And now to the power of story in a divided world.

Recently, senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown reported on writer Colin McCann and his latest novel Twist.

Tonight, the focus is on an organization McCann co-founded to help young people around the world share their stories and perhaps bridge divides of politics and culture.

The piece is part of our series, Art in Action,

exploring the intersection of art and democracy,

and part of our Canvas coverage.

Like I was very shy and I felt very out of place and isolated.

Tell me your story, and I will say it back to you,

becoming you, for a moment seeing the world as you do.

I've never been to a funeral for a kid before. And it was very strange and it affected everyone

very deeply. It's called a story exchange, worked on by students in high schools around Santa Fe, New Mexico,

over the course of several months in their individual schools and then brought together.

My name is Jocelyn, and my story is about having, also having a bad day.

It was just hurtful to see that my culture wasn't being respected and that these cultural objects were in display cases, just shops around Santa Fe for anyone to buy.

Each writes a story, something personal from his or her life, and then gives it to another student.

Often someone they don't know and wouldn't have an opportunity to meet,

who speaks it back in the first person.

Santa Fe High Senior Isabella Irazo, Lujan.

It allows for the other person to really understand that, you know, this person is a person,

and I don't know who they are, but I know that I am sympathetic for them and I can relate to them in some way.

Tristan Recy, also a senior, wrote of periods of homelessness he experienced while in high school.

In a way, I'm putting them in a bit of a difficult situation, telling them such a personal story.

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