Press Play to hear Ruth Stotter speak on working with props in storytelling performances on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.
(Link was broken NOW fixed - sorry about that.)

Ruth Stotter Writes....
I love the idea that as a storyteller, you travel light. A "bag" of stories takes up no room and is easy to carry around. But I also love interspersing stories with props - both as a folklorist carrying on old traditions and as a way of adding a visual component. Puppets, masks, and origami are among my favorites. You asked why I am currently so intrigued with string stories and I will try to answer. It never ceases to amaze me that with a simple loop of string you can make hundreds of figures, and that these string designs can be used to tell stories.I think they were the first picture books. Tellers in traditional cultures twisted and turned the string to make illustrations to accompany their oral texts.

When I went to Easter Island, where they still hold an annual string story competition, I found that they were using a rough hewn string from a plant and told stories in the old Rapa Nui language, not the modern Rapa Nui, nor Spanish, which is the official language. In Fiji I met a man who easily copied my string figures. I found it difficult to learn his, as I am used to book illustrations. Besides stories, of course, the loop of string is used for stunts and magic tricks.

Organizing the String Gathering in San Francisco in 2004 I was happy to meet other members of the International String Figure Association. This organization sends members a monthly string figure-design as well as various newsletters and books. Several of the people who attended the Gathering brought power point presentations of their experiences collecting string figures from Yupik Eskimoes, Navajos, and various Oceanic Rim countries.

I was pleased to be invited to write the section "String Figures" for Storytelling: An Encyclopedia of Storytelling and Folklore, edited by Josepha Sherman. That led to my writing A Loop of String.

So, you see, my friends, all of my interests - origami, puppets, magic, folklore and storytelling - coalesce in this seemingly simple folk craft! I guess the bottom line (literally in this letter ) is that as a storyteller I find it challenging and irresistible to adapt and adopt string figures as part of my storytelling performance.

Bio: Ruth Stotter's kaleidoscope activities in storytelling include telling stories at a local Rennaisance Faire for six summers, producing and hosting "The Oral Tradition" radio program on KUSF-SF for six years, directing the Dominican University storytelling program for 14 years*, teaching and performing in Portugal, France, England, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, India and Africa. She is the author of About Story, More About Story, The Golden Axe, Smiles: 101 Stunts and You're On!. She has chaired and presented papers at meetings of the American Folklore Society and for several years served on the ASF Aesop Committee, which selects the best children's books based on folklore. Her honors include the Reading the World Award from the University of San Francisco, a regional award from NAAPS, and most recently an Oracle Lifetime Achievement Award from NSN. She is listed in Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World.

M.A. Stanford University - Speech Pathology
M.A. Sonoma State University - Storytelling
University of California, Berkeley - Teaching Credentials

Left out:
Conducted workshops at National Conferences of NAPPS and NSN: Tandem Storytelling, Story Adaptation, Storytelling with Props, and at the 2010 conference July 2010, Storytelling with String. Performed at Storytelling Festivals in Canada, MA and California. Monthly performances for two years at College of Marin bookstore.

*Dominican University
Classes taught: Beginning Storytelling, Intermediate Storytelling, Advanced Storytelling (putting as program together), Pre-School Storytelling, Analyzing Stories, Storytelling with Props, Critique Clinic.
Workshops taught: Tandem Storytelling, Creating Original Stories

Non-storytelling:
author of Little Acorns: A Guide to Marin County Plants
Kayaker - from island to island in Fiji, in Baja, Florida Keys and San Francisco Bay.
Hiker: walked from Zurich to Geneva over 5 mountain passes. Annapurna trek. Peru trek, John Muir trail form Yosemite to Mammoth
Married over fifty years with three children
Competitive Croquet player (and has won several trophies). Current handicap is 13.

about string stories:
Ruth finds it amazing that with a simple square of paper or a loop of string hundred of figures can be created and stories can be told and notes that both of these are traditional art forms in other cultures. In 2004, Ruth hosted the first String Gathering for String Enthusiasts in San Francisco, and stringers attended from 13 states.

Press Play to hear Laird Schaub speak about The Application of Story to Group Facilitation and Community Living on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf

Laird Schaub Writes...
"As a consultant, I'm often asked to work with groups that consider themselves stuck. In helping them understand how they got there and the choices they have to move through it, I always start with the stories-the way in which each person makes sense of their reality as a member of the group. Invariably, the stories don't all match. Sometimes the realities are mutually exclusive. Still, I believe them all and do my best to help everyone in the group understand how each person's actions make sense from that person's perspective. Once I've established a bridge of understanding among the various players, it's then possible to build a new story, where each person's reality is now a little bigger and can hold aspects of other's realities as well.

The key to this is to not ask a person to change their core beliefs, change their personality, or change the way they work with information. I just ask them to change their story, and then to adjust their behaviors accordingly. I ask them to make shifts that are in their interest; ones that will help them be better understood and be less triggering for others. I ask them to make changes that will help them build relationship.

