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 37 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!"
Donald Davis is the premier Master Storyteller in America. He has performed at every major storytelling festival and has taught storytelling all over the country. For Donald Davis storytelling ",...is not what I do for a living...it is how I do all that I do while I am living."
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.
Jeff Gere lives in Hawaii and has been telling stories for over 25 years. A rubbery face and 1000 voices make Jeff one of Hawaii's most prolific storytellers.
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.
Bill Harley uses humor, music, his rubbery face, and the pure joy of just being a kid to tell stories and make us laugh. An award winning musician and storyteller, many times over, Bill's passion and humor is infectious, and always leaves you feeling full.
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 was one of the giants of storytelling. He was 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.
Sadly, Syd passed away on April 12, 2015. He will be missed by many. He will always remain one of my heroes.
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.
John McCutcheon has the fastest fingers on the banjo that anyone has ever seen. He combines his music and storytelling to delight us with lighthearted entertainment.
Waddie Mitchell never met a rhyme he didn't like. A cowboy poet and storyteller, he tells his stories in verse and makes you feel as if you're just sitting around the campfire after a long day on the dusty trail.
A master of gesture, body language, and facial expression, Clare Murphy embodies each story she tells. Her soft Irish brogue and impish style bring her fairytales and folktales to life. She deftly turns her shawl into a pedler's hump, a sack of potatoes, or a Queen's royal robes.
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.
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.
In October of 2011, Ted was the Chair of the Board of Directors for NSN.
Ted formed and ran August House Publishing, the premier publishing company of storytelling books and material. In 2008, he 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.
Native Alaskan teller Gene Tagaban Talks about storytelling and being part of a "tribe". Gene is an amazing teller who shares many Native American stories. It is a true treat to see him perform as the Raven Dancer.
Native American Storyteller Dovie Thomason shares her special humor and unique perspective on the Native American experience, and passes down her rich culture through storytelling.
Liz Weir
Liz Weir on "being 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.
