Kertomukse

Kertomukse is a neologism used in contemporary narrative theory to describe a hybrid storytelling technique that blends oral performance with written text. It seeks to capture the immediacy of spoken storytelling while retaining the carefully constructed syntax and imagery of written prose. The form can appear in prose, poetry, or multimedia works and often relies on performance cues within the text.

Origins and etymology: The term appears to be newly coined in online literary discussions in the early 2020s. Its construction resembles Finnish roots, with kertoa meaning to tell, and a fictional suffix -mukse; however, the term is largely understood as a self-contained label rather than a standard linguistic derivation. As such, it is primarily encountered in critical writing rather than in everyday usage.

Characteristics: Key features include interleaved oral and written modes, shifts in narrative voice, repetition and refrain, audience-address and metanarrative cues, frame-tale structures that resemble transcription, and an emphasis on cadence, rhythm, and breath. It is often used to explore memory, tradition, and identity.

Applications and examples: In contemporary short fiction and experimental poetry, kertomukse-oriented works may present spoken passages embedded in prose blocks, with typographic or formatting cues indicating performance. Critics argue that the technique foregrounds listening as a reading act and invites reader participation through interpretive inference. It is also discussed in media theory as a method for bridging oral folklore and digital print.

See also: Oral storytelling, Performance poetry, Mixed-media narrative, Experimental literature.