Often, people in the group will be in pain. Being stuck doesn't feel good, and if you cannot see past your own story it often appears that others have taken actions that are purposefully hurtful or disrespectful. Ouch! In this sense, pain is a symptom of a problem, and very useful in helping to diagnose where the stories are not in alignment. Because you want to be treating causes and not just symptoms, it's important here to resist the impulse to alleviate the pain as your priority. It's a better strategy to view the pain as an important source of information and explore it for the purpose of surfacing the clues you'll need to build a story where everyone can feel held and respected."

Brief Bio:
Laird has lived 36 years at Sandhill Farm, an income-sharing rural community in Missouri which he helped found. He homesteads there, has raised two kids, and has developed a flair for preserving food and celebration cooking. He is also the main administrator of the Fellowship for Intentional Community, a network organization he helped create in 1986, and that serves as a clearinghouse of information about North American communities of all stripes.

In addition to being an author and public speaker about various aspects of community, he's also a meeting junkie and has parlayed his passion for good process into a consulting business on group dynamics. He's worked with about 75 different groups around the US, many of them multiple times. His specialty is up-tempo meetings that engage the full range of human input, teaching groups to work creatively with conflict, and at the same time being ruthless about about capturing as much product as possible. In 2003, he pioneered a two-year training in Integrative Facilitation that he's delivered four times and is now marketing across the continent.

You can read his thoughts on his blog at http://communityandconsensus.blogspot.com/

Press Play to hear Brother Wolf speak with Tejumola Ologboni on Walking the Talk with Street Storytelling.

A little more on the Artist…

Teju of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a master storyteller and folklorist of international renown. He draws listeners into stories with gestures and movements, and sometimes with music made on traditional Africa instruments. Some of his stories are filled with magic and mystical characters, like “the Possum and the Hare;” others are fact like the story of Joshua, a runaway captive who escaped to Wisconsin, and whose case went all the way to the Supreme Court, when a bounty hunter tried to capture and return him to being enslaved. Serious or humorous, political or festive, Teju’s stories reflect on longstanding and contemporary cultural perspectives to capture and return him to being enslaved. Serious or humorous, political of festive, Teju’s stories reflect on longstanding and contemporary cultural perspectives to give listeners greater understanding of the profound influence of African heritage on our traditions and identities. Come listen to this culture keeper and be enlightened and inspired.

He is also an author, teacher, consultant, poet, writer, actor, dancer, percussionist, and “verbal illusionist.”

“Storytelling is the most ancient of ancient arts.” -Tejumola Ologboni

Whether in your schools, concerts, festivals, libraries or community centers, bring Teju the Storyteller to your stage for a memorial cultural experience.

Tejumola F. Ologboni
P.O. Box 16706
Milwaukee, WI 53216
(414) 344-6656

You can learn more about Teju at http://www.yourfavoritestorytellers.org/teju.html

The best part of this report is half way in… but worth watching…

Here is quote from the man in 1993…
Do you feel you’re carrying a message from Africa?
Let’s be modest. Africa is vast, and it would be pretentious to speak in its name. I’m fighting the battle with words because I’m a storyteller, a griot. Rightly or wrongly, they call us masters of the spoken word. Our duty is to encourage the West to appreciate Africa more. It’s also true that many Africans don’t really know their own continent. And if you forget your culture, you lose sight of yourself. It is said that “the day you no longer know where you’re going, just remember where you came from.” Our strength lies in our culture. Everything I do as a storyteller, a griot, stems from this rooting and openness.

From Sotigui Kouyaté : The wise man of the stage Interview by Cynthia Guttman, UNESCO Courier journalist

Press Play to hear Ben Nind speaking on how Storytelling is Essential to Community Health and Life on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Storytelling Is Essential to Community Health and Life.

Do we really have to justify why this is so? Are we so removed from ourselves as purveyors of stories that we actually need to rationalize, in some manner or form - why storytelling is essential? This is an odd question because it means that I have to somehow divorce story from the human experience and that is an impossible task.

The glue that holds all of the pieces together is story past, present and future. Birth, marriage, divorce, life, death, addiction, celebration, grief and victory are woven with stories in every window and door that we pass in our day to day existence. Without stories there is no community, there is no activity and the world is just one big cold ball of rock hurling through the blackness of space.

Is storytelling essential to community life? Say no more. Just listen and let me tell you a story..............

Bio

Ben NInd grew up in the theatre community of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. From a young age, his mentors provided him with a passionate love for community theatre. In the end, it was this passion that drove him to drop his cubical world and enroll in the Theatre Studies Program at Red Deer College in Alberta. In 1994, he graduated from the English Acting Program at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal and continued training with Silamiut Theatre of Greenland, through a generous Fox Fellowship grant. Ben returned to Yellowknife in 1995 to found Stuck in a Snowbank Theatre where he wore the hat of actor, director, playwright and mentor working throughout Canada and the circumpolar world.

