Remembering Leanne

Today is the one year anniversary of the passing on my dear friend Leanne Johnson, age 47...gone far, far too soon.

As I was just typing her last name I realized it should have been Leanne Joy because she brought so much love, warmth and spirit to the world. Leanne loved people, penguins, stories, music, puns and laughter. We are the poorer for her passing but the richer for her having graced our world.

Leanne was one of the first people to reach out and offer words of wisdom when I began my own storytelling journey. Whenever I needed resources, advice, help or encouragement she was there. In fact, I still have her voice on my answering machine, singing the words to a song I needed for a storytelling performance, her exuberance palpable across the wires as she laughing sang "Baby shark do do do do..." That is the the kind of person she was, going the extra mile, across the miles. Whenever I need a lift she is there, her voice rings out loud and strong, and I smile.

Thankfully, her voice and stories live on in cyber space; her myspace page is still online. If you would like to enter into her wonderful world of folktales through words and music stop in for a visit. You can even see Leanne "in action" at her last Northlands Storytelling Conference performance in all her glory on my friend Gwyn Calvetti's blog. My thanks to Gwyn for making sure that Leanne's light shines on. I was blessed to be in that audience and I can tell you that Leanne absolutely glowed that night!

Leanne was a skilled wordsmith as well and when the question was asked on the Storytell listserv, "How did you know when it was time to call yourself a "storyteller?" Leanne penned this wonderful poem:


When everything you hear,
tells you a story,
When everything you see,
reminds you of a story,
When everything you taste
conjures up a story,
When everything you smell,
evokes for you a story,
When everything you touch,
summons up a story,

You might indeed be a storyteller.

But it is not until
you release those stories,
Allow the images to free form into the
imaginations of others,
Spilling their seeds
into the creation of more stories,
Funneled through the love and cares of family and friends,
who will love you
regardless
Enriched, enhanced,
amplified with the hopes and dreams of strangers
who have no other reason to love
or care for you,
Nestled into the unconscious mind of a growing child
where they will grow with goodness and strength.

Ahh, then, call yourself a storyteller.

And when they offer you praise,
compliments,
bravos,
endorsements,
money...

Remember,
the sounds,
the sights,
the tastes,
the smells,
the touch,

Of the Love of Story.

And today, as I do each day, I remember my friend Leanne with love.

A Song of Interruptions

Today on the Storytell listserv we were having a grand time sharing tales of the myriad of interruptions we have contended with while performing. They ran the gamut from the usual school fire drills to the more unusual, a pair of mating, and quite loud, turtles.

The discussion got me laughing and thinking so I sat down and wrote The Twelve Days of Stories, a parody on The Twelve Days of Christmas. Sing out everyone!



The Twelve Days of Stories
Karen Chace 2008 ©

On the first day of stories
my audience gave to me
A fly buzzing all around me

On the second day of stories,
my audience gave to me
Two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the third day of stories
my audience gave to me
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the fourth day of stories,
my audience gave to me
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the fifth day of stories
my audience gave to me
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the sixth day of stories
my audience gave to me
Six fire drills
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the seventh day of stories,
my audience gave to me
Seven copters whirling
Six fire drills
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the eighth day of stories
my audience gave to me
Eight birds a squawking
Seven copters whirling
Six fire drills
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the ninth day of stories,
my audience gave to me
Nine bats a soaring
Eight birds a squawking
Seven copters whirling
Six fire drills
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the tenth day of stories,
my audience gave to me
Ten ponies riding
Nine bats a soaring
Eight birds a squawking
Seven copters whirling
Six fire drills
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the eleventh day of stories
my audience gave to me
Eleven pipers piping (I get to reuse this one because of my friends bagpipers :)
Ten ponies riding
Nine bats a soaring
Eight birds a squawking
Seven copters whirling
Six fire drills
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
two mating turtles
and a fly buzzing all around me

On the twelfth day of stories
my audience gave to me
Twelve bands a playing
Eleven pipers piping
Ten ponies riding
Nine bats a soaring
Eight birds a squawking
Seven copters whirling
Six fire drills
Five toppling trees
Four flying Elvis
Three topless women
Two mating turtles
And a fly buzzing all around me

Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow

2007-2008 Fourth Grade Story Explorers

  

The following is an article I wrote for the Florida Storytelling Newsletter. I thought I would share it with you as well.

Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
Karen Chace ©

 Once upon a time….Isn’t that how all wonderful stories begin? In June of 2002 I heard myself saying “I would love to start a Storytelling Club next year” during a conversation with Lisa, a fourth grade teacher at our school. And like Jack’s magic bean, the seed was planted. Last year we ushered in our sixth Student Storytelling Program and the troupe has now named themselves, The Story Explorers! Other storytellers often ask how it all began so I offer you a very brief blueprint of the pilot program, one which continues to be revised and nurtured each year.
 

2007-2008 Third Grade Storytellers

Beating the Drums
Enlisting Lisa’s support was important since this would impact curriculum time. In September we began brainstorming ideas; the teachers agreed to offer the Storytelling Club to the third and fourth grade students.

First Steps
I wrote the proposal, sent copies to the teachers, and requested their comments on day, time, location and curriculum connections; a crucial step for the teachers to feel invested in the program.

The Pitch
Lisa and I met with the principal and explained our vision. Lisa’s participation reinforced the Storytelling Club’s faculty support. With the principals blessing I met with the PTO board, presented the proposal, and received full funding. A Massachusetts Cultural Grant funded the program in 2003 and has continued to offer some funding each year; the rest is supplemented by the Parent Teachers Organization.

Gaining Momentum
I met with the students, explained the program, and provided letters for their parents outlining our goals. Permission slips were returned and the teachers began the selection process; self starters who could maintain their studies while undertaking this new program. However, I strongly suggested they consider those who experienced difficulty with traditional teaching methods. I believed they would benefit as well, if not more; an insight that has proven to be true again and again.

The Beginning
I began with the fourth grade students in group format for ten weeks. I reiterated our goals; storytelling for their peers throughout the year and producing a Storytelling Festival in June. We created a Student Storytelling Contract outlining ways we would support each other throughout the year.

The Process
As the weeks progressed they participated in many activities that demonstrated:

• Gesture
• Vocalization
• Intonation
• Mime
• Improvisation

Story genres were discussed, we visited the 398.2 section in our school library and I researched my personal folklore collection, choosing age appropriate stories for review. I offered guidance but did not select their stories sharing my motto, “You don’t pick the story, the story picks you!” Through storyboarding, visualization and other activities they began to internalize their stories. They also learned how to use a microphone properly while practicing before the story group. Even the shyest child glowed once the lavaliere was in place!

Building Bridges
Group coaching sessions followed Doug Lipman’s methods of Affirmations and Suggestions. Each student also received several individual coaching sessions with me. During these sessions I videotaped each teller and immediately played it back for their review. This self-assessment tool empowered them to identify their strengths and weaknesses, making a significant impact on their telling styles.

Let the Stories Begin!
We began with a small audience format, telling in one classroom at a time for approximately 25 students. After a few weeks, I grouped two classes together; the tellers were now sharing their stories with approximately 50 students. We slowly progressed from the classroom, to a larger activities room, and finally graduated to the auditorium, which would be the setting for our June storytelling festival. * At this time I began the second ten-week group phase with the third grade students.

Performance Support
I was always present, staying within their direct line of sight. If they momentarily lost their train of thought they could look to me for specific visual cues. Their story buddies also offered encouraging smiles, a pat on the back and high fives! The moment they all feared, the moment when their fellow students would laugh at them, never materialized. Instead, they heard words of admiration, delight and or course, applause!

The Festival Finale!
Without hesitation each teller stepped to the microphone, greeted 165 audience members and whisked us away on the wings of story. The evening showcased not only the confidence, personality and skills of each student, but illustrated the virtues of camaraderie and team spirit. They found their voice! Since 2002 one hundred and fifty students have taken part in the program.

The seeds were sown with one statement, "I would love to start a Storytelling Club", and we happily continue to nurture new tellers with each passing year. To read an article on this year's festival go to:

Freetown Youngsters Explore Art of Storytelling. To hear an interview about the storytelling program on Eric Wolf's wonderful podcast site, click here and go: Karen Chace. If you are interested in the free resources I offer at the end of the podcast, I will be happy to share them with you as well. Contact me at storybug@aol.com and I will email them to you right away.

