Story Café - The Stories Keep Percolating!

In January of 2009 I wrote a post about my new adventure, the Story Cafe. Recently, I was asked to contribute an article about the venue to the summer issue of the National Storytelling Magazine. They also asked other tellers to share their storytelling outreach work as well. There is great work being done around the globe!

If you do not receive the magazine, and would like a copy, go to http://www.storynet.org . The magazine is one of the great perks of membership in the National Storytelling Network.

Since space constraints in the magazine did not allow room for my entire article, I offer it below.

Almost a century ago, my grandfather stood under the graceful brick archways that adorned the main room of the Mason Guild in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He arrived from Ireland carrying a mason’s trowel and went to work building the textile mills that revitalized the city as it transitioned from the whaling industry. Life has an odd way of bringing you back full circle. Now his granddaughter stands under those same brick archways as she introduces storytelling to a brand new audience each month.

The building is now home to ArtWorks, an eclectic art gallery that also houses classrooms, a ceramic studio and teen arts center. Their goal is to “create an accessible environment which promotes participation in the arts…” Through the years, I attended art openings there and always marveled at the archways adorning the space – a silent homage to the structures past life. I thought the gallery would be a spectacular space for storytelling.

Last summer, through a business contact, I was introduced to Irene Buck, the director of ArtWorks. She confessed she loved storytelling and as our conversation progressed, the Story Café was born. The space is superbly conducive to storytelling, quiet, intimate, yet large enough to accommodate the audience. In December of 2008 the series premiered and has continued every month. Following an 'open mic,' we present a featured storyteller for one hour.

In January, the Story Café was front page news in the events section of the city paper and our attendance surged! We have been honored to host nationally known storytellers who are diverse in their telling styles, offering the audiences a tasty assortment of stories and techniques. During the ‘open mic’ session others are stepping up to the microphone for the first time in their lives, finding their voices as well.

Consistent public relations and effective networking has kept our audiences returning. They bring friends and family members, exposing new listeners to storytelling. It takes work to keep the event in the public eye and we utilize an assortment of marketing tools to spread the word. In our area there are online calendars where you may post events for free. There is also a university campus close by and we use their network, as well as listservs, press releases and ArtWorks’ emailing list. The key is to get the word out early and often!

We are already scheduling our programs for 2010. If you live in New England or plan to visit, please join us and share your voice!

Below you will find some pictures of our performers from December 2008 - June 2009. My sincerest thanks to all who took a leap of faith and joined us on this new journey!

Michael Anderson, storyteller and First Amendment lawyer who kicked off the Story Cafe in style in December of 2008! Thank you Michael!


January brought us the colorful stylings of Bob Reiser and Red Diaper Baby Blues! The audience was with him from beginning to end as we went Up, Up and Away!


We were warmed by the stories of teller Meg Gilman
in February who shared her adapted folktales, including her very funny New Hampshire version of The Man With No Story. Not to be missed!




March brought Norah Dooley to grace our stage, sharing Irish folktales to put us in fine spirits for St. Patrick's Day!









We proved we were no fools in April by inviting the always entertaining and energetic, Tony "you never know what he is going to say" Toledo!





May brought us the 'fall of your chair' true stories from Andrea "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Lovett!












June gave us the incredibly multi-talented Bill Harley, fresh off of his second Grammy win! Bill was trying out some brand new stories, fine tuning them for the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN this October. His show, Risk Is Not For Lovers brought the house down! The local newspaper offered us front page coverage on Bill's show in the Arts and Entertainment section, for which we were very grateful, but Bill's name alone carries enough cache to fill the room...and he did!

All of our talented tellers have been a delight to work with and have brought the audience stories to fill their hearts and minds, and of course, much laughter along the way. And we surely need more laughter in the world! I invite you to join us for one or more of our upcoming Story Cafe evenings at ArtWorks in New Bedford, MA. Certainly, if you are a lover of story you won't be disappointed with the array of talent coming our way.

