There is a story that a human life is like a man riding a donkey with a tiger walking behind him. The man lives in fear of the tiger. Sometimes he goes faster, sometimes he goes slower. Sometimes he looks and feels more. Sometimes he goes to sleep on the donkey. The man is always afraid that if he turns and looks at the tiger too closely the tiger will eat him. But the truth is the tiger does not care whether the man looks or not. Death waits for us all – while walking right behind our shoulders.

This denial of death, allowing us to find joy and satisfaction in our lives, is the same denial that troubles environmental storytellers. Human beings need that denial; we need not to look too closely at the facts of life as they are stated so often. But we also need to recognize that denial of the environmental disaster we have been living out for the past five hundred years is not really useful, as demonstrated by precedent.

The advantage that storytellers bring to this dilemma of how to talk about environmental problems is that we have a whole set of tools to get around the denial built into the human experience. We are able to build worlds and bring our audience to them. We are able both to educate and create awareness in a single action. We can use fairytales and myths to talk about hard things.

Using storytelling it is possible to get Americans to see that environmental policies are above politics. Storytelling can allow us to move past knee jerk responses of tired political campaigns to understanding that the environ- ment belongs to us all. In storytelling you can only take an audience to where you have been. Oral narrative is dependent on the story- teller’s development. You have to educate yourself about the actual environment to be an environmental storyteller – not just the theoretical, but what really is there. There is no replacement for time spent outdoors in the real world. To be an ecological storyteller, to be an environmental storyteller ultimately is to be someone who knows the ecology, the environment and storytelling.

So for those of you who may consider yourself storytellers but not eco-tellers, here is my invitation: spend half an hour a day sitting quietly in the woods, in a park or on the lawn near your home. Within a year you will see how quickly this experience builds you into a qualified environmental storyteller. We have no shortage of need for more eco-tellers.

Eric Wolf, a.k.a. Brother Wolf, has an M.S. in Environmental Education from Lesley University. He lives and gardens in the Vale, the oldest (1940s) residential nonreligious land trusted community in the United States. He also produces “The Art of Storytelling”at http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/category/environmental-storytelling/

This Article was previously published in the Late Spring Issue of Story Times, Florida’s Storytelling Organizations Ezine.

I will not share or give away your email address.

And don’t forget to subscribe by iTunes or your browser to The Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf so you can get bi-weekly inspirations from Bother Wolf direct to your desktop. Read the info on the right to find out how. It’s free and it’s super simple.

SB: And you’ve done over a hundred, haven’t you?

BW: There are 103 online, with 17 more waiting to be uploaded.

SB: And is it mostly an American audience?

BW: I view the podcast as an International project. 44% of my audience is overseas. I’ve been working really hard to connect with international potential audience when they’re in the United States.

SB: So, the podcast is a big part of what you do?

BW: Yes, definitely. One of the things that’s started happening recently is that people are starting to come and say “interview me,” but it really doesn’t work that way. I’ve only ever done that twice, and both times I regretted doing it….
One of the things I struggle with is that a lot of podcasts that are very successful aim at an audience that is very tech savvy, but my target audience (storytellers) is almost the opposite. What that means is that the build is much slower than with other projects of these type. It’s one of the great frustrations of the project for me. And recently I rebranded it, which makes that process even slower. That’s why I’m always quick to say to anyone “if you like listening to it, let other people know, or people at your institutions know,” That’s the biggest way my audience grows…

SB: And I actually brought that up when speaking with Dale Jarvis as well. He’s quite successful at using social media, he does a lot of traditional storyteller-type reaching out to people as well, so he’s getting a kind of synergy going there, but he often has to think about bridging the gap between people who are traditional storytellers and are often over 40, and potential storyteller audiences who might not even be aware of the storytelling world unless he reaches out to them using social media.

BW: You use the term “traditional storytelling” a lot. I wouldn’t describe most of the storytellers I know as traditional storytellers. I would say “performance storytellers I know” or “community storytellers,” but I wouldn’t say “traditional tellers” unless I was talking about Native Americans, people from Africa, like the Griots from Africa, places where they still have a living tradition. Though it’s true that most of them are over 40 because it takes many years to master the tradition… Community storytellers doesn’t get as much respect in the U.S. and you can see this in their promotional materials, which often don’t even use the word “storyteller.” The storytelling brand is badly damaged; it’s associated with children and librarians reading books to children. That’s why I recently re-branded my podcast. (From “The Art of Storytelling with Children” to “The Art of Storytelling.” —SB)

SB: What do you think listening to stories does for people?

