Personal Storytelling Articles

Story Now Interview: Michael Reno Harrell

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education.   STORY NOW! Interview Series Story Now! Now from the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts for change in every aspect of our […]

Erin O’Neil of Fishtail Publishing, LLC Named to Global 30 Under 30 List

Newark, Del. (January 11, 2021) — Erin O’Neil, owner of Fishtail Publishing LLC and author of Gui Ren: Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary People is one of 30 literacy leaders named to the International Literacy Association’s (ILA) 2021 30 Under 30 list. The global list celebrates rising innovators, disruptors and visionaries in the literacy field. The […]

Story Now Interview: Mike Seliger

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education.   STORY NOW! Interview Series Story Now! Now from the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts for change in every aspect of our […]

Story Now Interview: Sherry Norfolk

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education.   STORY NOW! Interview Series Story Now! Now from the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts for change in every aspect of our […]

Story Now Interview: Dr. Raymond Christian

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education.   STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are […]

2020 Halloween Gala workshop: Creating Original Ghost Stories with Cynthia Rintye

Creating Original Ghost Stories with Cynthia Rintye How did I come to teach a workshop on ghost stories? Well, I certainly had no intention of becoming an expert on spooky tales or paranormal experiences. Then again, I had no intention of becoming the Queen of England, a professional Segway rider, or a teenage zombie trainer.  […]

HALLOWEEN GALA: The Adult Shows

HALLOWEEN GALA: The Adult Shows Some Reflections from JEFF GERE NSN Gala Planning Committee Alton Chung said it best: “I’m tired of going to spooky shows that are not spooky.” So here are the most twisted, supernatural, and disturbing tales we could fine. Lovers of horror, you will be pleased. Your guide on this journey […]

2020 Halloween Gala Kids Shows

HALLOWEEN GALA: The KIDS Shows Some Reflections from JEFF GERE NSN Gala Planning Committee KIDS SHOWS in the AFTERNOONS The committee agreed: start with preschool chills, and grow more scary and tense for the older kids. Oh yes, get more spooky, but be fun. I think we’ve succeeded with some really great performances here. So […]

NSN’s 2020 Halloween Gala Tellers!

The HOUR of REVELATION is HERE! The Programming Committee is thrilled to announce NSN’s 2020 Halloween Gala Tellers! Oct 30: MISCHIEF NIGHT Haunted Story Slam (6pm Central US Time) YOU! Prepare your best 5-min true personal “Haunted” story & throw your name in the hat! Storied Costume Contest (8pm Central US Time) YOU! (Again!) Don […]

Story Now Interview: Robin Kitson

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

Story Now Interview: Joe Herrington

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

Story Now Interview: Pete Griffin

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

Story Now Interview: Cheryl Cofield

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

Story Now Interview: Vera Oye Yaa-Anna

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

Story Now Interview: Colleen Jayne

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

We need stories and our storytellers now

As we sit locked in our homes because of the invisible invasion known as a virus, I value the time to be reflective, to steal away from a tv series, but what I really appreciate are the stories from the storytellers. Although I am sometimes fearful of “the new normal,” I know in every scenario […]

Story Now Interview: Jerome Deroy with Narativ and Jules Ryan with J Ryan Partners, Be engaged at work

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

Storytelling is not just entertainment. It’s a fundamental part of being human

CBC.CA   March 29, 2020 Stories let us share information in a way that creates an emotional connection. They help us to understand that information and each other, and it makes the information memorable. Because stories create an emotional connection, we can gain a deeper understanding of other people’s experiences. That not only helps us to […]

Every Town Should have a Storyville

It is close to 7:00 P.M, the library closes in two hours.  People come in from the cold, some faces are familiar, there is older Flora and her daughter who consistently arrive before anyone else.  Strangers find a seat in the back only to hear “the best seats are up front.” The new bright purple […]

Story Now Interview: Living Proof Advocacy, Tim Cage and John Capecci

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

Kevin Cordi

Challenges to Those Who Respond with Story – A Call Out to Storytellers

By Kevin Cordi Challenges to Those Who Respond with Story – A Call Out to Storytellers One must continually reflect when they chose to take on the ‘mantle of storyteller’ or decide to use stories in their work and daily life. For over 25 years, I work to honor this mantle. This includes not only […]

Story Now Interview: Jackie & Papa Wright, Jr. – St. Louis, Missouri

At the National Storytelling Network, our mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. STORY NOW! Interview Series The theme of our 2019 annual conference was Story Now! Now! From the boardroom to the classroom, and the page to the stage, personal stories and folktales are catalysts […]

South Korea trains grandmothers to become professional storytellers

ABC News | December 28, 2019 By Hakyung Kate Lee The country has launched a program to nurture female seniors as storytellers. SEOUL, South Korea — Park Jeonghee, 64, donned a traditional Korean dress embroidered with tiny flowers and sat down in front of a class of preschoolers. Children gathered around her, their eyes twinkling […]

New Venture Seeks to Leverage the Power of Recovery Stories

Addiction Professional   September 9, 2019 Matt Conway and T.J. Murphy started RecoverYdia (a hybrid of “recovery” and “media”) as “our response to a suffering world.” They want to counteract the loneliness that has enveloped a technology-connected world by using that world to share moments of personal triumph. Murphy says he and Conway have set out to […]

Moved by immigration crisis, mime opens up about his journey to Maine

Portland Press Herald, Maine    September 8, 2019 As an immigrant from Brazil and a US citizen for 18 years, storyteller and mime Antonia Rocha hopes to show people there’s nothing to fear. Rocha treats his stories as bridges of understanding, and tells school kids he works with, “When you encounter something different – an […]

New Podcast from Wayne State Features Stories of Iraqi Students Studying in Detroit

WDET Detroit’s NPR Station  Sept. 4, 2019 The storytelling podcast was part of the student’s three week leadership exchange program and gives an insight into the students’ world. Twenty one Iraqi college students came to Wayne State for three weeks over the summer to learn about American culture and democracy. They were here as part of […]

Teens Using the Gift of Gab for Action

Hemophilia New Today   June 21, 2019 A group of teens from a local bleeding disorders organization, HACA, (Hemophilia Association of the Capital Area, greater Washington, D.C.) , have stories to share as advocates for themselves or their siblings who have hemophilia. They worked with the StoryCorps app to bring their stories to life. StoryCorps gave them a […]

Program of teens’ stories focus of new book

Times Union, Albany, NY   May 24, 2019 Since 2006, Children at the Well (C@W  http://www.childrenatthewell.org ) has brought teens from the Capital Region of New York State together to share their stories. Now the group has published a book so other educators and organizations can incorporate storytelling into their worlds using the C@W method. “Our […]