Our upcoming shows:

July 18, 2009 - Regi Carpenter
August 8, 2009 - Lani Peterson
September 26, 2009 - Simon Brooks
October 17, 2009 - Carolyn Martino
November 7, 2009 - Michael Anderson (encore!) Michael will perform at ArtWorks "Off the Wall Ball" instead of the usual Story Cafe. Tickets will be required for this event.
December - No Story Cafe
January 2, 2010 - Jackson Gillman
February 13, 2010 - Leeny Del Seamonds
March 6, 2010 - Marni Gillard


You can even sign up for your own ten minute turn at the mic with song, story, music or poetry. If that doesn't suit you, then pull up a chair, turn down the cacophony of noise life bombards us with every day and turn up your imagination! It will be an evening you won't forget.

TIME: 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. (Open mic from 7:00 - 7:45. Feature begins at 8:00 P.M.)
LOCATION: Artworks, 384 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, MA
ADMISSION: FREE (pass the hat for the featured performer)
AUDIENCE: 18 and older
DIRECTIONS: http://www.artworksforyou.org/hours.html
PARKING: http://tinyurl.com/5qdafo
Come to New Bedford early and explore downtown or enjoy dinner before the show. For information on historic New Bedford go to: http://www.downtownnb.org/



Coffee photo courtesy of:http://tinyurl.com/na3uxs

Reach for the Stars!

The Summer Reading Program theme for the 2009 Massachusetts Library System is Spaceship Adventure. While putting my Reach for the Stars storytelling program together to complement the theme, I decided to rewrite a well-known story stretch.

If you are not familiar with the term it is a call and response chant, usually used about halfway through a storytelling program to get the children up, and the wiggles out!

Get everyone up on their feet and tell them they will repeat the words, and the actions, after you. Keep adding the actions, don't stop the previous ones until everyone looks pretty silly and is laughing. You are welcome to use it in your programs, please just give me attribution. Have fun!


My Aunt Came Back From the Milky Way
Karen Chace © 2009

My aunt came back from Milky Way and brought to me some drums to play. (Drum with the one hand.)

My aunt came back from Jupiter and brought to me some soup to stir. (Stir with the other hand.)

My aunt came back from Saturn’s rings and brought to me some bells to ring (Rock your body front to back as if you are a  ringing bell.)

My aunt came back from the planet Mars and brought to a real fast car! (Move side to side as if you were going around corners a bit too fast.)

My aunt came back from the hot bright Sun and brought to me some bubblegum. (Begin to chew in a VERY exaggerated and noisy manner.)

My aunt came back from the shining Moon and said to me this song is doomed! (Say this last line with silly gusto!)

Karen Chace 2009 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

The Business Side of Storytelling

Running your own business can be liberating but it can also resemble running through a maze, constantly trying to catch up, find your way, peek over the next obstacle...in short, being your own boss can be exhausting!

Storytelling is magical, yet the work can be extremely solitary when we are out of the 'spotlight.' Taking care of your own business requires long hours and is very different than working for a boss who has control over everything, both good and bad.

I came across this article by Will Spencer. While it seems to be written primarily about businesses that are unreleated to those of us in the genre of performance art, his words are wise and can easily be applied to our passion as well.


TEN RULES FOR RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
by Will Spencer

1. Humility
Every morning say this affirmation to yourself: "I am a complete idiot. I am a complete idiot. I am a complete idiot." The learning process can only take place by first accepting that you do not know.

2. Study Like You Have Never Studied Before
There is an enormous amount of literature in the field of business. Read it. Read lots of it. 90% of it is complete tripe. Read it anyway. Sifting through the bad is the price you pay for the 10% that makes the effort worthwhile.

3. Listen Twice as Much as You Talk
Everyone you run into will have some piece of the puzzle you are trying to solve. Some will have big pieces, some will have small pieces. You need all the pieces to finish the puzzle.

4. There Is A Reason Major Corporations Have A Board of Directors
GE and IBM are run by very smart people. Those people maintain the Board of Directors as a council of trusted advisors. Maintain your own council of trusted advisors. On important decisions, never ever listen to just one advisor. Listen to as many trusted advisors as will speak with you. Pick your trusted advisors carefully, and then evaluate everything they say carefully. No one is right so often that their input should not be carefully analyzed.

5. If Your Advisors Are Agreeing With You; Get New Advisors
Yes men don't add value; Get rid of them. Advisors don't have to argue with you constantly -- but they should add content that you have not considered to 90% of the discussions you engage in. If not, get new trusted advisors.

