News from Tucson I love getting letters about the newsletter! Glenda Bonin of Tucson writes in response to last week's tip about starting the day with stories and gives us an update from our neighbor to the south, The Old Pueblo!
Thanks for this latest newsletter. I'm so glad your trip went well and I love the idea of sharing stories early in the day. I have experienced tourist fatigue when traveling, and all I want to do at the end of a power day is rest in every sense of the word. My brain, my body and my energy are spent and I just want to savor the experience of the day before I fall into bed. Let's hear it for stories over breakfast!!
BTW: The summer hiatus for Tucson Tellers of Tales will not be an absolute this year. Our special interest groups plan to meet to share stories, and we may have another fun family gathering to provide fun and a break from the heat.
We now have a small group of writers who want to meet and to practice telling their stories in a brief and interesting way, so they plan to get together once a month starting June 15th to share, listen and support each other. I will send more info when I have it.
Have a splendid summer,
Glenda
The San Diego Connection - Concerts and Open Mics Away from the Phoenix Heat Want to get away? Here are some storytelling events in San Diego, just a few hours from the Concrete heat generator we call home!
Sea Spells and Moor Magic; Tales and Legends of Scotland, San Diego Highland Games, June 23rd, 7:00pm
Marilyn McPhie, Aunt Li-Anne, Fred Laskowski, and James Nelson Lucas with Scottish stories at Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Dr., Vista, CA. Information: Marilyn McPhie (858) 484-1325
More storytelling during games, June 24 & 25
"The Narrators" at Tiger, Tiger Tavern, June 13th , 8:00pm
THEME: "Road Trip," Tiger, Tiger Tavern, 3025 El Cajon Blvd, North Park,tavern website FREE for participants and listeners, to share a true personal story signup online at: "The Narrators" websiteMore information contact Robertemail
"Long Story Short", Saturday, June 17th, 7:00pm at The Ink Spot
Theme, "Catastrophe," 7:00-9:00pm, Open to one and all to tell a five minute story without notes on the theme: Suggested donation $5 San Diego Writers, Ink 2730 Historic Decatur Rd #202 maphttp://www.sosayweallonline.com
"4th Wednesday Open Mic," June 28th, 7:00-9:00pm
All tellers and listeners are welcome to attend at the Barnes and Noble, 10775 Westview Parkway, San Diego 92129. Contact Marilyn McPhie for more information call (858) 484-1325 or email mmcphie@gmail.com
Andy Hurlbut - Editor Extraordinaire
Are you a subscriber to the West Side Storytellers Newsletter? You should be. Skilled writer, gifted musician and talented storyteller Andy Hurlbut creates, writes and edits their newsletter. Contact Andy Hurlbut for submission deadlines and article guidelines, or to be put on the subscription list: ahurlbut@cox.com.
Each month, Andy puts out a 12-PAGE E-Newsletter with articles, stories, Recipes from the Storyteller's Kitchen, Fairytales, Folktales, Stories of the West and much, much more.
Here's a reprint from September, 2014 that seems appropriate, given the Tidbit below.
I will be forever indebted to storyteller, friend, colleague and educator Laura Packer. In a workshop she presented in Phoenix she said, "Use and trust your image engine."
In my Art of Storytelling classes, I use the story of Stealing Smells to demonstrate many different aspects of storytelling;
One concept is, that I have an image in my head and use my voice, body, gestures and facial expressions to portray the character as I see him (without describing him). Each member of the audience sees their OWN image based on my performance. I use a similar image of the bearded man, in this graphic, for the character of Mordechai the Baker. I Then ask the students to describe the image that THEY saw in their heads.
Then, I repeat the process by using a DIFFERENT image (the skinny fellow with glasses) and perform him differently. Then I ask the students to describe THAT character. By trusting my image engine, I can quickly become the character, without hesitation.
This process is both about having a "back story" for your character, and also trusting your "image engine" and letting it take you where you need to go.
Do you have your engine gassed up and ready to go?
Story Cubes Inspire EVTOT Tellers EVTOT member (actually the treasurer) Dixie Walljasper brought a set of Rory's Story Cubes to the meeting this last Saturday. If you are not familiar with the game, they are a set of nine cubes (dice) with different pictures and symbols on each face of each die. The object is to roll them out and create a story from the images.
DIxie, Maya Jones and Sharon Gilbert each chose three of the cubes and told an impromptu story related to the images. Tellers in the group have told impromptu stories before based on three words offered by attendees for the morning. Using the images brings another dimension to the process, as the images can mean different things to different people, and storytelling is "based" in images.
DIxie and Sharon both told folktales inspired by the images they drew, while Maya's cube image of an insect sent her directly into a personal story regarding cockroaches (her favorite subject).
I tried something different and started with one image from a chosen cube, then continued the story with successive cube images chosen by the other 5 attendees. It was fun to play with the images and shift with each new cube handed to me.
Rory's cubes have an interesting history and now boast sets of Actions, Voyages, Enchantment, and special branded sets including Batman, Looney Tunes, Doctor Who and Scooby Do!
In addition, they now offer an App for your iPhone or Android ($1.99 - cheap enough to have all the time in your phone).
------------------------------------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.
I love getting letters about the newsletter! Glenda Bonin of Tucson writes in response to last week's tip about starting the day with stories and gives us an update from our neighbor to the south, The Old Pueblo!
Want to get away? Here are some storytelling events in San Diego, just a few hours from the Concrete heat generator we call home!
EVTOT member (actually the treasurer) Dixie Walljasper brought a set of Rory's Story Cubes to the meeting this last Saturday. If you are not familiar with the game, they are a set of nine cubes (dice) with different pictures and symbols on each face of each die. The object is to roll them out and create a story from the images.