Helping the elderly connect through telling their life stories

The Sydney Morning Herald    April 10, 2019 When Danielle Stewart attended the funerals of her grandparents she learnt many facts about their lives that were previously unknown to her. It got her thinking about the importance of storytelling, especially for the families of the elderly. In 2016 she started a company, My Word, whose […]

At Gilead Church in Chicago, storytelling is central to worship

The Christian Century  April 9, 2019 Rebecca Anderson, a Disciples of Christ pastor, got an idea after attending a packing Moth event: ‘Do we not have a true story to tell in community?’” The former stand-up comic did her booming preacher impression when describing that epiphany. The insight eventually led to Anderson joining with her […]

How an Astonishing Holocaust Diary Resurfaced in America

Smithsonian Magazine    November 2018 A Polish young woman, Renia Spiegel started her diary on Jan. 31, 1939 when she was 18 years old: “… Today, my dear diary, is the beginning of our deep friendship.” Left to right: Renia in Przemysl, 1930; Renia in 1936; Renia with her best friend, Nora, in Przemysl in […]

You’ve Told That Story 100 Times. Please Stop.

March 30, 2019  Wall Street Journal Storytelling is supposed to be bonding. But you need to get good at storytelling for the bonding to take place. Here are some tips to be a better storyteller: Have a point Open hot. Flesh out your characters. Build tension. Don’t exaggerate. Disclose somethings about yourself. If you’re telling […]

Volunteers with an ear for stories sought

March 28, 2019  The Westminster Window, Englewood, Colorado Northglenn High School’s STEM program is looking for 14 volunteers from the community who have a knack for storytelling and the time to listen to a group of 10th graders’ tales. STEM Coordinator Leslie Foster said the volunteers will come into the school to help judge podcasts […]

Seniors took the stage at Gonzaga University’s third annual Story Slam

March 26, 2019   The Gonzaga Bulletin On March 25, Gonzaga University Story Slam presented six stories under the theme ‘loose change’ to a packed audience in Wolff Auditorium. The student speakers offered snippets of privilege, depression, danger and even a moment to reflect on bigger issues. Past storyteller GU senior, Ethan Kane from the ‘swoon’ […]

5 Storytelling Tips to Help You Ace Your Job Interview

March 24, 2019   Forbes Often job interviewees focus on their credentials and competence. An interviewer spending a day interviewing candidates for a job might end up feeling she ,hadn’t had the chance to actually meet any of them. A story illustrating their character makes candidates memorable. Some tips about creating job interview stories: Don’t overshare – […]

Denver Launches an Office of Storytelling. Here’s the Backstory.

Westword | March 25, 2019 | by Kyle Harris What’s the story behind the Office of Storytelling? On March 21, Mayor Michael Hancock launched Denver’s Office of Storytelling, headed by the city’s new Chief Storyteller, who just happens to be a former Hancock aide. The move comes in the middle of election season, when a […]

Ditch the grammar and teach children storytelling instead

The Guardian, New York, NY   May 19, 2017 By Tim Lott   Writing stories is a craft that is crucial for life. And if the government insists, you can test it, measure it and use it in commerce, too A report in the Times has quoted a secondary school teacher who complained that their year […]

What does membership provide?

By Patricia Coffie What does membership provide? Payback on what you invest. When members cease to invest time and talent as well as money, organizations die. I am currently a member of a family group, two historical societies, a storytellers’ guild, a regional storytelling organization (five states and the others too), a national storytelling organization, […]

Art and storytelling event gives voice to local homeless community

The Michigan Daily, Ann Arbor, MI    November 11, 2018   The Washtenaw Housing Alliance and Shelter Association of Washtenaw County hosted the second-ever Voices of Homelessness event Friday evening in Ypsilanti, inviting community members to share their experiences with homelessness through art and storytelling. The speak-out was intended to spread awareness about homelessness and connect displaced people to […]

Job skills gain as Bridgeport tells its stories

Stamford Advocate, Stamford, CT    November 13, 2018   Podcaster Dayna Lindo wants to change the narrative of her community, Bridgeport, CT. “The podcast is dedicated to telling the untold stories of Bridgeport and humanizing our collective experience,” Lindo said. “My goal is to increase Bridgeport citizens’ pride in themselves and our city by changing […]

FT. BRAGG STORIES: ‘Time To Bow Out’

WUNC 91.5      December 28, 2018   The Ft. Bragg Stories series is a collaboration between the Fayetteville Observer and WUNC’s American Homefront Project to commemorate a century of history at Fort Bragg through personal narratives. You can hear all stories (around 30) in the series here. This article highlights the story of Jay Huwieler, a […]

Stories meant to be told

Deccan Chronicle,  Secunderabad, India     December 25, 2018 Stories Worth Sharing is an initiative which strives to revive the art of storytelling. Himanshu Poswal and Mohit Munjal, two engineering graduates from Delhi, are the founders. When travelling, they witnessed a group of people who put the phones away and were sharing stories. They realized they should […]

How Sharing Stories Of Hope Impacts Addiction Recovery

Side Effect: Public Health Personal Stories    January 9, 2019 Addiction affects millions of Americans. At a live storytelling event held Aug. 14, 2018, Indiana community members who struggle with addiction shared their stories of life in recovery. Stories shared included: a “moment of clarity” that lead to their sobriety a non-typical story of someone […]

Rediscovering truth – African storytellers tap into rich tradition

euroNEWS Reuters (Nairobi, Kenya)     December 17, 2018 “To have that storyteller in front of you with an audience being able to interact is something very precious that we are in danger of losing,” said Maimouna Jallow, who organised the one-day Re-Imagined Storytelling Festival in Kenya’s capital. Although written history has existed for centuries in […]

You Are a Storyteller

The Epoch Times   October 26, 2018 By Jim Weiss   “I’d like to introduce you to two friends of mine. Their names are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.” That’s how I feel when I begin to tell a story. I consider these characters friends of mine, and I take great pleasure in introducing them to […]

Keeping art of storytelling alive

The Chronicle   November 9, 2018 By Rini Jeffers VERMILION — Since the beginning of mankind, the art of storytelling has been a tradition, a socialization, a teaching tool, entertainment and a means of keeping history alive. But it is an art that seems to be slipping away, says professional storyteller Donna Kuczynski. An Amherst resident […]

Yeager symposium features Adam Booth to talk about Appalachia

The Parthenon   October 18, 2018 By Douglas Harding World-renowned storyteller, musician and West Virginia native Adam Booth participated in a Yeager Symposium and open dialogue with Marshall University students and Huntington residents Wednesday, Oct.17 at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center Playhouse. Booth discussed Appalachian dialects and accents and how they can enhance storytelling. An […]

