Posts Tagged Illinois Storytellers

Janice M. Del Negro – Revising Feminist Folk-tales: Naming the Women.


Press Play to hear Janice M. Del Negro  who was interviewed by Eric Wolf on revising feminist folk-tales: naming the women. on the Art of Storytelling.

Press Play to hear Janice M. Del Negro who was interviewed by Eric Wolf on revising feminist folk-tales: naming the women. on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Dr. Janice M. Del Negro  speaks on revising feminist folk-tales: naming the women. on the Art of Storytelling with Podcast.

Dr. Janice M. Del Negro writes
When Eric and I talked about a topic for this interview, he asked me what was I passionate about? I am passionate about naming the women.

That being said, I was reluctant to use the word “feminist” in the title of this podcast. The word “feminist” is a trigger word that elicits, in many people, a strong emotional response. Since I agree with Mark Twain – “the difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning-bug”- the choice of the word “feminist” was problematic, because nearly everyone has a distinct personal definition of that particular word. Eric bypassed that concern, however: “people will search ‘feminist’ online,” he said to the library school professor. So here we are, “Revisioning the Feminist Folktale,” and I am not sure that two people on the planet have the same definition of what “feminist” means, never mind folktale, or oral tradition. So I’ll stick to passion.

I am passionate about retelling folktales. I am passionate about excavating old tales, tales that have already survived for centuries, for emotional truths that resonate with contemporary listeners. There is no definitive version of a folktale, no “original”; we can point to Read the rest of this entry »

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Jim May – Storytelling in Classrooms and Schools

Jim May speaking on storytelling
Press Play to hear Jim May speaking on storytelling on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.
Press Play to hear Jim May speaking on storytelling on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Jim May Writes…
I tell stories to children because I learned many years ago that nothing in my ten years of experience as a classroom teacher held my elementary student’s attention like a story.

For some twenty-three years now, I have made my living as a professional, full time storyteller. That storytelling produces a singular, intensely vital experience in my listener’s imagination continues to be reinforced nearly every day of my professional storytelling life.

I remember a particular occasion telling stories
to an auditorium full of primary-aged students (grades k-2). After the program was finished, the students filed past the front of the Read the rest of this entry »

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