BW: I think that human beings are community animals. Not in the sense of lower, but in the sense of us being biological. Storytelling arises out of that need to build and structure community. When we know the people in the room, we’re really creating opportunities for connecting with them. In diplomatic relations, there’s a technique for using storytelling to prevent the hotheads from getting out of hand. Tellers are used to using metaphor and simile to speak to each other.

SB: What has being a storyteller done for you?

BW: The creator of the world makes us storytellers – it’s part of why I’m on earth.

SB: Would you say that storytelling is your calling?

BW: I would go beyond a calling; it’s part of the very fiber of who I am.

SB: How did you get started as a storyteller?

BW: When I was 8 and my sister was 4 I told her class the story I made up of how the old man’s shoes flew off and the class was all terrified, they loved it and wanted me to come back. This is what I always return to. But that’s not really important – what I think you want to hear is… Let me tell you three pieces of advice for a storyteller; the three things that made me a lot better as a storyteller.

SB: Okay, what are they?

BW: 1) When you tell your first story to a new audience, it’s always a story you’ve done many times before. Never start with new material. Always show them who you are in your best setting. That was the biggest step for me. Your second best story is your last one in a performance.
2) I stopped explaining everything. Bad tellers, they leave no stone unturned, no thing unexplained.
3) To be good you have to be practiced. I have a local/closed group, we’ve been practicing for five years. Sometimes it’s just a matter of doing it a lot. You need to focus on one genre and really do it.

SB: How does technology and storytelling interact?

BW: I feel like there’s been a real revolution in terms of technology in the 21st century but I think lots of people are having trouble wrapping their heads around it. Hardly any storytellers are aware that you can use Tunecore, CDBaby or CafePress and you can sell your storytelling CDs one at a time. If you have an amazing story… if you have a following of 300… then chances are half of those have iPhones or iPods. We’re leaving money on the table. We are missing opportunities to build relationships with audiences. We could do what Disney does. There’s so much crap out that… but it’s so loud and so viral… Susan Boyle, for example. We think we can’t compete, but because of Google we can compete. We’re better… we’re SO much better.

SB: I will interview Margaret Read MacDonald next week.

BW: Oh, she’s great. She was one of the very earliest supporters of this show, one of the first people I interviewed. So in a sense she’s been a real early adopter of this technology.

SB: Thanks for talking with me.

BW: My pleasure.

Writer’s Bio: Stephanie first learned the art of storytelling in 2005 and has been telling at schools, libraries, cafes and festivals ever since. She specializes in Alberta history, tall tales, and biographies, but her repertoire also includes silly, salty and spooky stories from many parts of the world. Stephanie is a member of T.A.L.E.S., The Alberta League Encouraging Storytelling, and can be contacted through them. This interview was conducted as part of her graduate course work in 2009.

Have something worth sharing on the Art of Storytelling Blog?
Consider contributing an article 500 to 800 words long and et a link from one of the top storytelling websites in the world to your site.

Eric Wolf (Brother Wolf) will be presented with the Oracle Award in recognition of his work as producer and host of the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Show during the last evening of the National Storytelling Conference on July 31st, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The National Storytelling Network (NSN) gives the Oracle Award for Distinguished National Service to individuals who contribute their time and energy in an exemplary manner on the national level.

The National Storytelling Network is dedicated to advancing the art of storytelling – as a performing art, a literacy tool, a cultural transformation process, and more. NSN is a member-driven organization and it offers direct services, publications and educational opportunities to several thousand individuals, local storytelling guilds and associations. These services are designed to improve storytelling everywhere — in entertainment venues, in classrooms, organizations, medical fields, families, and wherever storytelling can make a contribution to quality of life.

The Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Show has had over 127, 000 downloads since it began podcasting in 2007. Created by Eric Wolf (Brother Wolf) in the spring of 2007, the show brings the best and brightest of the storytelling community to the world stage. 45% of listeners are from outside the United States from over 100 different countries. In the last six weeks the show has sustained over 7,000 individual downloads.

The Art of Storytelling Show is the world’s sole interview format show dedicated to exploring the art and science of storytelling in all its forms. With over a hundred interviews available for listening to online this podcast has become the premier resource for understanding and learning the art of storytelling worldwide.

