Articles

by Mary Grace Ketner Between “Once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” each fairy tale presents a brilliant metaphor for one stage of life. In the course of a fairy tale, the protagonist leaves a state of innocence to … Continue reading →

by Andy Offutt Irwin For my contribution to the NSN Blog, I am much too lazy to offer anything different than what I am already working on, which at this time is a book on humor theory.  E.B. White wrote, … Continue reading →

by Sue Black After a recent storytelling program for bullying prevention, a boy broke out of the line exiting the school gym, ran up to me with a smile, and said, “Mrs. Black, thank you! Maybe this will make a … Continue reading →

by Carol Birch One fall I requested permission to perform Truman Capote’s “A Thanksgiving Visitor.” The representative agreed with the proviso that not a word be changed – an impossible request. The text required editing. In this case the editing … Continue reading →

by Sherry Norfolk I spend most of my professional life in the classroom. Storytelling allows me to work with kids of all ages and skill levels, in a huge variety of settings, for a multitude of purposes. Each classroom offers … Continue reading →

by Regina Ress Living from within myth and fairytale, looking with a metaphoric eye, life’s lessons are deeply experienced and learned. Recently I spent two months volunteering for Fundacion Arte del Mundo, an arts and literacy center in the Andean … Continue reading →

By Yvonne Healy What is more Irish than storytelling? American audiences often request stories about one particular Irish character. They visualize a little man dressed in spring’s color with a matching green top hat, jacket and shoes with big buckles … Continue reading →

by Katie Knutson Chances are that your path to storytelling and mine are quite different. Maybe you were a part of the storytelling revival of the 1970’s; maybe you discovered storytelling within another career path; or, maybe you started as … Continue reading →

by Dolores Hydock A friend of mine teaches fourth grade in a public school. They were doing a section on theatre, and she asked me to talk to her class about acting. When I got there, I heard about the … Continue reading →

by Anne Shimojima In my family, we never told stories about the past – what it was like for my grandparents to sail from Japan to the United States, the early days in Oregon with the family grocery store, the … Continue reading →

by Doug Lipman Can you remember when you first made the connection between yourself and the word “storyteller”? Maybe you had been telling stories already – but hadn’t known there was such a profession? Maybe you saw a performer who … Continue reading →

by Judy Sima There is no greater joy than seeing a child’s face shine in the light of your words as you tell a story. There is no greater satisfaction than watching your passion for storytelling grow in the lives … Continue reading →

by Karen Chace Storytellers share wonderful tales and offer amazingly creative shows, but do they have great marketing behind them? We lament the lack of attendance at venues, yet many times I receive an e-mail publicizing an event that is … Continue reading →

By Syd Lieberman A good interview begins with making your interviewee comfortable. Let him pick the place where the interview will take place and where he wants to sit.  Some people feel nervous about being interviewed.  If so, have your … Continue reading →

by Mary Jo Huff The storyteller has arrived and the children are getting ready for a special treat.  Sitting on the floor with their legs twisted like a pretzel, eyes wide and fidgety fingers the pre-schoolers are all ready for … Continue reading →

by Megan Hicks One of my storyteller friends told me I should write about how to make fairy tales interesting enough for adults to enjoy. Here’s my quick and dirty recipe for success: Leave the story alone and tell it … Continue reading →

by Leeny Del Seamonds “Live the Story!” That’s been my motto for 24+ years. This catchphrase is throughout my website and is part of my signature. I strive to apply it to my body of work as a performer and … Continue reading →

By Slash Coleman From the Series: Finding Your Business Comfort Zone My friend owns a comedy club where she occasionally performs. One night, thinking I’d be a “shoe-in” for funny, she pulled me on stage as part of her act. … Continue reading →

By Linda Goodman Personal and family stories fascinate me. Why are they so special? First, they preserve family heritage. Family gatherings produce treasure troves of stories to be passed along from generation to generation. When my family gets together, storytelling … Continue reading →

by Rafe Martin For tellers today, traditional tales are like a form of classical music. The patterns are known and resonant. In so many ways our work will naturally – whether we know it or not—reflect back to these oldies … Continue reading →

by Michael Reno Harrell I’ve been singing songs and telling stories to audiences longer than seems possible; and making a living at it which has at times has seemed impossible. Traveling in these two worlds, music and storytelling, I find … Continue reading →

By Antonio Rocha I am a teller who comes from a silent tradition. Once, all I did was tell through body language as a mime artist. One of the most important aspects of this silence performing art form is the … Continue reading →

by Lyn Ford A young student in a story-sharing / story-writing workshop that had been organized specifically for “gifted and talented” students hung back from those who rushed to their lunches. He never looked directly at me; he shuffled his … Continue reading →