Walking the Talk

It has been a while since I last posted and thankfully it looks like my leap of faith might be working out. There are so many new avenues opening up that my head is swimming, but it's all good!

Last weekend I attended the Sharing the Fire conference in Nashua, New Hampshire hosted by the LANES organization. I posted an overview of my time at the conference on the Storytell listserv and I share it with here as well. My apologies to anyone I left out.

The weekend started off in grand fashion meeting Csenge from Budapest, Hungary in the lobby of the hotel. She is truly everything folks have shared about her, a lovely young woman full of energy and delight. We were able to spend some time together and I had fun introducing her to the STF community as we wandered about. I am sad to say I missed her showcase as I was hosting another one at the time, but I consoled myself knowing that I will have the opportunity to see perform again soon.

The Friday night concert began with Simon Brooks. I have heard Simon tell before but he just gets better and better each time I have the opportunity to be in the audience. He shared The Story Untold, The Song Unsung. Simon is incredibly relaxed on stage, alternately playing with the audience and the story. He is such a strong performer and I have no doubt we will be hearing a lot more from him. Simon is from England so to use his natural vernacular, I think he is bloody brilliant!

Jean Armstrong shared her animated, funny and poignant personal tale about attending a dance festival. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform this at the NSN fringe in Pennsylvania in 2006 and it was just as much fun the second time around.

Uncle George, as he is fondly known in our New England circle, shared the folktale The Tiger's Whisker. A well-know tale to be sure but he told it with a personal passion and made it his own. We talked a bit afterwards and he shared that he had worked on it a great deal, being coached by a number of people and it helped him immensely. Another plug for story partner work!

The last person in the set that night was a librarian from NH whose name unfortunately escapes me. I believe who just won the Librarian of the Year Award. She told a fractured version of Cinderella that was fall off your seat funny! Her presentation was filled with dry, hysterical wit that was so polished it appeared effortless. I don't know if it is is her original version, I suspect it is, and if so, she needs to get the story published. A true delight.

I presented a three hour workshop, Storytelling With Ease, on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, last minute preparations kept me away from Susan Klein's keynote but I heard she was fabulous! The focus of my workshop was beginning storytelling skills and judging by the evaluations it went very well. Eighteen librarians, educators and folks interested in storytelling were present. They were an attentive, receptive audience, willing to play and learn. Our goal was to learn one story by the end of the workshop and present it to the group.

One attendee, Wesley, a young adult age 15 stood up in front of the group full of adults and shared the story of The Stone Cutter. This is a difficult cumulative tale and even though it was a very shortened version I would have pulled out of the pile of stories to use had I realized it was there, yet he took the challenge and did a wonderful job. His mother found me later at the conference and shared that he had actually performed the story for her later in their room. Her words were "What did you do to my son? He is incredible shy, I can't believe he performed the story for me!" Of course it wasn't me, it was the magic of storytelling. Hopefully, we will hear and see much more of this young man in the future.

Late Saturday afternoon I attended a workshop on Storytelling and Literacy with June Peloso. She offered some wonderful information, statistics and activities. I wish her workshop had been longer, she has so much to share and truly does great work.

On Saturday night there was the main OLIO and it was grand. There was a very eclectic mix of stories and tellers, including Dave McPherson, known for his poetry slams in Boston, Slash Coleman, an awarded winning playwright, Robert Perkins, filmmaker and writer whose work has been shown on PBS, Leeny Del Seamonds a well-known teller who appears at festivals around the country and Cris Riedel. It was a terrific mix of styles and genres that worked incredibly well and certainly highlighted that there is room for all kinds of storytellers and styles.

Everyone was grand, especially Cris Riedel who performed Possum's Tail. I have known Cris for years, taken her workshops but never heard her tell. She is fabulous! Her voice is so rich and full, no wonder she's a voice coach. Her telling style is relaxed, fun and intimate. She made a huge roomful of people feel as if she was telling just to them. I can't wait to hear her again.

Leeny was her usual effervescent self, sharing the delightful bi-lingual folktale, Who Rules the Roost. I wish I had her ability to deftly switch from one language to another, without missing a beat.

Saturday night found me in Regi Carpenter's room, an incredibly talented teller who was awarded the J.J. Reneaux award for emerging tellers, conferred by the NSN. There is no question in my mind why she received it. Regi gave us, about 12 in all, a private performance of the fringe piece she will share in TN at the National Storytelling Conference. It is the amazing story of her father and family, interspersed with songs that fit each era. Regi can not only tell, that girl can sing! The story is heartwarming and heart wrenching, filled with all of the pathos and joy life throws our way. Truly not to be missed.