The power of story

Isthmus   October 18, 2018 By Catherine Capellaro Nestor Gomez says he is the last person you’d expect to see sharing personal stories in front of a large crowd. “I used to stutter badly,” says Gomez, one of 10 storytellers who will perform at the annual Moth GrandSLAM Championship on Oct. 19 at the Barrymore Theatre. “My mother […]

Here:Say brings storytellers, community together

Traverse City Record Eagle   October 12, 2018 By Brooke Kansier TRAVERSE CITY — A few minutes idling in the driveway end Matthew Soderquist’s daily commute. They’re the most gripping part of his week. The Vanderbilt resident and avid listener of “The Moth,” a storytelling radio program, can’t get enough of a good tale. It’s what drew […]

The Art – and Power – of Storytelling

EverythingBrevard.com   October 12, 2018 By Lee Nessel Storytelling is powerful. It is among our earliest forms of communication, the original encyclopedia and the first form of school. To this day, it’s how we share history, exchange ideas and stimulate our imagination. Storytelling has evolved, yet stayed the same. Surely you’ve heard about the importance of storytelling […]

Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author Speaks about Oral Tradition in Storytelling

The Dickinsonian   October 11, 2018 By Cristian Tineo Dickinson and Carlisle community members danced in a circle to the beat of a drum at the behest of Pulitzer Prize-winning author N. Scott Momaday, who gave a talk on campus about the importance of oral tradition. Momaday‘s talk on Saturday, Oct. 6 explored themes of imagination and […]

The lone storytelling ranger, Retired Forest Services worker recounts days gone by

The Mining Journal   October 10, 2018 By Corey Kelly MARQUETTE — Pete Griffin, the Storytelling Ranger, spoke in front of a warm fire to a crowd in the Heritage Room of the Peter White Public Library Monday evening. Griffin told stories about the natural world, and the human one, by incorporating his experiences of growing up […]

Tales well-told, Taos Storytelling Festival launches 19th season of great fables

The Taos News   October 11, 2018 By Tempo staff The way a story is told makes all the difference. It can simply entertain or help put a toddler to sleep, but when a story grabs you and pulls you into its world, engrossed in all its drama, comedy or pathos, it’s a story well- told. Stories […]

Novel approach to medical care? Docs trained in storytelling

WTOP   October 10, 2018 By Rachel Nania WASHINGTON — There is no denying that cutting-edge equipment and pharmaceutical breakthroughs can help save lives — but so can a doctor trained in storytelling. Dr. Rita Charon is a Harvard-trained internist who practices general medicine. She is also a literary scholar who earned her Ph.D. studying the works […]

International Meeting Gathers Storytellers From The World

Telesurtv.net   October 9, 2018 Spoken word narrators from eight different countries will gather in Lima, capital of Peru, in the VII International Meeting of Oral Storytellers “Blessed be the word”, informed EFE referencing the North American Peruvian Cultural Institute (ICPNA), organizer of the. “Blessed be the word” will go from the 13th to the 20th of […]

“Women Speak” Immigrant Stories: In Their Own Words

Saratoga.com Saratoga Springs, NY October 30, 2018 This month’s immigrant storytellers share one thing in common: they’re all women. Coming from different areas of the globe, with widely divergent traditions and expectations, they have all made a new life in the United States. The personal stories they’ll share tonight will reflect on how being a woman shaped […]

The storytellers of Vermont

CBS News   April 23, 2018 By JEREMY BRADLEY Slow down. Talk. Listen. In a world of partisan politics and viral videos these concepts can feel like relics of a bygone era. But something’s happening in Vermont. In the hip art houses of Burlington, at serene coffee shops outside Montpelier and in cozy wooden theaters of rural […]

Kids have a howling good time at library

Port Clinton News Herald  September 10, 2018 MARBLEHEAD – The story of four aging farm animals who run away to become musicians came to life on Saturday when children got to play the parts of the animals —a rooster, cat, dog and donkey — in an interactive storytelling presentation of “The Bremen Town Musicians” at […]

Why adults are telling stories on stage

Times of India   October 7, 2018 Written by Ketaki Desai Priti Mutha was already struggling with post-partum depression when her father passed away unexpectedly. Her mind was full of thoughts she wanted to share but she had no one to talk to about. That’s when she came across The Narrative, a live and personal storytelling show based […]

Story Slam Grand Finale Coming to Meaford Hall

The Meaford Independent   October 3, 2018 Written by Bill Monahan On November 3, the Meaford Culture Foundation will be presenting “an authentic entertainment experience ranging from the heartwarming to the hilarious,” with the Georgian Bay Story Slam Grand Finale. It represents the culmination of a series of Story Slams that have been held in small venues around […]

Minneapolis storyteller wins Great American Story

Park Rapids Enterprise   September 26, 2018 Sue Searing of Minneapolis won the Great American Story Saturday night after regaling the audience with her two original stories. The theme for the third annual contest was “connecting through storytelling.” The live performance was held at Calvary Lutheran Church. Since moving to Minnesota three years ago, Searing has appeared […]

‘Suitcase Stories’ Puts Resettled Refugees On Manchester Stage

New Hampshire Public Radio  September 28, 2018 A live storytelling event called “Suitcase Stories,”organized by the International Institute of New England, which resettles refugees in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, will have seven NH refugees telling their own stories. One of them, Ageth Okeny, who fled Sudan with her kids to a refugee camp in Egypt before coming […]

Digital storytelling programme launched

The Orcadian  September 29, 2018 The Scottish Book Trust is launching a Digital Storyteller in Residence program at Orkney Library & Archive in September 2018. People in Orkney will tell their personal stories as they develop important digital skills.   Mark Jenkins, one of the digital storyteller for Orkney, said: “We are delighted to be working […]

Storytellers gather at Storybook Garden, put on a show

The Sentinel   September 25, 2018   HANFORD — Bringing stories to life was what some volunteers and children did at the Children’s Storybook Garden Saturday. The Storybook Garden hosted its first-ever Storytelling Festival where children had the opportunity to listen and interact with several storytellers for a few hours at the garden. The Storybook Garden is […]

Live storytelling events create community in the city

Birmingham Magazine   September 19, 2018 An arc light bulb works when an arc of electricity jumps from one element to another. The little lightning bolt that results from the “jumping between” creates the light. For the past eight years, live storytelling organization Arc Stories has been working in the same way. “The magic that happens in […]

Living Books Tell Their Stories On Saturday at Fayetteville Public Library

Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette  September 7, 2018 18 local residents will be part of the first Human Library event in Northwest Arkansas, based on programs run twenty years ago in Denmark. Organizer Katherine Ganoung says that the Human Library is a chance to bring “storytelling power back to those who lived out their story every day […]

