music, child psychology, etc. The concept of play is rather broad and diverse; from social studies, to heath and enjoyment, to education and learning, to games and technology, and more. As such, this is less a focus on a discipline, and more an exploration of the extensive ideas around play, looking for patterns, commonalities, and differences across various areas amongst educational, industry, professional, foundation, and government groups involved in play. This book is a playful thematic oral history of the stories shared.

Everyone involved has become a collaborator in this study, starting with their trust in sharing their expertise and experiences through our interviews and conversations. They’ve been willing to stay involved and have been open to following the ideas and perspectives throughout this process. They exemplify play, and are amazing and inspiring collaborators.

And the book has morphed into two versions with the same content, organized differently. This one, “Playing Around,” is a more playful version, splitting and interweaving the sections amongst each other to let them resonate and make for more of a mix of ideas. And the other, “Playing it Straight,” is a more scholarly version that keeps distinct sections for ease of reference. Another way to think of these two versions is as a deck of cards: the latter has all the cards in order, while the former has them shuffled together. I believe the two versions need each other to more fully manifest the interwoven tapestry of playful stories shared.

Since 2024, Drew Davidson has been conducting an exploratory qualitative study, Stories of/by/for the Fields of Play, with Emily Matheny and many others. Through questionnaires, 175 in-depth interviews, and community participation, he has been engaging with stories around the fields of play; like games, mixed reality, theatre, sports, music, child psychology, etc. The concept of play is rather broad and diverse; from social studies, to heath and enjoyment, to education and learning, to games and technology, and more. As such, this is less a focus on a discipline, and more an exploration of the extensive ideas around play, looking for patterns, commonalities, and differences across various areas amongst educational, industry, professional, foundation, and government groups involved in play. This book is a playful thematic oral history of the stories shared.

Everyone involved has become a collaborator in this study, starting with their trust in sharing their expertise and experiences through our interviews and conversations. They’ve been willing to stay involved and have been open to following the ideas and perspectives throughout this process. They exemplify play, and are amazing and inspiring collaborators.

And the book has morphed into two versions with the same content, organized differently. This one, “Playing Around,” is a more playful version, splitting and interweaving the sections amongst each other to let them resonate and make for more of a mix of ideas. And the other, “Playing it Straight,” is a more scholarly version that keeps distinct sections for ease of reference. Another way to think of these two versions is as a deck of cards: the latter has all the cards in order, while the former has them shuffled together. I believe the two versions need each other to more fully manifest the interwoven tapestry of playful stories shared.