6. All Good Business Deals Are Win-Win
If you approach a business deal thinking "How can I get over on this guy?" you will never ever succeed in business. You may make one or two deals, but you will never succeed in the long term. Business success is built upon successful relationships. Successful relationships are built upon trust and openness. If you make it your task to ensure that you succeed, you will fail. If you make it your task to ensure that your clients and partners succeed, they will make it their take to ensure that you succeed. If your clients and partners do not reciprocate -- get new clients and partners. Do not hesitate; These are not the people you want to surround yourself with.

Before getting involved in a deal, define each entity involved in the deal. Define what they put into the deal and what they get out of the deal. If you can not define, for every entity involved, how they are getting out more than they are putting in - keep working the deal until you can. If any single entity in the deal is putting in more than they are getting out -- they may choose to withdraw from the deal at any time. Where is your deal now?

7. Honesty Hurts
The kind of honesty that really hurts is when you have to seriously injure someone's ego -- someone you care about. This is the burden of being in-charge, telling people you love that they are full of shit. Learn to deal with the pain.

8. Greed Is A Success Killer
Before entering into a business deal, always remember the saying "You can't cheat an honest man." If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The way people get you involved in bad deals is by promising you the earth and the sky. Avoid those people like the plague.

9. Good Deals Are Simple
Examine every deal before you enter into it. Do you understand the deal? If not, run like hell. Complex deals are less stable than simple deals. Do not wager your future on a house of cards.

10. Be Prepared To Work Hard
The people who think "I will be in charge and I will make everyone else work and I will slack off" will never ever succeed. Study after study shows that executives put in more hours than any other category of employee. If you manage five people, you are the steward for the careers of five people. If you manage fifty people, you are the steward for the careers of fifty people. You are responsible for very important things - slacking is unacceptable. When you hear the term "manager" or "boss", mentally convert that into "servant" before digesting it. That will give you a much truer picture of reality. http://www.entrepreneur-support.com/running-your-own-business.shtml



By Jessie Wilcox-Smith

Like Jack's beanstalk we are always growing. To help my own business expand, in November of 2008 I began publishing a monthly, online newsletter for storytellers, teachers and librarians. There are story sites, lesson plans, crafts, etc., and of course, sites to help your business grow! I have compiled those business sites below, along with my written synopses. You may download the full newsletter issues here, which offer other resources on storytelling and education for free here:
http://tinyurl.com/ne5vuf

3 Types of Marketing to Make Your Business Grow - Effective “attraction tactics” to help your business soar! http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/marketingtypes.htm

3 Things to Never Do With Your Social Networking Profile
by Michele Pariza Wacek - "I'm sure you've heard of it. You might even be doing it. But the real question is, are you doing it right?" http://tinyurl.com/7gnqll

12 Ways to Attract Clients with Your Business Card – by Bill Lampton, Ph.D. Twelve ways to assure that prospects will read your card, and will become more likely to do business with you. http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/business-cards.htm

Business Know-How-10 Ways to Make your Flyer Stand Out in the Crowd http://tinyurl.com/ck3aad

Business Blogging Benefits and Risks – “Some experts say that Twitter is replacing blogs, but …there are many blog functions that Tweets can’t perform – such as any kind of meaningful discussion about anything.” http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/blogbenefits.htm

How to Become Fearless Business Owners in Uncertain Times. Seven great tips from author Robin Fisher-Roffer. http://tinyurl.com/dgeovq

Karen’s Whimsy- Add some interest and excitement to your brochures, publicity flyers, or website with these beautiful public domain selections of clip art. http://tinyurl.com/byejvo

Seven Tax Tips for Businesses and the Self Employed http://tinyurl.com/b8pvd4

Six Advantages to Virtual Trade Shows by Susan A.Friedmann, CSP - "A virtual trade show is a cross between a webcast meeting and a video game. And it's the next big trend in trade shows. Although a mere 1% of all trade shows are now held online, industry experts expect that by 2015, more than 25% of trade shows will be conducted in virtual environments. That's a market you can't afford to ignore." http://tinyurl.com/c9m2mb

Slideshare - Upload your presentations and share them with others. There are thousands of presentations to download, and edit for your use. http://www.slideshare.net/

Ten Ways to Make Your Flyer Stand Out In a Crowd - ´ A flyer is an inexpensive and highly effective way to grab attention in a very busy marketplace. How do you make your flyer stand out in the crowd? Here are some techniques that professional designers use to make flyers "pop." http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/flyer.htm

Storybug.net - Please visit my Business of Storytelling page at my website for many more links to help your business grow!
http://www.storybug.net/links/business.html

If you wish to use any of the above sites from my newsletter, and accompanying synopses, please contact me for permission at http://www.blogger.com/storybug@aol.com.