To see a complete list of…
Press releases detailing the growth of the Art of Storytelling Show go to:
http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/category/press-release
Guests organized by topic:
http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/topics
NSN Oracle Award for Distinguished National Service:
http://www.storynet.org/programs/awards/distinguishedservice.html
Eric Wolf’s home page:
http://www.ericwolf.org

Contact: Karin Hensley NSN
Phone: 1-800-525-4514 ext 303

###

Brother Wolf will perform his storytelling epic over a six week period at Pass It on Kids starting on Wednesday, the 21st of April.

The first six hours of Brother Wolf’s seven hours of the storytelling epic, “Fairytales Forever,”will be performed at Pass it On Kid’s over the next six Wednesdays starting on the 21st of April at 3:15 PM. Each performance is one hour long.

Fairytales Forever is a continuous oral narrative modeled after 1001 Arabian nights where one story ties together a range of traditional fairytales. In this case the stories are inspired by the modern European Fairytales, the Brothers Grimm and many other well traveled stories. Brother Wolf (Eric Wolf) has been working on this series of stories for the past fifteen years.

Ticket price is a sliding scale donation of $10 per family. Seating is limited. Children who wish to attend directly from school are welcome to register in advance with Pass It On Kids and online. Then walk to Pass It On Kids directly from school where they will receive a small snack and juice drink at 3 PM. Families who wish to register for all six performances can pay a flat $40 rate – snacks are $1 extra.

Here is a Brief Schedule of Performances…

April 21st – Peter and the Magic Yo-Yo and Myia and the Sword of Light
April 28th – The French Court – The Flower War
May 5th – Atlantis – Treachery of Kings
May 12th – The Library of Alexandria – What you don’t know….
May 19th – The Fairy Court – The Long Shadow
May 26th – The Goblin King’s Jester

Every storytelling performance will include a synopsis of the plot that has gone before and will contain multiple self-contained fairytales that will stand alone. Any session you can make will stand in its own light as an independent performance, but if you can get to other previous performance, you will understand more of the context of these fairytales at that time in the story.

Drop in’s are welcome – but to reserve an after school snack, call
Ava Miri Nasoff (937) 767-9100.

To reserve a ticket in advance go to…
http://www.fairytalesforever.com/regisration

Story samples for Peter and the Magic Yo-yo are available at that
http://www.fairytalesforever.com

For more Information on Brother Wolf go to: http://www.ericwolf.org
For More Information call: (937) 767-8696.

Press Play to hear Brother Wolf takes questions from his audience on the Art of Storytelling Show on the future, current health and past history of the podcast. This is 1 of 3 shows commemorating the 100th Anniversary episode of the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Show.

Each of the people asking questions on this show have there own work and I can hardly expect anyone to get all the way through this episode with out having to listen two or three times…

Audience Members who Participated in this Show…
Judith Black – Show ID http://www.tellingstoriestochildren.com
Robert Kikuchi-yngojo – Show Introduction – http://www.ethnohtec.org
Bill Lepp – Guest Bio – http://www.buck-dog.com
Anne Shimojima storyteller – Wonder and Amazement – http://www.storytelling.org/shimojima/
Lisa Eister – How did the Art of Storytelling Start? – http://www.scstorytellingnetwork.org/guilds.html
Fiona-Jane Brown, aka Story Esquine What do you think of having children tell true life stories? http://www.grampianstorytellers.org.uk
Jeff Gere of the Talk Story Festival – How has this process effected you? – http://www.jeffgere.com
Mylinda Buttterworth – Can you tell us more about Eco Tales? http://www.storymasters.org
Donna Washington – Thanks for Contributing. – http://www.donnawashington.com
Tim Errneta – What is your listenership like? – http://storytelling.blogspot.com/
Judith Alexander – How long are you going to be keeping up this podcast? – http://www.seattlestorytelling.org

Thanks to all the people who participated in the making of this episode. If you are one of the other wonderful people who dialed in a question or a comment and I didn’t use it here please come back next week to hear my answer to your question.

Never apologize before performing – if you have to apologize due it at the end of your performance where people can except your apology as a part of there approval of your good performance. I have been a little delayed in my production of this episode. Scratch this delay up too a desire to make the show decent and a fear of success that seems to be over taking me at this point. More on the that in a few days.

In his interview he will discuss the advantages of lying and how liars have solid, political, social and psychological reasons for doing so. He will defend an America tradition that dates back to the founding of America back to Mark Twain, why, even back to the Pilgrims. He will also demonstrate the art of tall tales and flat lies for the viewing audience.

