Posts Tagged Kentucky Storytellers

Kentucky Folktales Given New Life

Mary Hamiliton Kentucky Folktales
By Mary Hamilton
Email: mary@maryhamilton.info
You can buy the book directly form Mary
Published by University Press of Kentucky
Also available on Amazon.

Book Review By Linda Goodman

Reading Mary Hamilton’s new book, Kentucky Folktales, is like taking a storytelling master class that leaves you with its full text instead of sketchy notes and skimpy handouts. Through the use of scary tales, tall tales, folktales, and family tales Hamilton sheds light on such issues as fear, parental neglect and abuse, healthcare, hunting, war, kingly challenges, smart women, and raising babies.

Each tale is followed by a commentary that relates Hamilton’s sources for her tales and notes on how she adapted them for her own storytelling performances. Most of the stories are also followed by the script of one of the original tales, making comparisons and detail mentioned in the commentary easy to follow. Read the rest of this entry »

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Octavia Sexton – The Jack Story a Traditional Tale for Everyone.


Press Play to hear Octavia Sexton talk about Jack Story and how this traditional tale belongs to everyone. on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Press Play to hear Octavia Sexton talk about Jack Story and how this traditional tale belongs to everyone on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Show.

Octavia Sexton 2010

Octavia Sexton writes…
I think most people probably know that a Jack Tale is a trickster story and Jack. They’ve been around for over 800 years – originating in the British Isles. The stories came to North America via European settlers. The stories told in the Appalachian Mountains began to change through the years to reflect the environment and cultural traditions that emerged among the mountain people.

I grew up in a storytelling tradition and stories were a part of life. I heard a variety of stories not only through kinfolk but also at school. I went to a one-room school and the only thing to do at recess was sing songs, tell stories and play games that did not require ‘stuff.’ We didn’t have any ‘stuff’ to play with because we were all just a bunch of poor country kids. I think I established myself very early as a storyteller. I remember being 5 years old and standing on a big rock in the yard of one of my uncles’ houses and telling tales to my cousins, aunts and uncles who gathered on the big front porch. We had all kinds of stories, but I never knew what a Jack Tale was until I went to college.

After eighth grade, Mommy asked me if I wanted to get married or go on to high school.
I went on to Read the rest of this entry »

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Thomas Freeze – Why tell Children Scary Ghost Stories?


Play to hear this interview that was recorded as a conference call on September 24th at 8 PM ET - 2008.  Thomas Freeze spike about the advantages of sharing ghost stories with children.

Play to hear this interview that was recorded as a conference call on September 24th at 8 PM ET – 2008. Thomas Freeze spike about the advantages of sharing ghost stories with children.

Thomas Freese writes…
I enjoyied being on Eric’s “Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Podcast” on September 23, 8PM Eastern time. I’ve been a professional storyteller and author of ghost story books for over a decade in addition to my work as an art therapist and licensed professional counselor. Our topic was “Why tell children scary ghost stories?” I have over a dozen storytelling programs that I perform for schools, libraries, festivals, churches and private parties. And several of those themed programs are ghost stories. I’ve collected both true ghost stories as well as authoring original fiction mysteries. Kids love storytelling and kids really love ghost stories!

Grave Stones photo curtsey of Storyteller Thomas Freeze - Ghost storytelling included

I was fascinated with ghost stories since I was a middle school student. In fact, one of my favorite books, Strangely Enough, which I bought at a Scholastic Book Fair, is still in print and still available for kids at school. After reading it and questioning my Mom about Read the rest of this entry »

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Talking about humor with Buck P Creacy.

Fill out the form and press play to hear humorist and storyteller Buck P. Creacy speak about what makes storytelling funny on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.







Storyteller ad Humorist Buck P.Creacy teachers us how to make people laugh.

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Interview #055 Buck Creacy
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What makes stuff funny in storytelling?

Who Is Buck P. Creacy?
Buck P. Creacy is a homegrown Humorist and a Storyteller.
But that is hardly an adequate description of this very funny man. Buck P. has always used humor to make life better for those around him. In the process you can tell he has gained a passion for life and people himself.

He started his humor apprenticeship in Slim’s Barber Shop, Farmington New Mexico, at the tender age of 14. There he realized he could shine more shoes and get bigger tips, if he made his customers laugh. He is still putting a shine in peoples eyes and making them laugh.

Buck P. is also a real live “honest to God” Toolmaker,
with nearly 30 years in the tool room, working, consulting and teaching for the benefit of companies all over America. Sharing his wit and wisdom with some of the best known international companies in the world such as Toyota, Dresser Corp., Osram Sylvania and the list goes on and on for more than 98 companies. Groups both large and small love him.

Today his focus on humor is as razor sharp as ever,
but never malicious. He has chosen early in life to make his humor “safe” for any audience. Whether his audience is a group of first year students or industry team members or a family reunions, he manages to bridge the gaps with easy grace.

Buck P. sees the whole wide world just a little bit different.
And that difference is enough just enough to make you laugh out loud.

To Learn more about Buck P. Creacy check out hisi site.

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Julie Mills – Building a successful storytelling festival at your library

Library Photo.

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Interview #022 Julie Mills
Festival Organizer of the Northern Kentucky Storytelling Festival.
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Building a successful storytelling festival at your library.

I think you will find that this interview can really help storytellers understand the librarians and libraries in their lives. If you are interested in storytelling at your local library this interview is must listen and if you are a librarian interested in having storytelling events in your library I would recommend listening as well.

—–More about the Guest…
Julie Mills began working as a Children’s Programmer at the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Public Library in August of 2001. Julie started with Preschool age children and in February of 2004, she began working as the Read the rest of this entry »

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Carolyn Franzini – Running a Storytelling Festival and How Storytellers Become Candidates for Telling at the Festival.

Interview #021 Carolyn Franzini
Director of the Cave Run Storytelling Festival
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Running the Festival and How Storytellers Become Candidates for Telling at the Festival.

Carolyn Franzini is the Director of the Cave Run Storytelling Festival one of the most successful and prestigious storytelling festivals outside of Jonesborough in the United States in this interview she discusses how to run a storytelling festival successfully and How Storytellers Become Candidates for Telling at the Festival. She has kindly allowed the use for the following ten tips on running a storytelling festival to be included on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf blog.

Eric Wolf

She writes
10 Tips for Organizing a Festival.

1. Know why you want to have the storytelling festival
2. Make sure your reasons for having the storytelling festival “fit” your community, sponsor etc because you need their support
3. Make sure all persons on the storytelling festival organization committee love storytelling
4. Try to make the preparation for the Read the rest of this entry »

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Cynthia Changaris – Stories and Singing With Children

Cynthia Changaris Storyteller and owner of the Storyteller river House

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Interview #013
Cynthia Changaris
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Singing with Stories for Children.

Cynthia Changaris writes…
Songs, rhythms and rhymes are a strong way to connect to children. I use singing and rhythms, finger-plays and rhymes in my work to develop an immediate response from the children, to connect to their previous knowledge, and to let them know this event is going to be fun and interactive. It allows me to issue an invitation, “Come on! Come along with me.”

When babies are in their mother’s womb, they are exposed to sounds, music from the outside, banging, etc. But, the most regular sound they are exposed to, which is a constant for them is the beat, beat, beat of the mother’s heart. This sound is often accompanied by the rocking of the Read the rest of this entry »

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