In the spring of 2004 he became the Executive and Artistic Director of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre, a position he still holds. He continues to promote the development of all performing arts in the NWT. His passion lies with the stories of the Canadian North. They are the core material from which his brand of theatre magic is cut. His belief in the stories, and his commitment to the talented men and women who tell those stories, keep this unique and powerful northern theatre movement alive and relevant for contemporary northern audiences.

Press Play to hear Lloyd Arneach speak on a Cherokee perspective on Native American Storytelling on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Biography

An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, Lloyd Arneach was born and reared on the Cherokee Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina. He learned his first legends from two storytelling Uncles on the reservation.

From 1970 to 1990, Lloyd traveled throughout the state of Georgia, lecturing on Cherokee history and culture. This was done in his spare time while working for AT&T's computer department in Atlanta. In 1990, he added storytelling to his presentations on culture and history and in 1993 began a full-time career as both storyteller and historian.

Lloyd presents his stories in a style that is humorous, informative and extremely moving. Lloyd's stories range from the "old stories" of the Cherokee to contemporary stories he has collected; from creation stories to behind the scenes of "Dances with Wolves." He tells stories of different Native Americans: Floyd Red Crow Westerman; Billy Mills, an Olympic champion; a young Cree Indian girl with no stories to tell; and a postmaster on the Papago Reservation. He shares historical stories from a variety of Native American tribes. Some of these stories are difficult for Lloyd to tell because of the strong feelings associated with his experiences as a Native American.

Lloyd lectures on Cherokee history and culture in schools, universities, libraries, museums, historical societies, and civic groups. If requested, he can bring a number of Native American artifacts to show and demonstrate. Lloyd also conducts workshops on Native American storytelling, building appreciation of Native American culture and what the stories mean to the cultures from which they grew.

He has told stories at the Kennedy Center, National Folklife Festival (Washington, D.C.), the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C.), the Winnepeg International Storytelling Festival (Canada), festivals, schools, universities, Pow-Wows, theaters, and other venues throughout the United States. His CD Can You Hear the Smoke? features stories and legends adapted by Lloyd. In 1992, Children's Press published his book, The Animal's Ballgame, based on one of Lloyd's favorite Cherokee animal stories. During the summer of 2006, Lloyd performed in the Cherokee outdoor drama Unto These Hills - A Retelling. In the of summer (2008), Lloyd once again performed in the Cherokee outdoor drama Unto These Hills - A Retelling.

He has told stories on the Discovery Channel.

Lloyd has finished a new book of Cherokee stories,Long-Ago Stories of the Eastern Cherokee, that was released in early 2008.

Lloyd now lives in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Press Play to hear Michal Malinowski speaking on the Storytelling Museum of Poland on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

A storyteller – shaman from Altay in Siberia at the festival of Intangible Heritage organized by the Storytelling Museum.

Interview #094 Michal Malinowski for $2.23 The Storytelling Museum of Poland

Michal Malinowski writes…
The Storyteller Museum is a unique institution devoted to the collection, preservation and promotion of oral heritage from all over the world. Our mission is to save the vanishing examples of intangible treasures, acquaint new generations with the oral tradition of a variety of cultures and revive the custom of storytelling. Nonetheless, our attention is also devoted not only to tribal storytelling but also to contemporary trends in oral expression. The Museum has been the leading place in Poland to developed the storytelling revival movement. We have organized Storytelling Festivals and workshops in our location and other places in the country

The Storyteller Museum has an innovative approach to collecting and exhibiting different cultural artifacts by applying the latest achievements of digital technology. Our interests pertain not only to narrative texts but also to other indirect elements, such as gesture, movement, dance, sound, music, costume and body coverings. We have been engaged in work on various exhibitions, elaborating unexplored topics, such as African Griots: Local Knowledge -Global Polish Oral Tradition, A Panorama of European Oral Tradition, The Storyteller Museum supports all initiatives of transcribing oral traditions into tangible platforms. For such an end it has initiated a special program called Indigenous Writers, aiming to give the opportunity to tribal people to enunciate their oral art, so that it can be preserved in various forms, such as books, audio-visual recordings and museum digital displays. We are currently working on the book “Folktales from Burkina Faso”

Michal Malinowski – biography
Folklorist, writer, storyteller, computer graphic artist, born in 1966 in Warszaw, graduated from Academy of Fine Arts in Lausanne – Switzerland diploma in painting and computer graphics, started his carier as multimedia artist designing animation movies in Switzerland and Japan. Simultaneously discovered his passion for writting which he has realised as animation script writter and free lance journalist for various magazines in Europe and Asia. In 1997 traveled to Papua New Guinea where discovered traditional storytellers and decided to create the new type of museum based on interactive technology presenting oral traditions and intangible heritage. In 1999 quit Japan in the goal to extend his knowledge in cultural studies and went for one year to Folklore and Mythology Department at Harvard University. After retourned to Poland and opened in 2002 the Storyteller Museum in the house he built himself.