Storytelling connects children with history, families and each other

Miami Herald     August 31, 2018 Summary Few things bond a family more than shared tales and experiences. Not only is storytelling fun — who doesn’t love hearing about the good-natured scrapes a parent got into when they were their age or what life was like in the “olden” days for grandma — but the […]

Back of the Yards residents want to tell positive stories of their neighborhood

Chicago, IL  August 3, 2018 Mayra Hernandez (Center-Left) and Gina Ramirez (Center-Right) tell personal stories about the Back of the Yards neighborhood | Manny Ramos/Sun-Times | Manny Ramos/Sun-Times Mayra Hernandez glowed with pleasure when she remembered flying a plastic grocery bag kite from her bedroom window as a little girl. “I would throw it out the […]

New ACLU Storytelling Program at TSU to Train Advocates for Criminal Justice Reform

Houston, TX  August 2, 2018 The ACLU and Texas Southern University (TSU) are joining together to tackle criminal justice reform by fostering storytellers — a first of its kind storytelling bureau in the U.S.A. The program will train students who have been impacted by the criminal justice system how to tell their stories in public forums such as the state […]

Dastangoi: Art of ancient storytelling finds a new audience

The Times of India     August 12, 2018 Summary At a small eatery in the city, a niche group has gathered to hear stories. A dastango is spinning yarn with subjects as ddiverse as love, philosophy, wars, deceit or just fantasy. This is the world of Dastangoi — the art of storytelling which was popular in […]

The danger of a single story

TEDGlobal 2009     July, 2009 Summary People and cultures are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

The Science of Storytelling

Business2Community     July 19, 2018 Summary Everyone loves stories. A good story has the power to compel others, to inspire people, even to shape the world. They can comfort, connect, transform, destroy or even heal. Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone can tell it well. There is a science to it, though, […]

‘Born This Way’ storytelling event in northern India

Bhopal, Utter Pradesh, Northern India,     July 9, 2018 Summary Bhopal Pride at Baithak – The Art House created a safe space for people to express themselves re. their sex, gender sexuality and the difference between them. A participant Chandni said, “Defining humans is the worst thing we can do. Let’s not look at anyone with the […]

New York State Fair holds first storytelling competition

WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY,     July 7, 2018 Summary For the first time, the New York State Fair will have a two-day storytelling event, on Friday and Saturday, August 31 and September 1. Friday night’s event will be a competition called The Great New York State Story Slam, in which 10 people will be chosen randomly.  They will […]

Storytelling event connects community across cultures

Moab Sun News,     June 28, 2018 Summary Five local storytellers share diverse performances at Moab Valley Multicultural Center’s (MVMC) brand-new event “Dialogues of Diversity: Multicultural Stories of Strength.” Each will share their stories of ‘being new’ — coming to Moab or the United States from a foreign country. “I hope that their stories offer […]

Story Summit: A Night of Gainesville’s Best Storytelling

Gainesville Scene,     June 4, 2018 Summary There are three storytelling organizations in Gainesville which produce monthly personal storytelling events: Self Narrate, the Conch and Guts & Glory While people often assume these groups are in competition with each other, Self Narrate’s director Brandon Telg said: “We all want to see each other succeed, and we all believe in what each […]

Storytelling at American Society of Clinical Oncology

Medscape,     June 3, 2018 Summary The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) had a new session at its annual meeting this year: ASCO Voices. The goal of this storytelling event, was to remind the oncologists of their deep human selves, something that the other data driven sessions wouldn’t be doing. Four stories were selected from […]

3 Core Tenets Of Leadership Storytelling

Forbes, May 29,2017 Summary It is important for individuals and organizations to synchronize these three key elements–internally and externally: what they say, what they do, and what is truly in their hearts. Esther Choy says, “I believe ‘heart’ is an expression of the leaders’ deepest motivation–the core that’s driving everything else. It flows from the company’s mission and vision […]

BBC Ouch wants your stories for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

BBC News      May 21, 2018 Summary For the third year, BBC is asking people with disabilities to submit their personal stories for possible telling at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Those selected will work with a top comedy script producer, then perform their story at the Festival. The topic this year is “Going Out”. […]

Pen in Hand: Storytelling with Luther Girado: the last male fluent speaker shares his language

Tehachapi News      May 6, 2018 Summary There are only two fluent Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Paiute)  speakers left on Earth:  Luther Girado and his sister Lucille Girado Hicks.  the Girados are the last people who will ever be raised in an Indian household were Nuwä is the only language spoken. They grew up in Walker Basin […]

Penn Medicine students to participate in first-ever citywide medical story slam

Penn Today      May 7, 2018 Summary Seven medical school in Philadelphia are participating in a story slam in an effort to create open dialogue among doctors, nurses, and medical students who often struggle to express their feelings. “In the medical literature these days, there’s a lot about physicians and med students being burned out, […]

We Survive by Telling Stories

On Being      May 14, 2018 Summary   Generational storytelling is survival. It is a preservation of history and a dire act as we witness erasure in textbooks and watch our history recounted by those who tell our stories but have never lived in our skin or embodied the blood of our stories.

Meridian-area teachers learn the power of storytelling

The Meridian Star       February 20, 2018 By Robbie Ward Summary Laughter, smiles, gestures and other connections sparked during a storytelling program Tuesday will likely result in more of the same. Much of the storytelling came from Wisconsin storyteller, author and musician Stuart Stotts, also a certified teaching artist with the John F. […]

Stories of Immigration – A Public Storyteller Special

WLRN       April 25, 2018 Summary South Florida — The Public Storyteller is a radio show sharing  true stories of life in South Florida as well as featuring  performances by professional storytellers. It airs Sundays, 4 pm EST on www.wirn.org or 91.3 FM and 91.5 FM in South Florida. The hosts are Caren S. […]

How to Tell a Story

The New York Times       April 16, 2018 Summary NEW YORK, NY — An introduction on how to tell your first, and then subsequent, stories. “The best way to reach all people is to go to a personal story,” said Brenda Wong Aoki, an acclaimed playwright, storyteller and performer. “Everybody is a human being and everybody […]

Story Works Alaska allows youth to find their voice

KTVA.com The Voice of Alaska    April 9, 2018 Summary ANCHORAGE, AK — Since 2014, more than 1,500 students at high schools in Anchorage and Unalakleet have learned to tell their personal stories as part of Story Works Alaska.     “The students get to work on and share these stories,” Bartlett High School English teacher […]

