BY Walt Belcher Do you love storytelling? Now, more than ever, is the time to step-up and give some love to the Florida Storytelling Association. Coming off a very successful Florida Storytelling Festival in January, I would like to make a pitch for monthly giving. One-time donations are greatly appreciated, but nothing beats the on-going …
Investing in the Future of Storytelling in Florida Read More »
By Pat Nease The first time I entered a Liar’s Contest was at an Ocala Storytelling Festival (thanks, Jessica McCune!) where the featured teller was none other than Bil Lepp. What a way to start! Having never created a whopper before – at least not for competition – I listened to as many samples as …
By Walt Belcher Brought together by COVID and Zoom, the monthly meetings of the Doc Moore Storytelling Guild is a fun event that I discovered last year, and one that I love to attend. Professional storyteller and author Tim Tingle is the welcoming host to this story swap, named in honor of the late beloved …
A Personal View on Meeting the Featured Tellers at the Florida Storytelling Festival Read More »
One of the many features at the 40th annual Florida Storytelling Festival is a chance to sample a variety of tellers, stories, and styles from our porch tellers. Free and open to the public on the famed rocking-chair-lined porch of the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, the storytelling runs from 10 am to 1 pm …
Eva Abram grew up in the small town of St. Joe, Louisiana, in the Mississippi Delta. As a child, one of her chores was to collect rainwater for household use. It taught her that water is essential for life. She believes that storytelling is also essential, so to promote the valuable lesson of the importance …
By Mary Lou Williams, M. Ed. Fairy tales reflect the world in which they originated – the medieval world. They are patriarchal, hierarchical, and sexist. Males are resourceful, fearless, and strong (emotionally as well as physically). They don’t have weaknesses. They are men of action, not thought and feeling. They are still around as …
by Eva Grayzel “To dream or not to dream’ was the theme of my very first story slam. When I arrived at the sold-out event at Babs Lab in Jacksonville, FL, in the artsy Cork District, I put my name in the hat. Eight names were chosen over the 90 minutes, and the teller was allowed a …
Jacksonville-based Storyteller Goes for the Grand Slam on Thursday Night Read More »
By Kaye Byrnes When I decided to explore the art of storytelling in 1996 several local friends directed me to Dr. Jim Mittlestadt, a professor at the University of North Florida. He invited me to his cubbyhole of an office and wrapped me in encouragement. To get me started, he shared some wonderful resource books …
Remembering Storyteller Jim Mittelstadt Former FSA President Read More »
The Healthy Brain By Pat Nease Since April 2023, I’ve been working with our local Council on Aging in a program sponsored by the Florida Health Department titled The Healthy Brain Initiative. (When first contacted, I though someone had recommended me to be IN the program due to my unhealthy brain. But that was not …
Jim Kissane grew up in the Industrial Northeast and in a family that had its roots in “heavy industry” such as railroads, mining, manufacturing, logging and construction. The stories that were shared with him in his youth inspired the direction of his career (and his stories). These tales enabled him to experience steel mills, the …
Tampa Storyteller Jim Kissane’s Quest to Tell the Stories of Industrial America Read More »