He has contributed to the beginning of Polish storytelling revival mouvment , organizing since 2002 various storytelling events ( storytelling evenings, workshops and Festivals in the Museum venue and all over Poland). He performed his storytelling programs life on stage, libraries, schools or since December 2007 regularly on the III Chanel of the Polish National Radio. Recently performed in the storytelling festivals and events in England, Spain, France, Italy and Canada ( He can perform in Polish, French and English).

Since opening of the Museum conducts folklore collecting works in Poland or abroad. His collection of the oral tradition from the Mazovia region contributed to the creation of the book

” Bajki znad Bugu, Narwi i Wis Å‚ y” “Folktales from Bug, Narwia and Wisla rivers”.

In 2006 his contribution for the preservation and development of culture was awarded a special prize by the Polish Minister of Culture. He is a co-author with Anne Pellowski of the book “Polish Folktales and Folklore” published by the end of 2008 in the USA ( the book recived the Aesop Accolade (an honorable mention) of American Folklore Association ) In the end of 2007 received the UNESCO grant to realize the exhibition about the Heritage of Amadou Hampate Ba and West African Oral Tradition. In the exhibition he hopes to demonstrate some of the ideas of future ethnographical museum display.

Press Play to hear Gail Herman speaks on building a student storytelling festival on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Interview #093 Gail Herman for $2.23 Building a Student Storytelling Festival.

Written by Gail N. Herman, Ph.D. © 2009
I have loved working with students on storytelling in the schools for over 30 years. One of the events that students love is to share their stories with younger audiences. The older students feel like they are giving a gift to them. Students enjoy entertaining and "helping the little ones. However, after some in-depth exploration, training and practice telling to an audience, some students want to share their stories with wider audiences of all ages. Below are types of festivals I have found to be very successful.

Here is a list of ideas for starting a storytelling festival in your school or your community.

Ways to get it started. (You pick which one you want to start with.)
Find a few teachers and/or parents and offer to tell a story in the teachers' classrooms. Start suggesting the idea that students can also retell or tell stories to share with younger students. This is the short "festival version". This year Broad Ford School second grades did this after my performance on tall tales. They all told their original tall stories (alone or in duos and trios) about Johnny Appleseed. The teachers made it part of their curriculum with the help of their enrichment teacher.

Or write a press release in the school paper(s) or community newspaper about a new enrichment opportunity to be held in the community. "Tellers wanted, grades ___ to ____ to share their retelling of a folktale, tall tale, legend, or an original story of their own." Over and over I have found "If you build it, they will come."

Find an auditorium or a venue with a stage and/or 10 classrooms or spaces. The spaces are for student story sharing circles in small groups of 10 stories with parents/friends as audience; the auditorium with a microphone is for a main stage sharing by a portion of the group (picked at random or by the sharing circles). I have directed and held over 25 festivals in three states (CT, WV, and MD) in schools, in church fellowship halls, state parks, and at colleges. Smaller "festivals" for, let's say three classes of grade two, can just be held on the school stage/ "cafetorium."

If possible find businesses and/or an organization that will support the event. Gifts for each student teller are so appreciated. Finding gas money (or a grant for an honorarium) for you is also great! Our local American Association for University Women, Garrett County Branch in Maryland has been very supportive. We also have a used book sale there.

When the session is in school, the audience comes free, unless it is a fundraiser for the school, usually at night. When it is on a Saturday or a Friday after school and in another location, you can charge admission and a fee to participate. This can be for such things such as pizza (or refreshments), certificates of exaggeration, gifts, or for purposes of donating to a charity. I have found the later to be a very attractive reason for students, parents, and teachers to desire participation. Give the proceeds, or part, to the charity.

If you have the time and can afford it, offer to help the students once they bring back or send in their permission slips. I have found that some teachers and parents help their students but most would like you to help their child during school, after school, or during special times on the weekends. One-on-one and small groups work best.

For more information, see the article I wrote on Eric Wolf's website or listen to his interview with me here.

An additional venue for experienced students is the National Youth Storytelling Showcase (NYSS) to be held in 2011 in February in Pigeon Forge, TN. One of our students, Joanna Guy, won the Grand Torchbearer's title there in 2008. I am the Maryland representative for NYSS. Visit the site on the web to see and hear expert student storytellers!

Gail N. Herman, Ph.D.
The Organic Storyteller
166 Lodge Circle
Swanton, MD 21561

Bio on Gail Herman, Ph.D.
Creative storyteller and arts consultant, Dr. Gail N. Herman has performed and taught storytelling extensively throughout the United States, as well as in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Jamaica, Germany, India, Ghana, and St. Thomas. Besides performing for students in schools and libraries, Dr. Herman works with teachers and helping professionals to infuse storytelling and the kinesthetic, musical, and spatial aspects of learning into reading, science and other curriculum areas. She teaches for Lesley University, MA; Garrett College, MD; and The University of Connecticut (CONFRATUTE) in CT. Gail has directed the Tall Tale Liar's Festival in MD for 17 years.