Artist Collects Stories From the Hearts of Syrians

Al-Fanar Media   April 8, 2018 Summary LONDON — Since 2013, Spanish artist and filmmaker Juan delGado has been collecting and publishing the personal stories of Syrian people, both those still in Syria as well as those who have fled. The goal of the project—whose Arabic name, Qisetna, means “our stories”—is to create a record of the experiences of […]

Indigenous storyteller at Vancouver Public Library shares city’s lesser known tales

CBC News   March 30, 2018 Summary   Since 2008, Vancouver Public Library has had an Indigenous storyteller in residence who uses storytelling to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. This year, T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss, an artist and ethno-botanist, who studies plants and their traditional uses, has been selected. Wyss plans to research her own family’s heritage as […]

Revealing a Personal Story

Worcester Polytechnic Institute   March 23, 2018 Summary Dear World visited Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) this week. At WPI, approximately 180 students, faculty, and staff participated in personal story workshops, first solo writing, then pairing together to distill each story into a few significant words. Those words were then written on the person’s skin. Then a portrait […]

Residents invited to share stories of discrimination to begin change

My Statesman   March 17, 2018 Summary Using storytelling to help heal racial discord, the Truth and Reconciliation Oral History Project invites Austin residents of color to share their personal experiences of racial discrimination in a safe place. A goal is to elicit compassion via these stories. State Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, shares his experience at […]

TED Talks on Storytelling

This list was created by Marilyn McPhie . She will include it as part of her upcoming workshop in San Diego in April on “How to Do a TED Talk.” This workshop is  based on her many experiences: giving a TEDx talk, presenting at a TEDx Salon, being part of a TEDx organizing committee, and attending more […]

What everyone can learn from immigrants’ personal stories

Boston Globe Magazine   March 7, 2018 Summary   Cheryl Hamilton, co-director of Massmouth and director of partner engagement at the International Institute of New England, a refugee resettlement agency, launched Suitcase Stories, a traveling live performance series and social media campaign, in March 2017. Her goal is to offer opposing information about immigrants and refugees, […]

In a digital era live storytelling is bringing people closer together

Boston Globe Magazine   March 7, 2018 Summary Nine monthly storytelling events in the greater Boston area plus the new PBS World Channel / Massmouth TV production “Stories from the Stage” are highlighted in this article. Some of these shows sell out. Massmouth co-founder Norah Dooley explains this popularity: People come because “story is an essential […]

Why Sharing Your Personal Story Can Offer Real Health Benefits

Oprah.com   February 2018 Summary Sharing a personal story is similar to a group therapy session. The teller is reducing her psychological burden AND the listeners can have a physically healing experience. According to Nancy Morgan, writing clinician and director emeritus of the arts and humanities program at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., […]

Golden Valley resident draws international attention to the art of storytelling

Golden Valley resident draws international attention to the art of storytelling World Storytelling Day is March 20 By Megan Thorstad | New Hope Golden Valley Sun Post Summary: Golden Valley resident, Vietnam War veteran and retired teacher Larry Johnson has long been inspired by the art of oral storytelling. From his early years as a […]

African-American folklore inspires meeting of the minds

The Harvard Gazette  February 5, 2018 Summary “The Annotated African American Folktales,” is a collaboration between Harvard scholars Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr. and Maria Tatar. Published by the Norton imprint Liveright in November, the book was recently honored with an NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary achievement. The authors were interviewed together, discussing their collaboration as well […]

Beyond Labels: Bridging Differences Through Storytelling

TEDxWilmingtonSalon  December 2017 Summary When Israeli-born Noa Baum moved to the U.S. and unexpectedly formed a friendship with a Palestinian woman, she realized the importance of listening to the story of the “other” – even if that other is the enemy. She discovered that storytelling transforms perceptions, and from that epiphany Noa shares how she […]

Cancer patients who tell their life story find more peace, less depression

University of Wisconsin–Madison News  January 19, 2018 Summary: In research supported by the National Cancer Institute, researchers measured the effect of a storytelling interview plus online resources on more than 40 people diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 cancer. The interview covered topics including important accomplishments and difficulties overcome, the effects of their cancer on them […]

Atria Newell Creek in Mentor, OH brings community together through storytelling

The News-Herald  January 18, 2018 Summary Atria Newel Creek, asenior residential community in Mentor, OH, recently hosted Better Together, which was the first in a series of events to celebrate the importance of storytelling. The series is based on Atria StoryWise, a collection of topics and cues created to rekindle memories and help people connect more deeply. “Storytelling is a […]

Detroit’s first chief storyteller says city’s narrative must be diverse, inclusive

 Detroit Free Press   August 13, 2017 Summary Appointed earlier in 2017 by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, former journalist Aaron Foley is Detroit’s first chief storyteller. He has edited a new book,  The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook, a collection of poems, essays and a short story written by past and present Detroiters. Its goal is to introduce readers to many neighborhoods in […]

Indigenous group tackles diabetes with storytelling

TheConversation.com  Jan. 15, 2018 Summary: Similar to many Indigenous groups worldwide, the James Bay Cree of northern Québec have a unexpectedly high rate of diabetes. Their method of their solution was taken from their culture: A Talking Circle in print. Cree health representatives choose people with diabetes whose stories they thought important. Then they hired […]

Mudrooms adds storytelling workshop to December events

Juneau Empire  December 10, 2017 Summary:   Now in their seventh season, Mudrooms is Juneau’s monthly community storytelling event. Each event has a different theme. On Dec. 12, the theme is “Square peg in a round hole.” As with every event, there will be seven storytellers telling seven stories at seven minutes each. Cost is $7. […]

The Crying Hour: In an Unorthodox Team-Building Exercise, Bills Players Share Their Life Stories

Sports Illustrated  December 1, 2017 Summary: Last spring, the new Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott started a new tradition: ending many team meeting with a player telling a personal story about his upbringing, his motivation, his influences, what’s most important to him. The first player to tell his story, veteran tackle Jordan Mills said, “It’s […]

Storytelling program helps teens overcome adversity

Chicago Tribune,   December 24, 2017 Summary: Story Squad, a storytelling program of the YMCA of Metro Chicago’s Youth Safety and Violence Prevention (YSVP) initiative, empowers youth to channel their experiences through personal stories that are shared within their community and throughout the world. After a public showcase with about 100 friends and family members of program […]

To Absent Friends, a people’s festival of storytelling and remembrance

Bereavement Care Journal, Volume 36, 2017 – Issue 3,   November 2, 2017 Summary: To Absent Friends (TAF) is an annual Scotland-wide participative festival of storytelling and remembrance. Its purpose is to reduce the social isolation of bereaved people, At TAF, people can remember,  tell stories,  celebrate and  reminisce about people they love who have died. TAF may be […]