Hot Fun in the City...

Today was another fun, if HOT storytelling day! The temperature was over 90 degrees, that steamy kind of day when the heat hangs heavy in the air. My venue was outside at the beautiful New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park Visitor Center. The city has lovingly restored an old bank, circa 1853, pictured here, connecting it with another building, while maintaining the architectural integrity of both.

There is a delightful garden in between the two buildings, which is where I told today. They love to offer programming in the garden during the summer so locals and tourists who are passing by will be intrigued and stop to stay for a bit. The director was kind enough to have a small pop up tent, the kind used at art fairs, to offer me a bit of shade for the two shows. Yet, even the ocean breeze that wound its way up the main street from time to time offered no respite. Due to the oppressive heat we didn't expect a huge turnout and indeed the audiences were small, but very appreciative.

I told stories of mermaids, whales, and a magic fish to name a few, and we even did a boogie woogie fish dance!

HAVE YOU EVER GONE A FISHING

Have you ever been a fishing
Have you ever been a-fishing on a hot summer day,
And seen all the little fishies swimming up and down the bay,
With their hands in their pockets and their pockets in their pants
And all the little fishies doin’ the hootchie kootchie dance.

Chorus:
With their hands in their pockets and their pockets in their pants.
All the little fishies doin’ the hootchie kootchie dance. (I changed this to boogie woogie dance)

For the complete song go to: http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activity/have-you-ever-been-a-fishing.html

Here is a lovely version of the Magic Fish from Old Peter's Russian Tales...

THE GOLDEN FISH

"Long ago, near the shore of the blue sea, an old man lived with his old woman in a little old hut made of earth and moss and logs. They never had a rouble to spend. A rouble! they never had a kopeck. They just lived there in the little hut, and the old man caught fish out of the sea in his old net, and the old woman cooked the fish; and so they lived, poorly enough in summer and worse in winter. Sometimes they had a few fish to sell, but not often.

In the summer evenings they sat outside their hut on a broken old bench, and the old man mended the holes in his ragged old net. There were holes in it a hare could jump through with his ears standing, let alone one of those little fishes that live in the sea. The old woman sat on the bench beside him, and patched his trousers and complained.

Well, one day the old man went fishing, as he always did. All day long he fished, and caught nothing. And then in the evening, when he was thinking he might as well give up and go home, he threw his net for the last time, and when he came to pull it in he began to think he had caught an island instead of a haul of fish, and a strong and lively island at that—the net was so heavy and pulled so hard against his feeble old arms.

"This time," says he, "I have caught a hundred fish at least."
Not a bit of it. The net came in as heavy as if it were full of fighting fish, but empty ——.

"Empty?" said Maroosia.

"Well, not quite empty," said old Peter, and went on with his tale...."

For the rest of the story go to http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=ransome&book=russian&story=fish


Afterwards, a light lunch in one of my favorite downtown restaurants was in order, with a tall glass of ice water and lemon on one side, and a cool gin and tonic on the other. The evening found me at a friend's birthday party. The night air rearranged the heat of the day and kept everyone comfortably warm as we played lawn games, ate delicious food, laughed and talked around the chimenea until the full moon turned red in the sky. Good friends, good food and eager ears to listen to a few good stories; a day well-spent indeed.

From A-Z Folklore, Fairytales, Myths and Legends From Around the World

There is a wealth of public domain stories available on the Internet. Part of my work is writing a research column for the national Storytelling Magazine, a member benefit of the National Storytelling Network. I research and evaluate web sites specific to the art of Oral Tradition and write short synopses to accompany them.

Permission for private use of this compilation is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com.

From time to time I will add some storytelling sites to my blog to help folks find their way down the cyber highway. Here are a few to whet your appetite; I hope you find them useful. If you would like to read more go to my Storytelling Links page at www.storybug.net

Absolutely Whootie: Stories to Grow By
Multicultural folktales searchable by continent and country; free writing assignments and play scripts as well.

The AFRO-American Almanac
An extensive list of folktales, biographical and historical information, as well as excerpts from literary works.