Read more about Gail Herman, Ph.D. Storyteller on her website.

Press Play to hear Christine Carlton and Jenni Cargill have a conversation on Australian Storytelling on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #092 Christine Carlton and Jenni Cargill 2 Australian Storytellers for $2.23 Examining the Skeletons in the Cultural Closet.

Written by Jenni Cargill-Strong

Eric asked what does it mean to be Australian? Ask 20 different Australians these questions and you might get 20 different answers.
Christine explained and I'd agree, that it can be hard to define the Australian identity, because we have such a diversity of cultures. Many Australians arrived in recent decades since World War 2. The Aboriginal population is less than 2% and most Aborigines live in isolated inland rural areas, whereas most Australians live in cities on the coast, so most Australians don't have much direct contact with Aboriginal people or culture.

I would agree with Christine now that yes, if you were to generalize, as a people, we are mostly laconic, relaxed, friendly and we have a great sense of humor. Like any country, we also have our shadow, our racism and unresolved issues. However at least Aboriginal issues are much more on the table to be openly discussed now, our Prime Minister gave the apology* to the stolen generation** that many of us had been waiting for and progress is slowly happening with land rights.

Despite all the struggles of Aboriginal Australians, as we both mention in the interview, we now have not only very strong traditional Aboriginal art, dance and storytelling, but the most wonderful flowering of contemporary Aboriginal dance, film, art, theatre and even comedy that keeps building momentum.

I loved Eric's' reference to -the elephant in the room'. The apology was an important step in our national history and in the development of our identity, because it acknowledged one of the big elephants that had been sitting in the room of the Australian psyche "“ the facts and the pain of the stolen generation.

I feel that stories that connect us to country are also very important, especially in the context of the level of social dislocation and the state of the environment. A Maori*** friend told me about the Maori concept of your -tangata whenua' which translates to your lineage and the land you come from or -the ground you stand on'. It makes you stronger to clearly know and claim who you come from and the land you come from. She said in traditional Maori culture, you get shown the plot where you'll be buried when you are young and you visit that spot regularly, so you also know the ground you'll end up in.

In Australia, this national sense of -the ground we stand on' is still evolving. So when you ask a non-Aboriginal Australian to tell an Australian story, it's not as straight forward as it may be for an Aboriginal person, a Celtic person, a Hawaiian person or a Japanese person- assuming each of these people are still have connected to their cultural stories.

Non-indigenous Americans must face similar issues, but I imagine since you've been there a few hundred years longer and you have a larger body of American folktales to draw from. New stories are slowly emerging in Australia, woven from and reflecting the many cultural strands that make us up. The version Christine told of -Stone Soup' is a great example. I am currently working on a new collection of environmental stories to record that reflect connection to country, connection the Earth and connection to the rhythms and the seasons.

The gift of our Australian situation is that we are not weighed down by any rigid traditions- so many strands to weave with and we have much room to evolve, experiment and discover. Let the adventure continue!

The Apology' refers to the speech our current Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd made in 2007 to acknowledge and apologize for the pain and suffering created for the stolen generation by government removal policies.

The Stolen Generation is a group of Australian Aboriginals who were taken from their families according to Australian government policy between 1910 and 1970. While it is unclear exactly how many children were taken from their homes, some estimate that the numbers could be between 1/3 and 1/10 of all Indigenous Australian children born during that time." See more at http://www.actnow.com.au/Issues/Stolen_Generations.aspx

*** Indigenous people from New Zealand. Moari's refer to their country as Aotearoa (pronounced Ow-tay-ah-row-ah), which means -Land of the long white cloud.

For people interested in Australian Aboriginal films, there have been some amazing films that have come out of the Australian Aboriginal community like "Samson and Delilah'; Rabbit Proof Fence' and -Ten Canoes'. If you come to Australia and you are interested in Aboriginal culture, I recommend in particular that you check out "The Dreaming Festival" which happens in our winter on the east coast see www.thedreamingfestival.com.au

Jenni Cargill-Strong
www.storytree.com.au

Christine Carlton
President NSW Storytelling Guild, Australia
http://www.storytellersnsw.org.au/

Bio
Jenni Cargill-Strong, Director of the Storytree Company is a storyteller with unbridled enthusiasm and passion for her art. Teachers often remark after a show, that students who seldom listen well, sit spellbound. Jenni employs a wide repertoire of dramatic skills and a beautiful singing voice to hold her audience. Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Sociology from the University of Queensland, classical singing training and a diploma from the Drama Action Centre in Sydney. There she studied clowning, improvisation, dance, singing, mask, mummers, percussion and workshop facilitation specialising in storytelling. Her professional experience was gained in over twelve hundred schools in Australia and New Zealand.