The maze picture at the beginning of the blog is courtesy of: http://tinyurl.com/nwu9ny

Roots and Wings

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots, the other is wings." Hodding Carter



Christopher receiving congratulations from his professor, Dr. Griffith, head of the department at UMass Dartmouth and leader in his field. Christopher has great respect for him and I think it shows on his face in the photo.

Graduation Day! A day of joy and celebration, but also a bittersweet day for I know this is the start of another chapter in his life story. He no longer needs me they way he did all those years ago, and the years flew by far too fast. Yet, I celebrate his accomplishment and the wonderfully caring and creative person he has become.

On May 24, 2009 my son Christopher graduated from the University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth with a B.S. Degree in Medical Laboratory Science. The program is as difficult as it sounds, and out of approximately 69 students who began the program four years ago, 25 made it to the end. It was a long, difficult road but the smile on his face that day proved that it was all worthwhile.

Christopher with his fiancee Stephanie after the graduation ceremony. They will be married in October 2010.








Christopher with his two close friends Lou and Marianne, on graduation day. They were study partners, cheering each other on throughout the four year program, and yes, giving each other a push when they needed it. Good natured competitors, Marianne always led the charge when it came to high marks and it always made me laugh to watch the men try to catch up with her. The couldn't have done it without each other! I am so grateful he found such wonderful people to share his college years.

As serendipity would have it, when is diploma arrived in the mail on June 23 (they don't give it to you on the day of graduation) he received his first job offer. Next week he will begin a new chapter in his life story at a hospital in Cambridge, MA.

It is every parent's dream that their child grow up to be healthy and happy. The extra bonus is watching them achieve their dreams, surrounded by loved ones and good friends who relish your achievements. I count my blessings every day that Christopher has grown into someone who cares deeply for those in his life.

Congratulations Christopher, you are loved!


* click on the pictures to enlarge

Fools, Tricksters, Festivals, and Spring!

Hodja in a Yellow Caftan
by
Osman Hamdi Bey, 1905

"Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb
like the sun, it shines everywhere. "
William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

On the first day of the month, known as April Fool's Day, we are given free reign to play good natured jokes on friends and family. Many different cultures shared days of foolishness around the start of April. The Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25, rejoicing in the resurrection of Attis. The Hindu calendar has Holi, and the Jewish calendar has Purim. Perhaps there's something about the time of year, with its turn from winter to spring, that lends itself to lighthearted celebrations. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html

Hodja is one of our favorite fools, and there are many stories associated with this interesting character from Turkey.

Nasreddin Hodja - Information and stories about the beloved character of Turkish tales, including reading comprehension exercises. This website is also a portal to many other Hodja sites.
http://www.cs.biu.ac.il/~schiff/Hodja/index.html

A well-known Trickster in Oral Tradition is Anansi. Anansi is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. He is also known as Anase, Kweku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man. The story of Anansi is akin to the Coyote trickster found in many Native American cultures.

The Anansi tales are believed to have originated in the Ashanti tribe in Ghana. (The word Anansi is Akan and means, simply, spider.) They later spread to other Akan groups and then to the West Indies, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles. On Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire he is known as Nanzi, and his wife as Shi Maria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi

Jamaican Anansi Stories - Tricksters are universal figures in folkore and Anansi is one of our most beloved. This site offers a wide variety of Anansi tales as well as trickster folklore from various cultures. The text also includes transcriptions of folk music, and a large collection of riddles, all cross-referenced with folklore studies from other cultures. There are also musical notations in some of the texts for the musical among us! http://tinyurl.com/6huzob

And what would April Fool's Day be without some laughter?