Applit
Jack Tales, poetry, authors, study guides and lesson plans, bibliographies and an index categorized by genre. The entire site is focused on Appalachian Literature.

American Folklore
Take an armchair journey with folktales, myths, legends, Tall Tales and ghost stories from the 50 United States. Tales are clearly indexed so you won’t even need to ask for directions.

Andrew Lang ~ The Literature Network
There isn’t a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but a prism of fairytale books to add to your riches. http://www.online-literature.com/andrew_lang/

Arabian Nights
Let Scheherazade lead you through the ancient and mysterious world of Ali Baba and Sinbad; fall under the spell of a 1001 nights.

The Baldwin Project
The Baldwin Project is a virtual page turner, a comprehensive collection of literature in the public domain. Read tales from as far back as 1880. The works of such luminaries as Padraic Colum, Howard Pyle, Andrew Lang, and James Baldwin will light your way.

The Electronic Text Center - University of Virginia Library
Browse by culture: English, French, German, Spanish, Latin, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Apache, Greek, Hebrew, Tibetan, Icelandic, Italian and Portuguese.

The Encyclopedia of Hotcâk (Winnebago) Mythology
The most comprehensive site I have found on Native American folktales. There is an extensive index of stories by subject matter, myths, maps, and legends.

A Flowering Tree and Other Oral Tales from India
The entire book by A. K. Ramanujan is online for generations to read, relish and enjoy.

Folklore and Mythology
By far one of the most comprehensive sites on folklore and mythology from around the world. The tales are numerous and grouped alphabetically by genre. There is also another link to Germanic folklore. This is a jewel of a site, one you will visit again and again.

H-NILAS: "Stories for the Seasons"
An excellent array of seasonal stories. From forest to frogs, moons to maidens, storyteller Cathy Mosley offers us her folktale adaptations from around the world.

Irish Studies
All things Irish; weddings, wakes, tales, music, song, Gaelic and more. Slainte!

Learning to Give
Be sure to bookmark this fabulous site! Lesson plans, complementary folktales, and parent resources to involve students in philanthropy and serving their communities.

Mysterious Britain
Banshees, Black Dogs and Bessie Dunlop are but a few of the folktales and legends from England, Wales and Scotland. Visit with faeries, selkies, dragons and giants but beware, don’t stay tarry too long in one of the haunted castles.

Mything Links
An Annotated & Illustrated Collection of Worldwide Links to Mythologies, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Sacred Arts & Traditions. Fairies and dragons, creation stories and star lore, there is more information here than you could ever hope to digest.

Nasreddin Hodja
Filled with information and stories about the beloved character of Turkish tales, this website is also a portal to many other Hodja sites.

Norwegian Folk Tales
Twenty-four folktales to warm our hearts through the winter.

Russian Tales
Many delightful tales from Russia and the Ukraine and details on Russian traditions from Christmas to weddings.

Sacred Text Archives
Explore the world through this amazing collection of texts on religion, mythology, legends, folklore, and more.

Spirit of Trees
Cristy West’s growing website offers curricular resources, essays, organizational links, poetry and folktales from some of our leading storytellers and scholars. Rest in the cool shade of its branches and let the spirit of the trees nourish your soul.

Story Lovers
Storyteller Jackie Baldwin designs notepads, stationery and more with breathtaking fairytale and folklore illustrations from long ago. In addition, with the help of Storytell listserv members, Jackie has compiled an extensive array of stories and books. Click on “Exclusively for Storytellers” and you will discover your own private folklore library right at your fingertips.

SurLaLune Fairy Tales
Stories and the history behind the tales, cross cultural references, extensive individual bibliographies and modern interpretations. The SurLaLane pages are an incredible resource for storytellers, librarians and teachers.

Tibetan Folktales
Twenty tales from the ancient country of Tibet; search for Missing Treasure, beware the Island of Beautiful Women and meet Tibet’s first king.

Tons-o-Trickster!
There are more trickster links here than you could possible hope to surf in one sitting; anything and everything related to the elusive trickster. I kid you not!