Storytelling Is Integral to Who We Are

U.S. News, October 2, 2017   Summary: Steven Schlozman, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a child psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, believes that passing storytelling on to children is critical to their well-being. He […]

Students present digital stories in showcase

The Chronicle – the online student newspaper at Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, May 27, 2016 Summary: Los Angeles, CA — Students from the HW Go! Vietnam trip exhibited their film and photography projects at Harvard-Westlake School on May 18. A total of 10 photographic pieces and nine student films were displayed. The subject of the projects, […]

Bringing community together through stories

Shreveport Times (part of the USA Today Network), December 19, 2017 By Henrietta Wildsmith When Amy Lynn Treme stepped out on stage to tell her story at a recent All Y’all Live event, she was nervous. She felt her thoughts were all over the place. She told about her job at a pet shop in Bossier […]

Storytellers Project wins top honors at INMA World Congress

USA TODAY (McLean, VA), May 25, 2016 Summary: On Tuesday, Megan Finnerty walked across a stage at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum to pick up an award for the storytelling program she helped found at the Arizona Republic four years ago. The Arizona Storytellers Project won the first place award for “Best Use of an […]

This is your Brain on Communication

TED Conferences (New York, NY), February, 2016   Summary: During an official TED conference, neuroscientist Uri Hasson, Princeton University, researches the basis of human communication, and experiments from his lab reveal that even across different languages, our brains show similar activity, or become “aligned,” when we hear the same idea or story. This amazing neural […]

This is your brain on communication

TED Conferences (New York, NY), February, 2016 Summary: During an official TED conference, neuroscientist Uri Hasson, Princeton University, researches the basis of human communication, and experiments from his lab reveal that even across different languages, our brains show similar activity, or become “aligned,” when we hear the same idea or story. This amazing neural mechanism […]

Gannett takes the idea behind Arizona Storytellers Project nationwide

Poynter Institute (St. Petersburg, FL), September 15, 2015 Summary: Next week at the Online News Association’s annual conference, a group of journalists from nine Gannett newspapers will spend a few hours learning how to workshop a story before trying a bit of live storytelling. Their coach? Someone who has worked through the process with hundreds […]

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivors Pass Their Stories to a New Generation

The New York Times (New York, NY), August 5, 2015 Summary: HIROSHIMA, Japan — Hiromi Hasai was being trained to make machine gun bullets when the flash from the atomic bomb that destroyed his city lit up the already bright morning sky. Just 14, he had been pulled from school a week before to help […]

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivors Pass Their Stories to a New Generation

The New York Times (New York, NY), August 5, 2015 Summary: HIROSHIMA, Japan — Hiromi Hasai was being trained to make machine gun bullets when the flash from the atomic bomb that destroyed his city lit up the already bright morning sky. Just 14, he had been pulled from school a week before to help […]

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivors Pass Their Stories to a New Generation

The New York Times (New York, NY) , August 5, 2015 Summary: HIROSHIMA, Japan — Hiromi Hasai was being trained to make machine gun bullets when the flash from the atomic bomb that destroyed his city lit up the already bright morning sky. Just 14, he had been pulled from school a week before to […]

Storytelling Event Translates the Meaning of Baseball

The Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio), July 8, 2015 Summary: The Enquirer’s Wednesday night storytelling event was dedicated to the love of the game. The 350 or so attendees filled The Phoenix in Downtown. For lovers of the game, it is not merely about balls and strikes but about how we relate to others. “Everyone who loves […]

Bedtime Stories: Get Bawdy with Hundreds of Friends

SF Weekly (San Francisco, CA), January 21, 2015 Summary: Every month in the Mission, there’s a line around a corner of Mariposa Street as couples, triads, and local celebrities huddle in the fog awaiting admittance to the Verdi Club. The little-known haunt, which feels like a hip Elk’s Lodge, is where Bawdy Storytelling has been […]

Storytelling is Now Part of the International Day of Peace

Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation (New York, NY), October 1, 2014 Summary We are pleased to introduce you to Ms. Velma Mukoro, 24, of Nairobi, Kenya, and her award-winning story presented at the International Day of Peace this year. Our thanks go to the International Storytelling Center Executive Director, Kiran Singh Sirah and Ms. Mukoro for […]

Storytelling is Now Part of the International Day of Peace

Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation (New York, NY) , October 1, 2014 Summary: We are pleased to introduce you to Ms. Velma Mukoro, 24, of Nairobi, Kenya, and her award-winning story presented at the International Day of Peace this year. Our thanks go to the International Storytelling Center Executive Director, Kiran Singh Sirah and Ms. Mukoro […]

For Emcee, Storytelling Nights Get Personal

The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), July 1, 2014 Summary: Emcee Megan Finnerty says, “In 2011, the Arizona Republic newspaper launched this series because we believe the stories we tell define us. They make us who we are as individuals and as a community. In telling, we affirm the lessons we’ve learned. In listening, we deepen […]

Oral Fixation project brings stories by immigrants to stage at the Dallas Museum of Art

Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX), June 17, 2014   Summary: Eight people will be performing at the special Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) Late Night edition of the storytelling series “Oral Fixation (An Obsession With True Life Tales).” The show is sold out, but Stewart expects some seats to become available that evening. Videos of […]

Oral Fixation project brings stories by immigrants to stage at the Dallas Museum of Art

Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX) , June 17, 2014 Summary: Eight people will be performing at the special Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) Late Night edition of the storytelling series “Oral Fixation (An Obsession With True Life Tales).” The show is sold out, but Stewart expects some seats to become available that evening. Videos of […]

The Tale of Two Schools

New York Times Magazine (New York, NY), May 4, 2014 Summary: Fieldston and University Heights are in the same borough but worlds apart. How much understanding between their students can a well-told story bring? University Heights High School is on St. Anns Avenue in the South Bronx, which is part of the poorest congressional district […]

The Tale of Two Schools

New York Times Magazine (New York, NY) , May 4, 2014 Summary: Fieldston and University Heights are in the same borough but worlds apart. How much understanding between their students can a well-told story bring? University Heights High School is on St. Anns Avenue in the South Bronx, which is part of the poorest congressional […]

Scientists Study Why Stories Exist

Wall Street Journal (New York, NY), April 4, 2014 Summary: We human beings spend hours each day telling and hearing stories. We always have. Why? At a fascinating workshop at Stanford last month called “The Science of Stories” scientists and scholars talked about why reading Harlequin romances may make you more empathetic, about how ten-year-olds […]

Scientists Study Why Stories Exist

Wall Street Journal (New York, NY) , April 4, 2014 Summary: We human beings spend hours each day telling and hearing stories. We always have. Why? At a fascinating workshop at Stanford last month called “The Science of Stories” scientists and scholars talked about why reading Harlequin romances may make you more empathetic, about how […]

