Airfares are Currently Around $600! YOU CAN AFFORD THIS JOURNEY!
We are finding the lowest airfares I have seen in the past seven years! Currently, round trip is $600. That makes the total cost around $2400! Last week, one participant was able to purchase a ticket for $363 - AMAZING! I am checking fares daily, so contact me if this piques your interest.
This time, the plan is to also visit Dublin and some of the surrounding countryside, like Blarney Castle (kiss the Blarney Stone), the Cliffs of Moher; ride the storytelling bus in Dublin; visit many pubs in the Temple Bar district; and walk the historic grounds of Trinity College. That's in ADDITION to all the other cities and venues in England!
Last year's tour was a great success. Mostly, we laughed! Everyone said it was a great tour and they loved it. Three students and two teachers from GCC had a great time on the scheduled events and were extremely happy about the large amount of "free time" that they had to explore on their own.
The dates for next summer are May 16th through May 28th. That's eleven days on the ground, for sightseeing, telling stories, doing a little teaching and coaching, and laughing a lot! I guarantee you'll have the time of your life, and live happily ever after!
Arizona Storytellers: New Veteran Narratives TODAY - November 28th - 6:30pm
Crescent Ballroom
Join azcentral.com, The Arizona Republic and Alliance Bank of Arizona for a very special night of young veterans telling stories about their lives as a way to mark the legacy of the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Kyle Mitchell, personal and Navajo storyteller and former Army Ranger
Ryan Sadler
Kelley Stewart
Mario Avent, Army Veteran, student storyteller, life-long learner
Ryan Kitchell, former Photographer's Naval Mate Petty Officer 3rd Class
Become a subscriber: All Arizona Republic and azcentral subscribers receive a complimentary, gourmet brownie from Fairytale Brownies at check-in. Click here to learn about other great subscriber perks.
Accessibility Note: If you require ASL Interpretation Services for this event or a future Storytellers event, or if you require accommodations related to mobility or seating, contact Alexus Rhone at arhone@gannett.com.
An Evening with Liz Weir Wednesday - November 30th - 7pm - 9pm
Sandy Oglesby's House
Dear storytelling friends from the Phoenix Metro area. Sandy Oglesby would like to invite you to an evening of Irish Conversation and Story with the wonderful and honorable Liz Weir who is visiting from Ireland. She is coming to her home on Wed. evening the 30th from 7 to 9 pm.She will share stories and conversations and we will have a little "cake and tea" on the side. There is a limited amount of space, so RSVP please. RSVP on Sandy's message board and I will send you my address and phone number
Odyssey Storytelling in Tucson Thursday, December 1st - 7:00 pm The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street , Tucson
This curated Storytelling event in Tucson is in its 13th year! Six people are invited to tell ten minute, personal stories on a theme in front of an audience. The stories are not read or memorized, they are told from the life experiences and creativity of the teller
Theme:
Fraught: The tightrope. The ambush. The dead end and the last-ditch cliff dive. Everyday life is fraught with the emotional versions of these action-movie tropes. Come hear true stories spring-loaded with pressure, panic, and desperation. And discover how our storytellers emerged unscathed, or, at the very least, got out alive.
Tucson Tellers of Tales - Guild Meeting Saturday, December 3rd - 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Unscrewed Theater, 3244 E Speedway.
The Unscrewed Theater is a great place for TOT to meet. It is located across the street from The Loft Theater in a strip mall next to Walgreens. There is plenty of parking in the back of the building, and the entrance to the theater is next to the parking lot.
East Valley Tellers of Tales Guild Meeting Saturday, December 10th ~ 10am - Noon Join us to celebrate storytelling successes.
East Valley Tellers of Tales is a Phoenix area guild of Storytellers and Storylisteners. A truly safe place to share your story! We are an affiliate of the National Storytelling Network. Come and find out what this means, and how it benefits you!
East Valley Tellers of Tales is looking at ways to create outreach, new ideas for the group, plans for the future and more. Join us and lend your talent and energy to help us grow.
At this meeting, we'll be electing new officers. Throw your storytelling hat into the ring!
Create Your Own Stage - The Audience is Waiting! Inspiration (and advice) can come in the most unlikely of places. Last week, while dining at my favorite Chinese restaurant, Desert Jade, for desert, as always, I was given a fortune cookie. In recent years, I have become quite disillusioned about fortune cookies. Most don't really have a "fortune" anymore. They used to be great:
You will meet someone fantastic soon
You will find a better job
You will receive a gift soon
Your status will improve
Those are fortunes! Maybe someone in the fortune cookie Political Correctness Division went to the boss and said they had to change things. So now most of the fortunes are really "statements" or "sayings" like: You are a good person; People like you; or You love yourself. Not that these aren't good things to tell folks, but I want a FORTUNE!
Imagine my surprise when I opened my cookie that evening to find the fortune with the message:
You create your own stage.
The Audience is waiting.
Hmmm... Was this a statement? Was it a fortune? Perhaps both! Perhaps a great inspirational message and reminder that as storytellers, we must often "create our own stage". We must create our own space to perform, and when we begin our story, we must create a place for the audience to come along with us.
We must trust that the audience is waiting for us. Sometimes, it is a skeptical audience who is not sure that a story would be of interest. But often, it is with an audience who is listening with open ears an open eyes, waiting; waiting to be whisked off to a magical place where they can slay a dragon or heal a sick princess, or conquer a snowy mountain peak.
In either case, WE are the creators! And yes, the audience is waiting, skeptical or not. They are waiting for us to invite them in, to take them with us on a fantastic journey, together, forming, shaping and creating a world where they can hold their breath and yet, still breathe. A world where they can peer over the edge, yet not fall. A world where they can be hero, villain and victim all together, know all of the emotions combined, and still feel safe.
WE create that stage. And, yes... Our audience is waiting!
How will you create your next stage? - Perhaps next week will shed more light on the subject!
The Art of Asking
It's no secret that storytellers have a hard road ahead of them if they want to "make their living" at their craft. In many ways, we have this in common with our sister and brother musicians. I have previously written aboutways to give clients your pitch and ask for a specific fee (click here). But there are many ways to ask for and receive compensation (money) for your art.
Don't make people pay for music, says rock musician Amanda Palmer: Let them. In a passionate TED talk that begins in her days as a street performer, she examines the new relationship between artist and fan. There are some interesting and enlightening concepts in her talk. We may not be able to model her course of action to generate compensation (money) as storytellers, but I believe the message is about generating relationships, and to (again) think outside the proverbial box.
------------------------------------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 - *NO meetings in July & August http://www.evtot.com
Storyfind Fourth Saturday of each month (usually - check calendar) - *NO meetings in June & July
SMCC Storytelling Institute
A monthly workshop designed to help storytellers build community and deepen repertoire. See the Calendar
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
TODAY - November 28th - 6:30pm
Wednesday - November 30th - 7pm - 9pm
Saturday, December 3rd - 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Saturday, December 10th ~ 10am - Noon
Inspiration (and advice) can come in the most unlikely of places. Last week, while dining at my favorite Chinese restaurant, 