Zen Stories
Over fifty stories in the Zen tradition. "This web site is a collection of stories from the Orient, mostly Zen and Taoist tales. Think of these tales as conversation pieces, as handy tools that you can lift out of your pocket to help you and others talk, think, and laugh about the wondrous and mysterious details of this thing we call life."

Zine 5 Folktale Archives
Hidden among the pages of this magazine publication is a distinctive selection of characteristic folktales from six continents.

Fairytales, Folktales and Fun!

On Tuesday night I gave a storytelling performance, A Treasure Chest of Fairytales and Folktales at a library an hour and a half away from home. The following afternoon, I had another show two hours away from there and two hours from home so it made sense so stay overnight at a hotel and just drive to the second venue in the morning.

Both librarians were lovely. The evening performance offered a small audience, only four children but if I could clone these four young ladies and place them in my pocket for every venue I will ever have I would! They were beyond delightful, participating, laughing, sharing; they love to read and hear stories! The librarian apologized for the small turnout but mused that the last week or so had been very slow and felt many were on vacation. I assured her no apology was necessary. When you have an audience such as those girls, you can't help but have fun!

The second venue was full of animal tales from around the world, a show I call Jaws, Claws and Paws. This librarian also knew how to take care of her performers. She made fantastic posters announcing the venue, placed publicity in the paper, connected with local summer programs, told me she would hold the audience outside the telling space until I told her I was ready. She understood that tellers need time to step into their story space, told everyone to silence their cell phones, and even had a teenage helper to assist with crowd control. Both the librarian and the young lady were a dream come true and the audience as well, about a hundred folks were in attendance ready to have fun!

At this show there was an adorable little girl, about five years old in the audience. She came in a pink sundress and pink rain boots! Too cute. She sat right on the floor, first row, just to the left of me and was so very attentive.

As part of my intro to the story of Tiddalick the First Frog I asked the children if they knew what the land down under was called, where the kangaroos live. (I added that last part since last time when I only asked the first part a child loudly called out, HELL! :) As I began the story the child jumped up, ran over to her father, grabbed her library book and ran right up to me, thrusting out the book for me to see. I looked down to read the title, _The Land Down Under_. She was so pleased with herself! She certainly didn't disturb me or the flow of the story. Those moments are delightful!

Tomorrow is another day filled with storytelling, Tales With Scales - Fish Stories From Around the World. Who knows what stories the audience will share with me!

More Than A Poem...

In my last post I mentioned that I spent time at the Gulu Gulu Cafe, listening and learning from some amazing artists. One of those artists is named David Gerard and he shared his brand new piece. I was so moved and impressed I requested permission to post it here on my blog and he generously agreed. David is not only a poet but a musician, composing since 1984, and photographer as well. If you would like to order his music go to http://cdbaby.com/all/ambientism .

My thanks to David for allowing me to to place this poem wants here for all of you to ponder upon.

this poem wants
by David Gerard © 2008

this poem wants
to invent a new language
that will express our desires
in a less destructive way
this poem wants
to sing your praises
at the top of its lungs
from the mezzanine of Grand Central Station
this poem wants
all the generals and majors everywhere
to come to the table
with an open mind and a softer heart
this poem wants
to heal the lepers of their wounds
and make the broken whole again
this poem wants
to scatter the ashes of great philosophers
into the aqueduct of our reservoirs
this poem wants to round up
all the tv anchormen and weathergirls
and remove their bronzing foundation
and artificial dispositions
this poem wants a moratorium
on commercials selling drugs, cosmetics, cars and sex
this poem wants
walt whitman to be required reading in all the classrooms of america
this poem wants to travel
around the world in a hot air balloon
releasing pamphlets from veterans for peace and greenpeace
this poem wants a national holiday
for harvey milk,
this poem wants to strap on a stratocaster
and wail the ‘what the hell happened to my country?’ blues
this poem wants the youth of america
to put down their iPods and cellphones long enough
to detect the jackboots of fascism
marching behind them
this poem wants a new religion
encompassing all religions into one universal, utilitarian deity
that is only love in action
this poem wants an end to the madness
masquerading as national security
this poem wants to let its hair down,
grow a shaman’s beard and swim naked
in the river of enlightenment
this poem wants to take your shackles and blinders off
and show you what it really means
to be free.