What Kids Learn From Hearing Family Stories

The Atlantic (Washington, DC), December 2013 Summary: Most parents know about the benefits of reading stories from books with their young children. Yet what most parents don’t know is that everyday family stories confer many of the same benefits of reading–and even some new ones. Over the last 25 years, a small canon of research […]

What Kids Learn From Hearing Family Stories

The Atlantic (Washington, DC), December 2013   Summary: Most parents know about the benefits of reading stories from books with their young children. Yet what most parents don’t know is that everyday family stories confer many of the same benefits of reading–and even some new ones. Over the last 25 years, a small canon of […]

The Tin Can Tales

Tuscaloosa News (Tuscaloosa, AL), November 14, 2013 Summary: Tin Can Tales, a new series of intimate storytelling events featuring community members including University of Alabama students, faculty members, writers and others, begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Bama Theatre’s Greensboro Room. Each tale-teller will share experiences in first-person narrative, with each installment of the […]

The Tin Can Tales

Tuscaloosa News (Tuscaloosa, AL) , November 14, 2013 Summary: Tin Can Tales, a new series of intimate storytelling events featuring community members including University of Alabama students, faculty members, writers and others, begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Bama Theatre’s Greensboro Room. Each tale-teller will share experiences in first-person narrative, with each installment of […]

Bridging the Gap Between Young, Old

Smoky Mountain News (Waynesville, NC), June 12, 2013 Summary: “I remember thinking what a shame it was that the old-timers and former Civilian Conservation Corps members were disappearing,” Beth Bramhall, a seasonal education ranger with Great Smoky Mountains National Park said. “The time to talk with these folks is now, while they’re still around to […]

Bridging the Gap Between Young, Old

Smoky Mountain News (Waynesville, NC), June 12, 2013   Summary: “I remember thinking what a shame it was that the old-timers and former Civilian Conservation Corps members were disappearing,” Beth Bramhall, a seasonal education ranger with Great Smoky Mountains National Park said. “The time to talk with these folks is now, while they’re still around […]

Bridging the Gap Between Young, Old

Smoky Mountain News (Waynesville, NC), June 12, 2013 Summary: “I remember thinking what a shame it was that the old-timers and former Civilian Conservation Corps members were disappearing,” Beth Bramhall, a seasonal education ranger with Great Smoky Mountains National Park said. “The time to talk with these folks is now, while they’re still around to […]

NPR’s Mobile Storytelling Unit Makes a Stop in Boise

Idaho Statesman (Boise, ID), June 11, 2013 Summary: Marilyn Shuler, 73, told the story of her life Monday to a NPR recording team that travels the country, allowing people to create a lasting record of the events of their lives. The StoryCorps mobile recording unit, set up in an Airstream trailer, will sit outside of […]

NPR’s Mobile Storytelling Unit Makes a Stop in Boise

Idaho Statesman (Boise, ID) , June 11, 2013 Summary: Marilyn Shuler, 73, told the story of her life Monday to a NPR recording team that travels the country, allowing people to create a lasting record of the events of their lives. The StoryCorps mobile recording unit, set up in an Airstream trailer, will sit outside […]

NPR’s Mobile Storytelling Unit Makes a Stop in Boise

Idaho Statesman (Boise, ID) , June 11, 2013 Summary: Marilyn Shuler, 73, told the story of her life Monday to a NPR recording team that travels the country, allowing people to create a lasting record of the events of their lives. The StoryCorps mobile recording unit, set up in an Airstream trailer, will sit outside […]

NPR’s Mobile Storytelling Unit Makes a Stop in Boise

Idaho Statesman (Boise, ID), June 11, 2013 Summary: Marilyn Shuler, 73, told the story of her life Monday to a NPR recording team that travels the country, allowing people to create a lasting record of the events of their lives. The StoryCorps mobile recording unit, set up in an Airstream trailer, will sit outside of […]

The Stories That Bind Us

The New York Times (New York, NY), March 15, 2013 Summary: The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative. I first heard this idea from Marshall Duke, a colorful psychologist at Emory University. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Duke was asked to […]

The Stories That Bind Us

The New York Times (New York, NY) , March 15, 2013   Summary: The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative. I first heard this idea from Marshall Duke, a colorful psychologist at Emory University. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Duke was […]

The Stories That Bind Us

The New York Times (New York, NY), March 15, 2013 Summary: The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative. I first heard this idea from Marshall Duke, a colorful psychologist at Emory University. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Duke was asked to […]

The Heart of Storytelling: The American Red Cross Lets Real People Tell Their Stories

Co.Create, Fast Company (New York, NY), December 18, 2012 Summary: With its new Storytellers campaign, The American Red Cross gives a voice–and a camera–to the people who have been helped by the organization. A New Yorker whose home was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, a Michigan teenager whose Red Cross CPR training helped him save a […]

The Heart of Storytelling: The American Red Cross Lets Real People Tell Their Stories

Co.Create, Fast Company (New York, NY), December 18, 2012 Summary: With its new Storytellers campaign, The American Red Cross gives a voice–and a camera–to the people who have been helped by the organization. A New Yorker whose home was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, a Michigan teenager whose Red Cross CPR training helped him save a […]

Storyteller Inspires Others to Tell Their Stories

Borneo Post Online (Kota Kinabalu, Borneo) , December 4, 2012 Summary: The few adults in the room couldn’t imagine themselves scaling mountains with their hands or flapping like peacocks alongside their young companions during yesterday’s storytelling session, but that was the effect Cassandra Wye had on her audience. Before long, the storyteller from United Kingdom […]

Storyteller Inspires Others to Tell Their Stories

Borneo Post Online (Kota Kinabalu, Borneo), December 4, 2012 Summary: The few adults in the room couldn’t imagine themselves scaling mountains with their hands or flapping like peacocks alongside their young companions during yesterday’s storytelling session, but that was the effect Cassandra Wye had on her audience. Before long, the storyteller from United Kingdom had […]

Sikh Woman Balpreet Kaur Turns Cyber Bullying Incident into Inspiration

Yahoo.com, September 27, 2012 Summary: After someone snapped a photo of her and posted it on online, Balpreet Kaur was ridiculed for following the tenets of her Sikh faith. The photo was taken apparently without Kaur’s knowledge while she was waiting in line at the Ohio State University Library. In the photo, Kaur’s hair is […]