Jenni's first CD "Wonder Tales of Earth and Sea" claimed a special award from the National Library of Australia and she has now two new albums: "The Mermaid's Shoes" and "Stories to Light the Dark". She has performed for ABC national radio as well as ABC TV's '7.30 Report'. She has performed and presented workshops for the Bennelong Program at the Sydney Opera House, The Powerhouse Museum, the National Storytelling conference, the Woodford Folk Festival since 1993, Byron Bay Adult Community Education and The Byron Bay Writers Festival 2004.

Bio
Christine Carlton believes in the power of Storytelling to engage, affirm and transform the human spirit. For more than twenty years Christine has worked as a freelance Consultant, Facilitator and Educator in the areas of Story, Drama and Creative Arts in Education, Business and Community Development.

She travels throughout Australia and overseas offering a variety of opportunities for individuals and organisations to tap into their own creativity to gain insight and direction for their lives and their communities.

Christine lectures in Story and Drama in Education at the University of Western Sydney , facilitates leadership and team-building processes, offers teacher inservice, storytelling workshops, reflective retreats and is regularly called upon to provide creative leadership and group facilitation at national and international conferences.
Currently she is president of the Australian Storytelling Guild(NSW), a member of Australasian Facilitators Network, Australian Institute of Professional Facilitators and a number of professional associations that support and promote the transforming power of Storytelling.

Press Play to hear Michael Cotter speak on farming the heartland of American storytelling on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #057 Michael Cotter for $2.23 Farming the Heartland of American Storytelling.

Brief Bio
Michael Cotter is the first national storyteller to perform personal stories on the main stage at Jonesborough, TN. He is a semi-retired farmer and winner of the 2009 oracle award for excellence in storytelling.

Press Play to hear Esyllt Harker speak on stories out of Welsh History and land of Wales. on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #048 Esyllt Harker for $2.23 Stories out of Welsh History and Land of Wales.

On the teller...
Esyllt Harker is a versatile singer and storyteller, performing in English and/or Welsh. Her material draws primarily on her strong Welsh roots - myth, legend and history mix with gleaned fragments found in the features and memories of the land. She is noted for her easy interweaving of the Welsh and English languages, making for effortless understanding. She also moves smoothly between spoken and sung material, bringing a new - but age old - inflection to her telling. She has performed frequently at Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival, and was part of the second Rough Guide to Wales tour in 2002. She tells in theatres, festivals, museums, schools, parks, shopping precincts, living-rooms, castles, on clifftops..........
Mae Esyllt yn cynnig ei gwaith yn y Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg.

To learn more about her Website check out the Welsh Storytellers at http://www.bodyandvoice.co.uk/

Press Play to hear Doug Elliot talk about using storytelling to support nature based education on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #090 Doug Elliot for $2.23 Sharing the Passion of Nature through Storytelling.

Doug Elliot Writes...
How do you find a story in nature (or anywhere else for that matter)? I often start with an incident, an encounter, a problem or a question-something happens to you, you meet someone, see something, or you wonder about something. The narrative I tell is my journey of investigation, trying to figure it out.

The incident is your hook, not only to your listeners when you're storytelling, but also to yourself as an explorer and an investigator. Then I let my curiosity be my guide. I start asking questions. Any journalist will tell you your ability to get a good story is often directly related to your ability to ask good questions. The first and probably the ultimate resource is yourself. How do/did I relate to that incident, encounter, problem or question? How did I feel?

The next step might be an initial resolution concerning your opening incident or a preliminary answer to the question you have set up.

Simply seeing or experiencing something and figuring out what it is can be an interesting vignette, but it's rarely enough to make a good story. This initial vignette (incident, encounter, problem or question) becomes what Joseph Campbell refers to as the "call to adventure." Your challenge becomes how to find and tap those "ripples on the surface of life" that Campbell writes about "which reveal hidden springs as deep as the soul itself."

After you've explored your feelings and reactions and probed your own background, you find others who might have something to say about what you're investigating. This subsequent investigation-your reading, research, and your conversations with other people-becomes the adventure, the backbone or plot line of the narrative. Some of the various bits of information you gather or anecdotes and tales you hear can possibly stand on their own, but ideally the stories and information will be used as sub-plots to develop your entire piece. Then, instead of delivering a natural history lecture, you end up with a classic mythic hero's journey, where the hero (you, most likely) answers the "call to adventure." Wherever the investigation takes you becomes the journey. These facts, tales, and lore become stepping stones on a quest in search of truth and meaning. Rather than delivering a bunch of facts about a critter, phenomenon, or situation, you tell a story.

Bio

Doug Elliott has performed and presented programs at festivals, museums, botanical gardens, nature centers and schools from Canada to the Caribbean. He has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough TN. He has lectured and performed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and conducted workshops for the Smithsonian Institution. He has led ranger training sessions for the National Park Service and guided people in the wilderness from down-east Maine to the Florida Everglades.

He was named harmonica champion at Fiddler's Grove Festival in Union Grove NC. He is the author of four books, many articles in regional and national magazines and has recorded a number of award-winning albums of stories and songs.

Elliott's passion for the natural world developed in early childhood roaming the woods and waters around his home. His dad used to say, "That boy knows what's under every rock between here and town."