A successful tale tall or lie uses five storytelling techniques.
1) The lie needs a basis in truth.
2) The story needs to have a spectacular departure from reality.
3) The teller must have a personal body language that supports the lie.
4) The story should contain at least one small, reasonable detail that rings true to the listener.
5) The teller must have a willingness to defend the lie as truth.

The Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Show
The Art of Storytelling Show has had over 127, 000 downloads since it began podcasting in 2007. Created by Brother Wolf (Eric Wolf) in the spring of 2007, the show brings the best and brightest of the storytelling community to the world stage. 43% of listeners are from outside the United States from over 100 different countries.

The Art of Storytelling Show is the world’s sole interview- format show dedicated to exploring the art and science of storytelling in all its forms. With over a hundred interviews available for listening to online at http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com, this podcast has become the premier resource for understanding and practicing the art of storytelling worldwide.

For more information:
Eric James Wolf
Host of the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Show
http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com
(937) 767-8696

Learn to Lie like a Pro for April Fools Day with the Host of the Art of Storytelling Show“>###

I will not share or give away your email address.

And don’t forget to subscribe by iTunes or your browser to The Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf so you can get bi-weekly inspirations from Bother Wolf direct to your desktop. Read the info on the right to find out how. It’s free and it’s super simple.

My friend Tim Ereneta has hit upon a brilliant idea. On Youtube and elsewhere online are hundreds of really good storytelling videos already produced. He has found all those videos with their embed codes and moved them to one place. Just brilliant and just what we need. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is the place to demonstrate storytelling in all its beauty, joy and mastery.

Tim serves as the keeper of the chalice. Giving out only the finest sips of storytelling wine so that we can just enjoy the fine samples he has found for us.

I am so enamored of his website I am going to link to it right here on the front page of my site and I am going to refer to it as a recommended link from here on out. He is doing a public service one that should have been provided by the National Storytelling Network or the International Storytelling Center several years ago.

The Story Lab X Project

Art is not limited by state budgets, the few hours of life apportioned or others acceptance. The only limitation of art is our desire to embrace art as we know it and to love that expression that calls us into our passion – into our being – into the voice of God. Of all the arts, storytelling is the most able to thrive despite budgets cuts, institutional ignorance and community apathy. Storytelling brings people together and serves as a beacon for community healing.

To be an artists is to give yourself over to a creative process that promise no fruit with each effort. But instead enlightens our lives with a gift that can only be declared – soul. Art in it’s purist form is God’s hand in our mortal lives. A living testament that their is more to our lives then this simple physical frame. To be an artist is to see the world, not only as it is – but as it can be or will be by our will.

Art makes meaning where there is none, gives power to the powerless, heals wounds long scarred, and above all hold love triumphant for the entire world to see. Successful art brings people together through compassion, forgiveness and understanding. Art and storytelling is held and holds community in it’s sacred trust. Art binds the sinews of the mortal world into a tapestry that ancestors hold in their immortal coil.

When we examine what it means to be dyslexic in a modern society we find ourselves looking at an entire class of creative types who are artists by definition. Though their creative efforts may be far from what society defines as “art”. They as a group fall in the range of artist by their very necessity of invention. Their inability to fit with the bounds of normality causes them to rush into the worlds of creativity that others will never experience. Not to say that to be dyslexic is to be born a painter, actor, poet or artist. Far from that. Dyslexics make the best storytellers by the requirements of the world bent down upon them.

Storytelling is the refuge of sinners and survivors. Storytelling is an art long associated with lying and dishonesty. Oral Narrative is held in disrepute for the same reasons it is so widely successful. The ease at which storytelling can be adapted and used to support the powerless and the oppressed is the same ease that allows sinners and con artists to bends it to their will.

I will not share or give away your email address.

And don’t forget to subscribe by iTunes or your browser to the Art of Storytelling Podcast so you can get bi-weekly inspirations from Brother Wolf direct to your desktop.

The Art of Storytelling Show is the world’s sole interview- format show dedicated to exploring the art and science of storytelling in all its forms. With over a hundred interviews available for listening to online at http://www.artofostorytellingshow.com, this podcast is becoming the premier resource for understanding and practicing the art of storytelling worldwide.