Tales of Laughter – What better way to jump into the month of fools than reading Tales of Laughter from 1908? A collection of familiar and not so familiar tales from Russia, Ireland, Spain, France and many more countries from around the globe. They are sure to have you smiling with delight!
https://archive.org/details/talesoflaughtert00wiggrich


The first day of spring this year was March 20 and soon, colorful flowers will be blooming here in the east, which calls for some stories about spring and the sun!

Apples4theteacher.com - Fourteen stories to celebrate the wonderful season of spring. http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/spring/short-stories/

How the Sun Was Rescued - Siberia
https://tinyurl.com/2976yx7x

Saving Spring – Scandinavia
https://www.thehindu.com/children/saving-spring/article17578551.ece  

The Spring Beauty - Native American/Chippewa
http://tinyurl.com/2tkbl2

Why Cats Sit on the Doorstep in the Sun - Rumania
http://tinyurl.com/2xga8h

Earth Day is April 22. What better way to celebrate than sharing stories about our beautiful planet?

Earth Cakes, Sky Cakes – Folktale from Vietnam
http://tinyurl.com/dy6dsv

When The Earth and Sky Were Married - Folktale from Muria/India
http://tinyurl.com/cw34y8

Earth Care – World Folktales to Talk About
A limited preview of this excellent book by Margaret Read MacDonald. You can read some of the folktales online, but I bet you will want a copy of your own.
http://tinyurl.com/aap7ug

After we leave the month of April it will be time to celebrate and explore the cultural celebration of Japan's Children's Day or Kodomo no Hi.

Woman Playing with a Child
with a Tengu Mask

by Kitagawa Utamaro
1795-1802

Japanese Folk Stories and Fairy Tales - Thirty-three folktales collected by Mary F. Nixon-Roulet and published in 1908. You can download the book for your own files.
http://tinyurl.com/ckvg49

Kids Web Japan - A number of Japanese folktales for you students to read. Later, they may explore the culture of Japan using different links. http://tinyurl.com/bqjbur

CURRICULUM

Fables and Trickster Tales From Around the World – From Edusitement, lesson plans, information and stories, everything you need to introduce your students to those globe-trotting tricksters, Anansi, Brer Rabbit, Fox, and Rabbit. 
https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/fables-and-trickster-tales-around-world 

Leap into spring with ABC Teach.com Counting games, math facts, printables, word searches and more.
http://tinyurl.com/bqmmvc

Flowers in the Classroom – Grades 5 to 8 Language Arts: Legendary Flowers lesson plan including myths, folktales and legends of flowers. http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=46597

Planet Pals.com - This is a colorful, fun and information filled website on all things Earth: Lesson plans and activities for both teachers and parents, the history behind Earth Day, coloring pages, puzzles, clip art and so much more. http://www.planetpals.com/index.html

Japanese Folktales Lesson Plans for 3-6
https://www.clevelandart.org/sites/default/files/documents/lesson-plans/cma_lesson_ao_japanesefolktales.pdf 

Teacher’s Resource Guide: Japanese Art and Culture Outreach Kit - Although you may not be able to borrow the actual kit, there are many helpful curriculum ideas in this guide you may duplicate on your own.
http://jsma.uoregon.edu/sites/jsma.uoregon.edu/files/PDF/JapaneseArtandCultureKit.pdf

Activity Village – Make your own carp kite or origami to celebrate Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day). There are many other crafts, activities and printables to make this Japanese national holiday shine! 
https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/childrens-day

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2009 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Yes We Can!

This Tuesday, we will be witnesses to history as we watch the inauguration of our 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

He has sent out a call for Americans to renew their commitment to their communities. With that in mind I offer you some other ways you can help our people in the US and beyond.                               


"We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.” Mother Teresa


Charity Navigator
An independent charity evaluator; provides tips for making decisions about donations, statistics, information about workplace donation campaigns, and a list of the highest and lowest rated charities in various subject areas. http://tinyurl.com/wlf7

Give A Good Card
Give a gift card for charity where the recipients get to donate to their charity of choice. http://tinyurl.com/3bymu8

The Hunger Site
Since its launch in June 1999 the site has established itself as a leader in online activism, helping to feed the world's hungry. All it takes is a click of the
computer keys. What could be easier?
http://tinyurl.com/2rdph4

Oxfam America Unwrapped
For those of us who are blessed to have what we need, why not and pick one of the 120 countries from around the world to help? Whether our budget is small or large, we can all do our part to help others in need. http://tinyurl.com/5uyjr5

Rwanda Baskets
Proceeds benefit Rwandan genocide widows who weave these exquisite baskets to provide for themselves and the orphans of this war-torn nation.
http://tinyurl.com/5l4dke

"It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story.”
Native American Saying

In honor of our President-Elect, I offer you stories from the island where he was born, and from Kenya, his father's homeland.