He still roams the woods today. He has traveled from the Canadian North to the Central American jungles studying plant and animal life and seeking out the traditional wisdom of people with intimate connections to the natural world. And he still looks under rocks. These days he uncovers more than just a few strange critters; he brings to light the human connection to this vibrant world of which we are a part.

More at http://www.dougelliott.com/about.html

Press Play to hear Anne Glover speak about Finding Your Authentic Voice in Storytelling on the Art of Storytelling.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #089 Anne Glover for $2.23 Finding your Authentic Storytelling Voice.

Anne Glover writes….

Here are two things I feel passionately about in storytelling: authentic voice, and connection to the audience. They are closely intertwined. Some people think “authentic voice” means “no character voices.” If you’ve heard my dialogues with the character “Monkey,” you know that I use character voices, particularly for comedic episodes, as Eric learned when he interviewed me. (Have you recovered yet, Eric?) But when I use those other voices, I make a clear distinction in my voice, my brain, and my body between the character and my narrator.

As both a performer and a listener, I prefer a natural voice for the narrator persona. Sometimes as tellers, we think we need to be doing “more.” We alter our voice, add more breath, and drop to a different register, as if “storytelling” required something other than our true selves. It doesn’t. In fact, it demands that each of us bring our true self to the fore, without letting our ego get in the way of the story. This requires that we constantly watch ourselves and our deep intentions, with ferocious honesty.

Sometimes we get so wrapped in the notion that storytelling requires a special voice, that we get in the way of the story. Some people want to know how to “find” their authentic voice. Here’s a technique I like. I might say, for instance, “Bob, tell me what your story is about. Don’t tell the story. Just tell me what it”s about.” And Bob says, “Well, it’s about this guy who (blah blah blah)” – So far, Bob is using a normal conversational voice. Then he gets caught up in the story and he starts telling it: he gives more detail, and – most significantly – his voice changes. All of a sudden, he’s using a “special” voice, extra breath in his speech, and maybe he’s changed to a different register and volume.

What I want is for storytellers to find that conversational, relaxed voice, and develop a working relationship with it. I’m not saying it’s all we should use. But it should be part of our repertoire. I want storytellers to be comfortable being themselves, using their own voice, along with whatever else they use. Think about what our voice carries, along with the story. It carries, in invisible code, a message of how much we trust ourselves (and therefore the audience) with our true self.

Connection with the audience is essential to storytelling, and it’s alarmingly easy to lose. There will be surprises and concerns: “I thought there would be 300 high school kids – what are all these pre-schoolers doing here?? And why isn’t my mic working and is my fly zipped?” Dealing with all this is an art in itself. But knowing our authentic voice and being comfortable with it will keep us real and connected to this audience (as opposed to the audience we thought we’d have, or the audience we had last time, or the audience we wish we had). If we have that authentic connection, we can reach our audience.

©2009 Creative Commons A Glover and Brother Wolf Storytelling (Nonderivative Noncommercial use only)

More about Anne…
Anne Glover is an entertainer and consultant based in Victoria, BC. She has spent years enchanting audiences with her stories and string games and inspiring educators with her innovative approaches to education. Anne has appeared at countless schools, festivals, and conferences across the continent, and has performed her original stories on CBC radio, in both English and French. She is a polished, engaging entertainer with a humorous wisdom and an infectious enthusiasm for life in any language. Anne Glover’s Website.

Press Play to hear Elisa Pearmain speak about a Teaching Forgiveness through storytelling on the Art of Storytelling.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #088 Elisa Pearmain for $2.23 Teaching Forgiveness through storytelling.

Written by Elisa Pearmain...
Forgiveness is central to the success of relationships, and is an integral part of the emotional, spiritual and even physical healing process, and yet it is poorly understood. Forgiveness offers an opportunity to look at and relate to our stories of wounding in new ways. It calls us to see those who have hurt us with more complexity and empathy. It guides us to forgive ourselves, to untangle ourselves from wounding experiences and the role of victim, and ultimately to live more fully. Stories and storytelling work can help us to understand forgiveness more deeply, and to traverse the forgiveness process with more support and imagination.

In this podcast Elisa Pearmain focused on forgiveness for individuals rather than reconciliation between people or groups of people. She shared a few stories that illustrate aspects of the forgiveness process in action. She discussed some of her personal experiences with forgiveness. She shared some of her observations of the forgiveness process in her therapy practice, and how often at bottom we discover the need to forgive ourselves. Elisa discussed how retelling personal experience in folk and fairy tale can help in this healing process and how the "narrative reframing" or "shifts in perspective" are at the heart of forgiveness, and various techniques for shifting story perspectives she uses. Elisa talked about forgiveness in the grief process, and some of the reasons why it is hard to forgive. All this and your questions in one hour under the wise guidance of our host!

