2013 National Storytelling Festival

The National Storytelling Festival

      What an adventure it is to attend the National Storytelling Festival! I was invited by my friend Norah Dooley www.norahdooley.com who would be telling in the Exchange Place. I have wanted to go to the festival for a long time and 2013 with Norah's invite, I finally made it there. We've travelled together to a story event in the past and enjoy the time to talk story business and for fun!

        I expected to hear great storytelling, I did not expect the beautiful scenery, I really never gave it a thought. The there was the camaraderie, the friends, food and fun! The little town of Jonesborough TN. is a beautiful spot, a classic American Main St. and they know how to host a party.

        My hobby is photography, I am always clicking pictures and  this weekend was no different. I enjoyed just wandering the festival snapping the memories of my first visit to Jonesborough.  Here is a link to the slide show.
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  http://www.slideshare.net/mothermoo/national-storytelling-festival
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        Here are some memories:
a train that we thought would never end, a Gorilla's breath, Tim Lowry hearing bells, the youngest and oldest listeners at the National Story Slam, Abraham and Isaac -Gettysburg, a Vietnamese dress, breakfast with storytellers, The Ballad of Ronnie Calloway, folks from New Zealand, Native American flute music in the night air from Joe Bruchac, walking up the hill, golf carts, Sisters Italy-Ireland-America, Music with Chuck Brodsky and Rev. Robert Jones, stories, stories, stories...


        The International Storytelling Center hosts the Festival. http://www.storytellingcenter.net/festival/  The festival staff were a hard working team to make the event so seamless to the visitor.

        I stopped by to visit at the National Storytelling Network's tent near the Court House and received a warm greeting from our staff and from other storytellers who stopped in to say HI! www.storynet.org

        I saw so many storytellers I know. There was also a whole group who seemed much like my Facebook page come alive, there they were in person to talk to - wonderful to finally meet them all!

       Last but not least I got to tell "George Henry Story and the Ghost of New Haven" in the Swap tent. My 10 minutes of story fun in Jonesborough!

You can hear that story I shared on my forth coming CD; George Henry Story- The Man Who Painted Lincoln" it will be out late fall. www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com

       

 

Storytellers Road Trip

Wed. June 27, 2012 3 p.m. the phone rings. The call from my friend Norah Dooley, storyteller from Cambridge, Ma. "I have an outrageous proposal, want to hear?"

Of course I do, because Norah thinks like me. Her mind is in constant motion, and she puts herself  100% into what she is doing. If Norah has an outrageous idea, it's a good one!! The problem is I'm at work, "give it to me in a nut shell I have to get back to work." Little did I know where that would lead.

  Less than 24 hours later we are climbing into a car for an adventurous drive to the National Storytelling Conference in  Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, KY.  The drive across Connecticut rolls by quickly as we catch up with each others family and story news. New York rolls out clear and welcoming and darkness falls as we enter Pennsylvania. Fireworks on the horizon welcome us  and with smiles we drive on. Then the rain comes, then winds, hail, thunder and lightening, it's a weather war. We dodge trailer trucks and storm and drive out of the storm and through the night. Next morning I pull in to the National Storytelling Conference. I am still powered by my road trip energizer of a Butterfinger candy bar and Coke, and find a welcome cup of coffee!  It's Storytelling time!

If you attend a storytelling conference or festival it is like going to a well for water and drawing a bucket up inch by inch and that refreshed  satisfaction of the first long sip. Friends old and new, incredible performances, and ideas bubbling up like a fountain from all the stimulation.

The Oracle Award for Massmouth www.massmouth.org is the reason behind the  trip to the National Storytelling Conference Norah has come to accept the Oracle on behalf of Massmouth and Andrea Lovett her co-winner. The award presented by the National  Storytelling Network www.storynet.org

The two  days we had to partake of the festival flew by. We listened and told, networked and renewed old connections. We reveled  in Kevin Kling's keynote speech. http://www.kevinkling.com/  The music of Gamble Rogers flowed and his unique dictionary like storytelling flowed in his memory. It was a special weekend!

With final Free Hugs (http://www.storynet.org/conference/workshops.html  thanks Kristin Pedemonti  )  we were off to do the road trip back to CT.

 A goodbye view in pics

Home again, Home again, jiggity jig and sleep!