Hawaiian Folktales by Thomas G. Thurm (1907)
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hft/index.htm

Traditions of O'ahu: Stories of an Ancient Island
The site also offers an extensive bibliography.
http://tinyurl.com/5zbnwn

The King of the Sharks - Hawaiian Folktale http://www.americanfolklore.net/folktales/ha.html

Kikuyu Legends and Folktales from Kenya http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/kikuyu/stories.htm


Here's to better days ahead!


"Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, "the greatest", but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is." -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (1917-1986)

STORY CAFÉ - LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

It has been a while since I posted to my blog. The fall and early winter months brought along some new opportunities that kept me busy, and the holidays came and went in a swirl of activity. I hope you rang in the New Year surrounded by loved ones. May the coming months be filled with bliss and blessings for all.

One of the things that has been on my "wish list" for sometime has finally come to fruition! I have been blessed to partner with a terrific organization in New Bedford, MA, Artworks! Director Irene Buck shared my vision of offering a new, monthly venue for Storytelling and Spoken Word artists. The venue is located in beautiful, historic, downtown New Bedford at an art gallery nestled in an intimate setting, perfect for storytelling, music, conversation and connecting with others.

We kicked off our opening night with Storyteller and First Amendment Lawyer Michael Anderson in December. Michael's offbeat, personal stories were the perfect complement to the artistic, eclectic, and intimate setting.

This month, Bob Reiser will share his new story, Red Diaper Baby Blues! The title alone makes me smile! I know we are in for an amazing evening of laughter, song and story. Here is some background on Bob, his upcoming show and the venue location.

What was it like to grow up on the Left side of Coney Island Avenue where Red was a Banner, not a color? And strike! was a battle cry, not an umpire's call! Listen to Bob’s new tale of love, passion and politics back in the day.

DATE: Saturday, January 31, 2009
TIME: 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Artworks!, 384 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, MA
ADMISSION: Free

McFarland Press listed him among the "120 best contemporary English-speaking Storytellers."Called “a force of nature,” by Brother Blue, Bob was recently featured at Vancouver’s World Story Day, Albany’s Riverway Festival, and the National Storytelling Conference Fringe Festival in Pittsburgh, Bob’s tales range from folk tales to his own brand of fables to personal stories of his beloved Brooklyn. His Books include Carry it On and Everybody says Freedom, written with Pete Seeger and David Gets His Drum, with jazz drummer Panama Francis.

You can also sign up for your ten minute turn at the mic! Share your own story, music, song, essay or poem or be a “featured listener.” Admission is free but there will be a “pass the hat” for the featured performer during the evening. Coffee, tea and refreshments will be available.

UPCOMING SHOWS: SAVE THE DATES!

February 28, 2009 New Hampshire Storyteller Meg Gilman offers love stories to complement Valentine's Day with Second Chances, Wishes Gone Awry, & a Little Love, Too.

March 14, 2009 Storyteller Norah Dooley and harpist Susan Miron celebrate all things Irish with Irish Tales and music.

April 4, 2009 Tony Toledo celebrates April Fool's Day with Our Dog Knows Sign Language and Other April Fool's Phone Calls.

May Date TBD Storyteller Andrea Lovett

More fabulous times are in the works for May and beyond so be sure to check my blog or the Artworks! website for more details on the above performers and upcoming shows.

Why not come to New Bedford early and explore historic downtown or enjoy dinner before the show? For information on historic New Bedford go to: http://www.downtownnb.org/

For directions: http://www.artworksforyou.org/hours.html

For parking: http://tinyurl.com/5qdafo

Please come and join us. We would love to hear what you have to say and share. In these unsettling times, we need the arts, and each other, more than ever!