Bio

Elisa Pearmain began her career in storytelling as a dancer who was trying to tell stories without words. In her late 20’s she was she was challenged in a dance theatre workshop to tell a story combining words and movement about an experience in which she found empowerment. Elisa began to shape the story of her experience as a battered woman in her first relationship after college. By stepping back into the shoes of the scared young woman who tiptoed around her boyfriend, and by reconnecting to the voice she didn’t have to speak her truth, she discovered that she hadn’t deserved the abuse and that when she shared her story others were grateful and wanted to share theirs. Thus began a deep curiosity and belief in the healing power of storytelling.
Elisa was soon leading groups of women to shape and share their stories and to learn from them. Her next project was to gather stories from Vietnam Veterans. She shaped one long story based on the stories she heard from them called “The Defoliated Heart,” and shared it with teens and adults. She learned so much more about wounding and trauma, and the role of story in the healing process.
Elisa’s career in storytelling has led her through storytelling residencies in the Boston Public Schools, as an adjunct faculty at Lesley University for 14 years, teaching teachers to integrate storytelling and as a professional storyteller in schools and libraries and churches.
In 1998 Elisa published her first book, Doorways to the Soul: 52 Wisdom Tales from around the World. This is a collection of short wise tales from many traditions and ways of connecting more deeply with them for personal and spiritual growth. In 1998 she also received her Master’s in Counseling and began to work formally as a therapist. For six years she worked on a psychiatric unit of a local hospital, often leading groups using story. For the past six years she has been working part-time in an out-patient clinic with teens and adults. She finds that almost every client she sees is struggling with issues related to forgiveness, and that being able to forgive one self and others in central to healing, personal and spiritual growth.

She also presents programs in schools related to character development and bullying prevention and has a second award-winning book called, Once Upon a time: Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying. Lessons from 99 Multicultural folktales for the K-8 Classroom. (2006)

To learn more about Elisa’s work and other publications you can go to her website www.wisdomtales.com

Press Play to hear Carol Mon speak on applying fairytales to business on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #086 Carol Mon for $2.23 Applying Fairytales to Business.

Carol Mon writes...
Why tell stories to our children? Because it helps prepare them for life. An added benefit though, is we re-learn the important lessons within each tale. This reminds me of Robert Fulghum's book "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." Definitely true if someone read or told you stories during your formative years.

Folk and fairy tales are full of values and morals that we learn through repetition. Generally, as children we don't stop to think what moral is being taught we are just enjoying the story for entertainment. The characters in the story model good or bad behavior and we see the consequences of their actions. Without receiving a lecture from parents we learn appropriate behavior.

As an adult storyteller I am often re-learning and telling favorite childhood stories. A funny thing happened; I started seeing all kinds of lessons in the stories that could be applied to the business world. My favorite example is Hans Christian Andersenâ's "The Emperorâ"s New Clothes." The Emperor is like so many executives I have met, they intimidate those who work for them. Information does not flow freely and eventually the executive finds himself parading around in only his underwear.

I work with all kinds of business people now and try to get them to understand stories are not just for kids. We need to remember these stories, learn from them and apply them to our current situation. Business people see the tales as frivolous and a waste of time, they want to learn from "real" business situations experienced by colleagues so that they can learn from them. So, you tell them the story of the Emperor and change his title to Executive Vice President. The tailors become consultants selling services, the courtiers are direct reports. The consultants fool the EVP and although the employees see it they fear the EVP's reaction if they speak out against the consultants. Eventually the consultants leave town and the EVP finds a huge bill with nothing to show for it.

Did the story really have to change to be accepted? Unfortunately the answer is probably yes and not just because of prejudice (stories are for children's entertainment). Something we have in kindergarten that is destroyed in many of as we go through school is an imagination. Business people lack the imagination to see how the lesson in The Emperor's New Clothes can be applied to them.

An Introduction to for Carol Mon:

Once, a long time ago there was an accountant named Carol Mon who spent several happy years working as an employee benefits specialist and payroll manager. When her company merged with another, it was time for her to leave the comfort of Connecticut Mutual, and find her passion in the world.

Her journey took her to WMRD, a small AM radio station in Middletown, CT. Wanting more, she moved on to ESPN, a sports network in Bristol CT. Still something was missing. So Carol packed her desk and continued her journey to become a storyteller. Finally, she had found the passion she was searching for and felt at home in more ways then one.

Drawing on years of informally telling tales of travel, payroll problems, and media mishaps Carol honed her storytelling skills. She now journeys to such venues as Pfizer Corporation, the United States Coast Guard Academy and the National Association of Insurance Women to help people unlock the secrets of creating and telling compelling stories to strengthen communication skills. And she just loves making a difference in this unique way.

Carol is a member of the Connecticut Storytelling Center, Toastmasters International, the National Speakers Association, and is the Assistant Festival Director for the Connecticut Storytelling Festival. She is also the author of a booklet "Ten Telling Tips for Talkers - Storytelling Tips Everyone Should Know".

For more information on Carol Mon go to
http://www.carolmon.com