“Mirrors and Windows” is a framework used by the poet in residence, A Scribe Called Quess?, by way of Stephanie McKee of Junebug Productions, that help participants find the commonalities and differences among each other. 

• Mirrors — Moments in a fellow storyteller’s story that were familiar to the listener and reminded the listener of their own lived experience. (i.e., Unfortunately, when Eric talked about being stopped by the police it was a mirror moment for me as that’s happened to me more times than I can count.)
• Windows — Moments in a fellow storyteller’s story that were completely unfamiliar to the listener, that opened the listener up to a new experience. (i.e., When Fernanda talked about her cousin being deported, it was a window for me as I’ve never experienced anything like that.)
• Safe Space — An environment that is free of physical and emotional violence, where risks and mistakes are praised instead of ridiculed. A safe space is a prerequisite of all Story Circles and should be announced and described as a standard for all participants.