Storyteller to Run in Rock and Roll Marathon This coming Saturday, January 16th is the Phoenix Rock and Roll Marathon. Our own Sally Borg will be be running and competing! Find a spot along the route and cheer her on.
And also...
Be aware the there are multiple ROAD CLOSURES and BLOCKED ROAD CROSSINGS all over the city! Check out the RACE COURSE and website for closures!
Storytelling Tour of England - Join us! IT'S HAPPENING! - ONLY 3 SLOTS LEFT!
If you are even slightly interested - let me know ASAP!
The cost is about $2480 including airfare!
If you love to tell stories, talk about stories, craft stories, have fun and see the sights with friends, then this tour is for you. The plan is to spend eight days touring these iconic sites - but I'm about to EXTEND THE TOUR TO TEN DAYS!
Listeners, spouses, partners and friends are welcome too!
The tour and workshops will be lead by me and my friend and colleague, Colorado Storyteller Pam Faro.
NSN Conference 2016 - Pre-Earlybird Special Pricing!
NOW is the time to start making arrangements! Register for the 2016 National Storytelling Conference by January 12, 2016, and save $10 off the early-bird price. By registering early, you may elect to pay in 6 monthly installments January through June 2016. The best deal you will get!
The 2016 NSN Storytelling Conference will once again be held in Kansas City, July 21-24, 2016. The theme for the conference is "Spotlight on Storytelling". The Conference Committee is reviewing all proposals, and presenters and workshops will be announced soon.
Storytelling Classes Start Next Week! Storytelling Classes start next week, so make sure you register now! South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute certainly has the most classes, and the most diverse offerings of storytelling classes.
Once again, SMCC will also offer the following Two-Saturday classes in
Using Storytelling In Business Settings
Using Storytelling In Healing Settings
Using Storytelling In Interpretive Setting
Using Storytelling In Advocacy Setting
There are also storytelling classes at many other Maricopa Community colleges. Check on the Location, and in the search box, you may have to enter one of the following:
STO292, EDU292, HUM292
New Hybrid Class at Chandler-Gilbert Campus
Caleb Winebrenner will be teaching a late-start Art of Storytelling class at Chandler-Gilbert Community College this semester. The class runs on Saturdays from February 6th through March 12th, and will be a "hybrid" class - part online and part in-class. There are 13 slots available at this writing. Click here for the details.
A Man Would Be a Fool... Tuesday, January 12th - 5:00 PM White Tank Mountain Library
Liz Warren, fourth-generation Arizonan, and director of the South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute recounts the story of her iconic grandmother in "A Man Would Be a Fool to Take a Chance on Me":
Liz Warren's grandmother, spent most of her life in Skull Valley, Arizona, as the postmaster and owner of the general store. Born in 1900 in Walker, Vi was the daughter and granddaughter of miners. Her life spanned the century, and she witnessed statehood, two great wars, the Depression, and Rural Electrification first hand from her perch in south-west Yavapai County. Vi was an accomplished raconteur, and family meals always included many hours of stories about her life and that of her relatives and friends in Arizona's mining and ranching country. This presentation will introduce listeners to the fascinating and irascible Violet through stories and pictures.
Journeys Workshops: Storytelling with Liz Warren Saturday, January 16th - 10am - Noon
The Whole Life Center at Shadow Rock will be offering monthly two-hour storytelling workshops with Liz Warren this spring, as well as quarterly Storytelling Nights.
In these workshops, you'll learn essential skills of storytelling as you find, structure, develop, and tell a story from your own life that you might share at our Journeys: Storytelling Nights or just for your own family and friends.
Whole Life Center at Shadow Rock
12861 N. 8th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
(just south of Thunderbird, at the edge of the mountain preserve)
Saturdays, 10 am-noon monthly on January 16, February 20, March 12.
January's workshop will focus on family stories, February on love or friendship, and March on adventure stories.
Join us in partnership with Arizona State University Young Alumni Chapter for a night dedicated to life at ASU. You'll hear from professors, students and Republic reporters who cover the largest university in the country. We'll celebrate stories of life-changing classes, inspiring professors and the legendary parties that make up the college experience.
Details: 6 p.m. check-in; stories 7-9 p.m. Jan. 18 at Old Main at Arizona State University, 400 E. Tyler Mall, Tempe. $12. 350 tickets available. Current ASU students attend free. Just register. All tellers booked.
NOTE: This is ON CAMPUS at ASU. You will need to park OFF CAMPUS and walk to the Old Main Building.
Storyfind - The Three Sources Method Saturday - January 23rd from 1:00 – 4:00 in PAC 740.
With Sean Buvala
An Accountable Repertoire: How to Do the "Three Sources" Research When Developing a New Worldtale.
The Internet, with its connections to libraries, blogs and sales of old books, has made the work of preparing a folktale, myth or fairytale much easier. There's simply no excuse anymore to not have multiple sources on a tale as you work to make it tellable in your own repertoire.
