Listen by Morgen Reynolds I came to storytelling via the stage; I was a theater major in college. A transfer to a smaller college necessitated a change to an English major. Then came love, followed by marriage, then came me with a baby carriage. First there was Isaac. . . followed by little sister Lucy. …
Advocating for Peace: Supporting activists in shaping their stories by Noa Baum I am sitting in a small room of a modest apartment on the upper west side of New York City, listening to Israelis and Palestinians. The accents are heavy, speech often halting as the teller searches for the correct English phrase or word. …
Courage to Claim Our Callings
written by Rose van der Berg My mouth was so dry my lips stuck together. I felt dizzy. I was next on stage at a story slam. I wasn’t afraid to tell. I was afraid to tell what I brought. It was a story about healing shame that called me to craft and voice it. …
Storytelling ~ A Quest for Peace
written by Claire ChandlerStorytelling has a ‘voice of it’s own.’ I have told stories of fantasy, humor, wonder and even fright to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. But, it wasn’t until I told ‘The What If’ story that I realized the power of storytelling in influencing change and creating a path for world peace. In …
Telling Stories to Young Children ~ Mij Byram
written by Mij Byram “A person’s a person no matter how small.” ~ Dr. Seuss Those of us who work with young children are aware of the unique skill set needed to reach an audience with limited life experience and cognitive range but infinite curiosity and willingness to believe what you say. TIP: Maintain Focus, …
To Slam or Not to Slam?
Article by Madeline Pots, award-winning Storyteller and Slam Artist. Why I Slam. The room was packed. It was the first event of the newly formed Orlando Story Club and my first slam. I put my name in the hat and hoped I would be called. I had practiced my story. I had condensed it from …
Ready to Learn by Sheila Arnold
Ready to Learn I love coaching. I love being coached. I appreciate hard specific feedback just as much, and sometimes more than, compliments and platitudes about my stories. Because of these “loves” and “appreciation” in my life, this is what I try to give to others when I am coaching. I have been asked to …
Story – Music – Words
When I Was One And Twenty The Things a Storyteller Can Unlock by Chasing a Great Piece of Music I’m one of those guys who came to a storytelling career from a songwriting career. I still bring a lot of my life as a songwriter to my work as a storyteller. And when I was …
Food Stories
One day I noticed the majority of the tales I was telling had something to do with food. Some are about a character with a prodigious appetite who devours everything in sight. Others feature an unlikely hero who uses cleverness to keep from being eaten by a bully. Then there are the trickster tales, where …
Looking Ahead – Down Memory Lane
Check your planner! It’s almost here. In just a few short weeks, the 34th Annual Florida Storytelling Festival will make its mark in the wonderful world of story. Of course, we have all marked our calendars to be there. Lakeside Inn room reservations have hopefully been made, and map directions to Mt. Dora have been …