World-wide listenership of the Art of Storytelling Show continues to climb with over 44,000 downloads in the second half of 2009. International participation in the audience of the Art of Storytelling show has climbed to 37% despite the URL and name change. Here is a map of countries with more then 85 downloads in the last six months of 2009:

Born as the Storytelling with Children Show, the Art of Storytelling Show has changed its name and broadened its scope, while retaining a lively interest in children’s storytelling. Storytelling has numerous aspects and subtopics; on the user-friendly website, the interviews have been divided into various categories . Topics include storytelling and African Americans, Artistic Marketing, Beginning, Coaching, Digital, Environmental, Festival Organizing, Healing, International, Literacy, Resources for Parents, Peace, Personal Narrative, Professional Development, Scary, Singing, Ceremony, Community, Libraries, Schools and Storytelling on the Street.

Upcoming shows recorded and waiting for release include -

01/13/10 Interview #096 Jimmy Neal Smith – The Future of the International Storytelling Center.

01/27/10 Interview #097 Lloyd Arneach – Perspective on Native American Storytelling.

02/10/10 Interview #098 Ben Nind – Storytelling is Essential to Community Health.

02/24/10 Interview #099 Emil Wolfgrramn – Inside the Pacific Island Storytelling Culture.

03/03/10 Interview #100 Brother Wolf – Answers Questions on the Art of Storytelling.

03/17/10 Interview #101 David Ambrose – The International Storytelling Festival of Wales.

03/31/10 Interview #102 Ruth Slater – Working with String and Stories.

04/14/10 Interview #103 Tejumola Olosboni – Street Storytelling, the Real Deal.

04/28/10 Interview #104 The Storytelling Kid – interviewed by Jim May – What Youth Storytellers can tell us.

05/12/10 Interview #105 Victorea Burnett – Storytelling and Singing.

For Further Contact
Eric Wolf
http://www.ericowlf.org
937 767-8696
ericwolf2@yahoo.com

To listen to an episode:
http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/

For Further Information:
http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/category/press-release/

Press Play to hear Eric Wolf speak on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf show and how you can be more involved.

Dear Friend of Storytelling

I am pleased to tell you that the show has passed over 100,000 life time downloads and has over a 1000 regular listeners. The 100 episode is rapidly approaching and I would like to invite you to participate in it.

This is a lover letter of sorts...

I love those who give back to those who give of themselves...

I am in love with Tim Ereneta in California because of all the cool things he does for storytelling - his blog at http://storytelling.blogspot.com/ and the wonderful comment he left for the 100th episode. I love Trish Cane from somewhere in the United Sates. I have never met her, but she troubled herself to pick up the phone and call my electronic voice mail system. I love Jeff Gere in Hawaii - who doesn't love Jeff Gere? - He has done so much for storytelling in Hawaii with his talk story festival and he called in and left a message. I love Fiona J Brown in Scotland. An international fan that is willing to call long distance to share here love of the show. Wow I am so touched. and there are so many more...

Thank-you to all of those soo much for being an early adaptor of the show 100th episode - your comment and question means the world too me.

What about you?

Life is short and you deserve your place in the sun.

Call 206-337-4948 now with
-your name,
-where you are in the world,
-a question and...
-tack on a comment if you wish.

I only got 6 more spots and 2000 people are reading this so pick the phone right now and call. Call anytime - the phone is in Seattle at a computer center. I am in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Trust me I won't wake up if you call late at night.

I would love to get your call at - 206-337-4948 anytime day or night till November 24th - then it's done - so move it pick up the phone right now...

Eric Wolf

PS: You could have got this invitation two weeks ago - if you were signed up to the email alert system. If your not already signed up to get the latest news from the show be sure to sign up NOW - to the email alert system.

Scary stories and ghost stories have been used for thousand of years to gather interest in young people towards learning a new subject. Eric Wolf says “From ghost stories to strangers giving your child candy; scary stories have been used to help young people identify danger in the world.” Useful scary stories and ghost stories are based on truth, teach valuable skills and leave the audience feeling empowered against the villain or evil of the story.

Eric Wolf host and producer of the Art of Storytelling Show with over 100,000 downloads to date is the longest running, most successful show ever produced dedicated solely to perfecting the art of storytelling.

For more information: http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/category/scary-storytelling/

Sunday, October 25, 2009
For Immediate Release
Contact: Eric James Wolf
Phone: (937) 767-8696

Well – see what happens when a summer project turns into a fall release the name of the show has changed. Early release woudl have been better I guess. This is part 2 of the course.

Over the few months I will be releasing the video version of this email course available now on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf

I promise that I send you the seven emails about storytelling over the next ten days or so and that in addition I will send you Announcement about storytelling workshops or activities I am organizing nationally or locally – but never more then two a month if that.

Eric Wolf