Sunday morning began with another keynote, this time we were treated to the insightful words of Lee-Ellen Marvin. Although Lee-Ellen is not an elder in the numerical sense of the word, she is truly an elder in our community. She has accomplished so much, gives of herself in so many ways and continues to mentor students in the art of storytelling. Her keynote was powerful, wise, humorous, encouraging and made you want to jump up out of your chair and make a difference in the world.

Later on I sat in on a coaching workshop offered by Jackson Gillman. Three folks are chosen by lottery but others can observe, which is what I did. I was glad I went as I learned so much from Jackson. His coaching style is gentle but spot on! He is truly a master at knowing what works and what can be improved upon. If you ever have the opportunity to be coached by him don't pass it by.

The last workshop I attended was by Molly Catron, Storytelling in the Business Jungle. Molly is from TN who has worked in the business world for 20 years and she knows her stuff! She packed a lot of information into 90 minutes; her workshop could easily be an intensive, she has so much to share that comes from her "in the trenches" experience, not just from books.

The closing ceremony was lovely, filled with music and dancing, honor those past, those present and those who will follow in our footsteps. Three youth tellers shared their stories with the audience. One young man, Dylan, is 12 years old and brought the house down with his original story of how God gave humans the give of speech. At the beginning of the story God realizes his mistake and Dylan slapped himself on the forehead and in place of "Oh my God" said "Oh my self!" It was just one of the many hysterical, creative moments of his story. He is one to watch!

Well, there you have it, my highlights, at least those that I can remember at the moment. Again, my apologies for leaving anyone out. The weekend was full and rich, it was grand to see old friends, make new ones and be filled to the brim with stories! Sincere thanks to Lauretta Phillips, this years conference chair, and all the volunteers who made it work! I hope they are all taking a well-deserved rest right about now!

On another note, this week I had a wonderfully productive meeting with the director of a local arts organization. The director and I will be part of a city-wide Literacy Summit
this coming week and hopefully bolster an interest in storytelling and education. The organization is committed to working with other community organizations and schools to bring families, educators and the arts together in an accessible and productive learning environment. We have a lot of ideas brewing and will continue to work together on a number of projects, including an after school student storytelling program, teacher training, an evening open mic for adults, and more. Stay tuned!

Another storytelling friend and I have a new, long range project in the works as well. We haven't yet unveiled it as we are still fine tuning the details; please check back later to learn about it and share in our excitement.

As I said before, serendipity is a wonderful thing; I would never have the time to work on all these diverse projects had I not left my office position in March. So, onward and upward, exciting, new adventures await. I hope our paths cross along the road!

Serendipity and a Leap of Faith

Serendipity, I have always loved that word. It comes from the Persian folktale, The Three Princes of Serendip; "as their highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of..."

You see, my entry into the world of storytelling back in 1999 was a very serendipitous event.It was then that I attended a teacher's conference in New Hampshire and one day, during our lunch break, we were treated to a wonderful storyteller. She shared amazing tales of growing up in Africa, woven around lush folktales from her culture. I was hooked! Although I graduated with an degree in English Literature I was unaware of this ancient art of Oral Tradition or a career in storytelling. When I returned home I immediately began to research. This is not as easy as it sounds, we are talking pre-Google time! Within a few months I attended my first storytelling workshop and within a year my first Northlands Storytelling Conference in Iowa. I began my new journey, at first taking baby steps, then skipping along for a bit, and later running to catch up, thankful for the many hands and voices that lifted me up when I stumbled along the way.

So in this Leap Year I decided to take my own personal leap. After 14 years working at my local elementary school I submitted my resignation. I have decided to move from part-time/sometime storyteller to full time teller. I finish in three weeks but will continue to work with my student storytelling troupe. My administrator has assured me that as long as he is there the program will continue. I am blessed.

As I leave the cold, crisp days of February in New England behind and welcome in the windy days of March, it is with a mixture of hope, faith, and a wee bit of trepidation that I begin another journey. I know it won't happen overnight but if not now when? As the Chinese proverb teaches, "The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now."

A Step Back in Time

My mother was one of the funniest and most genuine people I have ever known and she raised me on a steady diet of family stories about her childhood. She grew up in a large Irish Catholic family surrounded by eleven brothers and sisters. A family that large would tax any bank account but she and her brothers were brought up during the Great Depression when times were especially difficult. Yet love still lined the walls of their home.


