As I travel across the country, I ask storytellers to comment on storytelling.
What do they love about the craft; what advice do they have for other tellers;
how has storytelling affected thier lives?
As of today,
, I have recorded 29 gracious tellers.
Here are their responses, in alphabetical order by last name.
Spencer Bohren
Recorded: 10/9/2011
Spencer Bohren’s music resonates with the ambience of the rivers, roads, and bayous of the American South. He has a marvelous gift for sharing his great love for America’s wealth of traditional folk, blues, gospel and country music with audiences of all ages.
Jeri Burns, PhD and Barry Marshall have been working together as The Storycrafters since 1991, and have been storytellers for even longer than that. In addition to being nationally renowned storytellers, they are award-winning radio show hosts, recording artists, writers, and adjunct college faculty (Southern CT State University).
Since 1993, Regi has been motivating and inspiring audiences throughout the country with a diverse repertoire of world stories, folktales, myths, music and personal stories of her hometown Clayton, NY on the St. Lawrence River in Northern New York. In each story and with each telling, Regi mixes mirth, music and everyday events into myths and muses about life, death and nothing in particular.
Best known for his PBS special and Off-Broadway one man show, “The Neon Man and Me,” award winning storyteller, Slash Coleman, has also been featured as an Exchange Place Teller at the 2009 National Storytelling Festival, the 2008 Oral History Performance Conference at Columbia University, at LANES and Stonesoup Storytelling Festival.
For over twenty years, Kevin has told stories in over forty states, England, and Japan. His story work has been commissioned by the National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame, Newsweek, and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As a story teacher he is considered one of the “nation’s primary advocates for youth storytelling!"
MaryGay Ducey performs, teaches, and organizes storytelling for all ages as a National Storytelling Festival performer, a children’s librarian, the director of the Bay Area Storytelling Festival and teacher of storytelling at UC Berkeley. From a commission by the Smithsonian to an appearance on Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, MaryGay’s wit, wisdom and stories delight and enrich.
Elizabeth is a versatile and riveting teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories of heroic American women, though her personal stories are arguably her best. She has captivated over 250,000 children and countless adults at schools, universities and festivals in her 25 year career as a storyteller.
Tim Ereneta is an award-winning storyteller based in Berkeley, California, who has performed on stages in schools, theaters, and festivals across the country. He was the recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Grant for 2006, awarded each year to a storyteller of major and unique performing talent who has not yet received wide public recognition. He is a frequent performer at many Fringe Festivals.
When Mary Hamilton takes the stage, the show unfolds in the hearts and minds of the audience. In her straightforward "just talking" style, Mary uses her voice and her body to tell stories. Her audiences watch, listen, imagine, and create worlds. She has a "crisp, clean" style that brings every audience member into her world.
Megan Hicks has a way with words. Add a sense of humor and a deep respect for everybody who is now or ever was a kid, and you’ve got an award-winning performer who captivates audiences of all ages and all walks of life. Along with historical and other stories, She tells great fairytales and folktales.
Syd Lieberman is one of the giants of storytelling. He is an internationally acclaimed storyteller, an award-winning teacher, and an author. He has appeared at major storytelling festivals across the country, including eight featured appearances at the National Festival in Jonesborough, TN.
Syd has made a very bold move. He has placed ALL of his recordings on his website. You can listen or download FOR FREE! Not only is it a wonderful treasure trove of great stories, it is a veritable Master Class for storytellers. Listen to Syd and you will learn much from this gentle giant of a storyteller.
Doug Lipman is one of the premier storytellers in the world. He is also known as the ultimate Storyteller Coach. I spent a whole day with seven other storytellers in a coaching workshop with Doug. It was one of the most amazing workshops I have been to. It was an incredible insight into the entire process of coaching, appreciations and suggestions.
Watching Doug coach each teller was an educational experience that will stay with me forever. He is a Zen Master, asking probing questions that bring the teller to their own conclusions of what the story needs.
Barry Marshall, and Jeri Burns, PhD have been working together as The Storycrafters since 1991, and have been storytellers for even longer than that. In addition to being nationally renowned storytellers, they are award-winning radio show hosts, recording artists, writers, and adjunct college faculty (Southern CT State University).
Jim is a storyteller who speaks in the natural, matter-of-fact style of the fathers, horse traders, and small-town raconteurs who populated rural McHenry County, Illinois where his family has lived since the 1840's. He is one of the "gentlest" tellers I have met.
Michael is a multicultural storyteller of African, African-American and International Folk tales, Historical tales, Stories of Science, Spiritual stories, as well as stories of the brilliant and absolutely stupid things he has done in his life.
Bobby Norfolk is one of the fastest talking, most animated storytellers around. Bobby's innate ability to read and connect with audiences of all ages makes him one of America’s premier storytellers. Using dynamic movement and vocal effects, Bobby creates vibrant characters who come to life through imaginative, creative story, living history programs. One of his passions is "building character" through stories.
Jay O'Callahan
Jay O'Callahan has the rare distinction of traveling the world telling stories. Here, he introduces us to the power of storytelling – that most human, and ancient, art form. Through the lens of a tale about NASA putting a man on the moon, O'Callahan illustrates how storytelling taps into our imagination, engages those around us, and inspires amazing achievements.
Orinally posted on the 99%
Read more about this story on Jay's website
Susan O'Halloran is passionate about one of the most uncomfortable, polarized subjects in our society today – diversity and, in particular, racial justice. Stories help build bridges between communities. Language is a universal way to share our dreams and challenges.
Ted Parkhurst is the current Chairman of the Board of the National Storytelling Network (NSN). The website is http://www.storynet.org. He formerly owned August House Publishing, the premier publishing company of storytelling books and material.
Ted has formed a new publishing company called Parkhurst Brothers and is once again publishing material related to storytelling.
Diane loves telling stories to audiences of all ages and teaching people about storytelling. She's been involved in storytelling and public speaking for many years and uses those skills to create programs and stories to help people navigate changes in their live. Her storytelling path changed direction following the death of her son when she realized that stories were the key to her own healing process. She grew stronger by remembering and telling stories of her son, which kept him present in her daily life.
Antonio Sacre
Antonio Sacre presented concerts and workshops at the South Mountain Community College Spring Festival and the Phoenix Fringe Festival. His workshop on Soup to Nuts revealed his process for generating and crafting stories.
Liz Weir
Liz Weir on "be a listener first" and finding stories that you like.
Liz did a concert/seminar on Stories and Conflict Resolution at SMCC. It was a quite "eye-opener" into some of the history of conflict in Ireland, and how stories can help change the way people are with each other.