In this fast lab, Sean Buvala will take you through his process for researching and developing a new folktale first found in the "old books" collection at the South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute. This is a lab, so the presentation will be short brief. Feel free to take notes. If there is time, Sean might be able to do a "live" demo from a story some of the students might be researching, so bring your ideas and questions.
Storyfind is a monthly workshop designed to help storytellers build community and deepen repertoire. Each session will start with a short reception to welcome new participants to the community.
Seaglass Storytelling Saturday - January 30th
9:30 am - 1:30 pm (registration required)
Seaglass Storytelling is a new workshop from long-time Valley teller/coach Sean Buvala.
A workshop on using the unique light of a folktale to improve our personal stories.
The workshop explores the "Three Refractions" and the shadow sides of personal tales. There will be time to work on one's own tale in a small group. Like rare sea glass, the best personal stories are intentionally constructed stories that have the long-term impact of the world tale.
Learn to craft your personal tales to have more impact and a lasting memory in the hearts and minds of your listeners. The "Sea Glass Storytelling Workshop" includes workshop, materials and a working lunch all for $39! Registration required.
Human Touch The value and power of human touch is immeasurable.
Last week I had to go back to the ER due to some intense back pain. The doctor wanted me to stay in the hospital "overnight for observation." (I promise...no more hospital stays!)
They had given me some medication to deal with the pain, but at 3:30 am, I awoke with more pain. My nurse, Carmen, felt is was at a severe level and the doctor had ordered morphine.
When she told me she was going to give me morphine, I was a little nervous. My Mother had been given morphine in the hospital and she had a severe reaction. So I was a bit concerned, but I said "Okay" as I believed it would help the pain. She administered it intravenously. It was something I had never felt before...and it was not good.
I immediately felt flush, as if I had been standing on my head for an hour, but it occurred in a matter of seconds! I got scared, very scared. I began to hyperventilate. I got very emotional and fearful.
Carmen was exceptionally wonderful. She stayed with me in the room (many nurses would have left). She stood by my bed and took my hand. She spoke softly. She told me everything was going to be okay. She stroked my hand and put her other hand on my shoulder. She said I was going to be fine.
Even though I was in turmoil, there was a part of me that was aware she was holding my hand and stroking my arm. There was a part of me that was so glad she was touching me. I knew she was there, and that she cared and was going to take care of me. She gave me some oxygen and then returned her hand on mine. It had such a calming effect.
Even though I was in distress, there was a part of me that said to myself, "This feels good. I must write about this in my newsletter." Strange, wasn't it?
But maybe not. Maybe it wasn't so strange that I was aware of how calming her touch was; how important human contact is. As storytellers, we know the power of story. We know that stories connect us all. We know that stories can touch people's hearts. So to understand the power of actual human touch, even in my moment of distress may not have been uncommon.
My "tip" this week is to not forget the power that stories hold. And at the same time, to be aware of the power of actual human touch; of a hug; or the touch of a hand on another's, or a shoulder or a forearm.
Stories have the power to touch us all. Actual touching has a power all its own!
A Hush in the Room My good friend and storyteller extraordinaire, Regi Carpenter has recently done a TEDx Talk!
As a professional storyteller, Regi Carpenter tells, writes, and teaches her art with structure and uninhabited creativity. Her work with sick and dying children has taught her that, perhaps, there is only one real story, with thousands of variables.
Watch and listen to the soothing sound of Regi's marvelous voice and gentle style as she shares her stories, her experience and her knowledge that there is only one true story.
(Sorry, I am unable to embed the video. Just click on the picture or here)
------------------------------------THERE'S A LOT GOING ON EACH MONTH -------------------CHECK EACH WEBSITE OR CALENDAR TO CONFIRM DATES AND TIMES ---------------------------------CALL TO MAKE SURE THE EVENT IS STILL ON
FStorytellers - Female Story Tellers - Tucson
Usually sometime during the first week of the month - but check their website) at 7 pm - TUCSON http://www.fstorytellers.com/index.html
West Side Story Tellers - Storytellers Guild First Saturday of each month - GLENDALE *NO meetings in July & August http://westsidestorytellers.weebly.com
East Valley Tellers of Tales -Storytellers Guild Second Saturday of each month - SCOTTSDALE http://www.evtot.com
Storyfind Fourth Saturday of each month (usually - check calendar) - SMCC Storytelling Institute
A monthly workshop designed to help storytellers build community and deepen repertoire. See the Calendar
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
This coming Saturday, January 16th is the Phoenix Rock and Roll Marathon. Our own Sally Borg will be be running and competing! Find a spot along the route and cheer her on.
Storytelling Classes start next week, so make sure you register now! South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute certainly has the most classes, and the most diverse offerings of storytelling classes.
Tuesday, January 12th - 5:00 PM
Saturday, January 16th - 10am - Noon
Monday - January 18th
Saturday - January 23rd from 1:00 – 4:00 in PAC 740.
Saturday - January 30th
The value and power of human touch is immeasurable.