I still remember laughing at the crazy tales of sibling rivalry between Mom and her sister Margaret. Irish twins they were yet they were so different in many ways. Margaret was the one with the magic mirror and the ‘come hither’ strut. Mom was more shy and unassuming, never believing that she was a natural beauty, but their bond was unshakeable.

I don't remember my mother ever striking me as a child so I would wince when she shared how my grandmother would line up all twelve of the children and dole out her strict brand of discipline at the end of a strap they called a “cat and nine tails.” That strap went through many incarnations as the children did their best (or worse) to hide it from their mother’s reach. As a child I giggled with delight each time my mother told me how our very own family trickster, Uncle Eddie, stuffed it into the cast iron tea kettle only to be discovered, to my grandmother’s horror, when she poured a cup of tea for the visiting parish priest. Through the years I would plead, “Tell me again”.

It has been said many times over that the grandmother I never knew was strong-willed and resourceful; so capable she was able to convince her neighbor to switch houses, no banks involved. The stuff of Depression Era legend to be sure! These stories sometimes sounded like Tall Tales but were always corroborated by my aunts and uncles if I dared question their authenticity.

I never recorded those stories and didn’t fully understand their value until I found storytelling. Sadly, my mother passed away eleven years ago and the time has come and gone when I could ask her to “Tell me again.” So this past weekend I decided not to let another opportunity pass me by. I spent the day with her brother, my godfather Laurie. If I owe my storytelling skills to anyone besides my mother it would be him, a true Irishman, quick to laugh, sing a song, tell a story or lend a hand; the man who has graciously, and sometimes with trepidation, taken on the mantel of family patriarch over the years.

So this Sunday I set up the tripod and camera and we settled in. Although I came prepared with a clipboard full of questions, they were not needed. He quickly fell into an easy rhythm; I found myself whisked away to the Emerald Isles, watching my grandfather grow up as a street urchin with his two brothers, Shanty Irish they were. Then, in what seemed like an instant he was old enough to walk onto a ship, make his way down to steerage class and emerge on Ellis Island. Little did he know that a woman named Mary, Lace Curtain Irish was she, from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, would make that same journey years later and one day become his wife.

Throughout the afternoon we made our way over the ocean, to the docks of New York, down to Massachusetts where grandfather easily found work in his trade as a mason. Although his sponsor was in Chicago he learned there were opportunities in the city of New Bedford where numerous red brick textile mills were being built, mills that still dot the landscape today. Later in life he stopped “slinging mud on the walls” to take up a more decorative and artistic type of masonry, that is unfortunately a lost art. Some of his most beautiful work can still be found throughout the city, particularly the golden Grecian dancers that grace the walls in the exquisitely restored Zeiterion Theatre. They bring me comfort and a grand sense of pride each time I attend a performance there.

My Shanty Irish grandfather grabbed his piece of the American Dream and soon built a very successful business, which was decimated during the great crash; he never fully recovered. There were other stories shared that day, some funny, some poignant and we have not finished this journey yet. We will meet again for there are many more years and lives to explore but I am forever grateful for the warmth of family and stories on a cold New England day.

Paper Memories

I confess, I hate clutter but that doesn't stop it from piling up from time to time. Today I awoke with a sense of purpose, I would tackle those household jobs that seem to be swept aside all too easily as the days turn into weeks, then months, and sometimes years. I would conquer and clean my office today!

It has gone through a number of transitions through the years and the time is long overdo for another makeover. I vowed to weed through all of the piles of paperwork, cull my overflowing files of old articles, emails, notes and photos. It was time for Operation ODP! (Organize, Dust and Polish)

But you know the old saying when it comes to cleaning, "It will get worse before it gets better." So here I sit, after hours of attempted paper purging surrounded by even more piles of files. What has taken me so long you might ask? Well, you see, as I weeded through all the clutter, bits of tangible, tactile memories began to float to the surface, whispering "Stop and remember."

There was the bookmark my storytelling mentor and friend, Leanne Johnson gave to me. A stunning graphic of her graces the front; she is smiling, waving, urging us to come, sit, listen and share. I place it in a new book I just bought, she will be safe there.

In another pile I found the silly business card she made for me. We were joking one day about what we should place on our business cards and I said, very definitively, "I want mine to read, The all knowing goddess of light and love, ruler of the planets, stars and outer galaxies." Always ready for a good laugh Leanne quickly printed up a set of cards on her home computer and mailed them straight away to me. Just holding them makes me smile.

To the right of my desk, in back of some notepads were photos taken at the National Festival in Jonesboro through the years. Groups of us laughing, huddling close, wearing heavy coats, hats and gloves because it was so cold. The next shows us all sporting short sleeves and sandals, beaming in the warm sunshine; Indian Summer weather to be sure. The photos make me wistful for friends I haven't seen in a long time and those I will probably never see again.

To the left, tucked between two folders is a birthday card from my dear friend Meg. In this fast paced world of emails and e-cards, Meg took the time to author a lovely handwritten note. Her words filled me with joy then, and do now. I keep this card to read again and again, reminding me how lucky I am to have friends such as her. No, this definitely won't find its way into the wastebasket.

Ahhh, tucked away in one of my many file drawers I discover colorful crayon pictures drawn by some children who came to one of my storytelling shows. I can't let them go either; their happiness jumps right off the page, filled with the irresistible charm of youth. I will scan them and one day place them up on my website for others to enjoy.

I finally find something that I am ready to toss into the wastebasket, a storytelling newsletter from England, circa 2001. Oh but wait, as I sit cross-legged on the floor, I can't resist flipping through the pages one last time. There, on page 16 sits a lovely story, one I have never read before and it shouts, "Keep me, learn me, tell me!" I make myself a note about the tale so it will not languish any longer in limbo, and back into the file it goes.

Among the Coppermine Eskimos, Cree and Ojibwa, there is no word for goodbye; I can relate. Yes, it seems that today I kept many more things than I let go, but each is important and holds a place in my heart. So I will sweep as many cobwebs away as I can, rearrange the books on my shelves, clear a spot for me to set my tea down, and begin anew tomorrow.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year! 2008 is the Year of the Rat. Every Chinese New Year is associated with one of the 12 animals found in the Chinese zodiac: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

According to Chinese legend the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.

All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last. http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/festivals/chinese/animals.html

All of the animals in the Chinese zodiac represents some positive trait except the rat. For example:

Oxen - Industriousness
Tiger - Power
Rabbits - Smartness
Dragons - Dignity
Horses - Vigor
Sheep - Gentleness
Monkeys - Cleverness
Roosters - Faithfulness
Dogs - Loyalty
Snakes - Flexibility
Pigs - Fortune

But the poor rat is nowhere to be found. So why is this wayward rodent given the honor or representing the Chinese New Year from time to time? Some say it is because rats made three great contributions to humanity.

1) Rats have created the universe. In Chinese folk tales, the sky and the earth were originally not separated. One day, a little rat ran out, saw the confusion, and gave a big bite to the entanglement of the sky and the earth, which separated the sky and the earth finally. So, people consider the little rat the hero that has created a new era.

2) Rats bring about light to humanity. It is said that after the rat separated the sky and the earth, a big black cloud blocked out the sun. Neither people nor animals could see in such darkness. So, the little rat and its friends set out to steal the sunlight and light up the earth.

3) Rats stole seeds of grains to feed humanity. From that time people on the earth began to farm and feed themselves.

Interested in reading more about our furry friend and the Chinese New Year?
Go to China.org

There are many wonderful myths, folktales and legends from China. Here is one book published in 1848 that is now in the public domain. You can even download a copy for free for your own files.
Chinese Legends or The Porcelain Tower by Thomas Henry Sealy

For more story links on China visit my Storytelling Links page on my website.

And in case your wondering, my Chinese Zodiac sign is the sheep, as was Mark Twain's, not bad company at all! So my friends, in the venacular of the
1970's "What's your sign?"

Karen

The Gentle Nudge of a Friend

Welcome all and Happy February!

Here in New England the night is unseasonable warm and thunder shakes the night after a cold start and a day of rain. The day has also been filled with some discussion about blogging, so thanks to the gentle nudge of my friend and colleague, Granny Sue Holstein http://www.grannysu.blogspot.com/ I have decided to add blogger to my resume.

I am sure days and even weeks may go by when I will be hard pressed to share anything of consequence. However, Granny Sue assures me that there are those who will be interested to know about our world, my work, and the ancient art of Oral Tradition.

So here I go, jumping in with both feet, as I have done most of my life, sometimes without even looking. I hope there will be moments when you find my comments useful, thoughtful or amusing, and maybe, if the stars are aligned just right, a combination of all three.

Karen Chace
Professional Storyteller
www.storybug.net