Sikh Woman Balpreet Kaur Turns Cyber Bullying Incident into Inspiration

Yahoo.com , September 27, 2012 Summary: After someone snapped a photo of her and posted it on online, Balpreet Kaur was ridiculed for following the tenets of her Sikh faith. The photo was taken apparently without Kaur’s knowledge while she was waiting in line at the Ohio State University Library. In the photo, Kaur’s hair […]

Porchlight Turns 10 with 2 Nights at Verdi Club

SFGate (San Francisco, CA), July 11, 2012   Summary: Every month for the past 10 years, people from all walks of life have converged to tell true, personal stories as part of the Porchlight series. No matter how funny or shocking or unbelievable, the storytellers reveal the commonalities that pervade the human experience. Founders and […]

Great Storytelling Advice from Moth Founder George Dawes Green

Flavorwire (New York, NY), May 11, 2012   Summary: The Moth founder George Dawes Green says that the key to a really great story is vulnerability. “Great storytellers really never tell about triumphs — they always focus on weakness and loss, and their own humanity, their own clownishness.” “Getting other people to be quiet — […]

Telling Tales With a Tear and a Smile

New York Times (New York, NY), April 4, 2012 Summary: When she was 18, Ophira Eisenberg drunkenly cheated on her boyfriend with a guy she barely knew. This led to panic, lies, confrontation and, inevitably, a breakup. It could easily be an operatic teenage drama, but Ms. Eisenberg, now in her 30s, told this story […]

Dakota Have Stories to Tell, Culture to Share

The Free Press (Mankato, MN), January 8, 2012   Summary: The Blue Earth County Historical Society is presenting 12 monthly events aimed at helping southern Minnesota learn about Dakota culture. “Am I doing OK?” asked Joe Whitehawk, a Dakota, speaking to an almost exclusively white audience at the first event. Dave Larsen, a Dakota, said […]

Dakota Have Stories to Tell, Culture to Share

The Free Press (Mankato, MN) , January 8, 2012 Summary: The Blue Earth County Historical Society is presenting 12 monthly events aimed at helping southern Minnesota learn about Dakota culture. “Am I doing OK?” asked Joe Whitehawk, a Dakota, speaking to an almost exclusively white audience at the first event. Dave Larsen, a Dakota, said […]

Dakota Have Stories to Tell, Culture to Share

The Free Press (Mankato, MN), January 8, 2012 Summary: The Blue Earth County Historical Society is presenting 12 monthly events aimed at helping southern Minnesota learn about Dakota culture. “Am I doing OK?” asked Joe Whitehawk, a Dakota, speaking to an almost exclusively white audience at the first event. Dave Larsen, a Dakota, said he, […]

Vancouver Island Inuit Storyteller Inspired by Kids

The Victoria Times Colonist (Victoria, BC, Canada) , November 12, 2011 Summary: Before books, or even reading, should come the story, says Inuit storyteller and children’s author Michael Kusugak. It should be told in person, with lots of repetition, facial expressions and feedback from listeners, he says. “You can take these stories and write them […]

My Faith: How Storytelling Saved My Life

CNN Belief (Atlanta, GA), August 7, 2011 Summary: By Edward Grinnan, Special to CNN One spring day 25 years ago, I found myself perched on the 21st floor windowsill of a Denmark hotel room, holding what I thought would be my last alcoholic drink. I planned to give it up in a big way. For […]

All Life’s on Stage: Students, Residents Spin True Tales in College Series

Addison County Independent (Addison County, VT) , April 22, 2010 Summary: Professor Linus Owens tells a story about his family during a Middlebury Moth storytelling event last Thursday night. Middlebury Moth is inspired by The Moth Radio Hour, a nationally broadcast radio show that features true stories told by real people without scripts. Participants shared […]

New Take on Storytelling

Lancaster Guardian (Lancaster, UK) , February 11, 2010 Summary: A NEW scheme to bring books to life is being launched in Lancaster next week. The Living Libraries in Lancashire scheme gives visitors to the city’s library the chance to ‘borrow’ living books. The ‘books’ – who are actually volunteers from the district – will give […]

Senior Center Invites All: Come and Share Your Stories

The Herald of Randolph (Randolph, VT) , February 4, 2010 Summary: What’s more enjoyable than sharing your stories? And what’s a better way to build community than to hear other people’s stories? That’s the idea behind a new series of storytelling programs, called “Talking With,” sponsored by the Randolph Senior Center for the general public. […]

Story Time

The Wall Street Journal (New York, NY), November 14, 2009 Summary: Tripping down memory lane is a healthy and necessary task of growing older—even if only practiced privately, or in the company of an agreeable friend or spouse. The urge to sum up is “part of normal aging,” wrote Gene D. Cohen, a psychiatrist and […]

Project Tells the Digital Story of Latino Culture

Spartan Daily (San Jose State Universtiy, CA), September 9, 2009 Summary: Students and members of the community gathered Wednesday night on campus to watch personal stories of triumph as part of the Latino Digital Storytelling Project. One of the stories was that of Maria Perez, an ex-first generation gang member. Her story described life growing […]

Project Tells the Digital Story of Latino Culture

Spartan Daily (San Jose State Universtiy, CA) , September 9, 2009 Summary: Students and members of the community gathered Wednesday night on campus to watch personal stories of triumph as part of the Latino Digital Storytelling Project. One of the stories was that of Maria Perez, an ex-first generation gang member. Her story described life […]

Life Stories: Children Find Meaning in Old Family Tales

Wall Street Journal (New York, NY), March 11, 2009 Summary: As parents cut budgets, many are finding family stories have surprising power to help children through hard times. Storytelling experts say the phenomenon reflects a growing national interest in telling tales, evidenced by a rise in storytelling events and festivals. New research bears out the […]

Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One

Newsweek (New York, NY), February 16, 2009 Summary: Ann Banks, editor of First-Person America, an anthology of oral histories collected by the WPA’s Federal Writers’ Project, wrote: I was raised on Depression stories; this was only one of many told around our dinner table. Hearing them again and again, I became fascinated by the role […]

Asian Pacific American Student Association Event Aims to Change Perceptions

Daily Trojan (Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA), March 4, 2008 Summary: The Asian Pacific American Student Association invited community members to speak about social justice and their struggles at “Stories from our Community” on Monday night. Daniel Wu, a sophomore majoring in international relations and APASA’s community chair, said […]

Storytelling Can Make a Difference in Conflict

The Times of India (New Delhi, India) , October 1, 2007 Summary: Sarah Kyankya is a writer- publisher at Fountain Publications, Kampala, Uganda’s largest publishing house. She was asked, “There is an ongoing conflict situation in Uganda. Can storytelling make a difference?” Kyankya replied, “The war has meant that the north of the country is […]

Literacy Project Involves Students, Community

The Appalachian (Appalachian State University, Boone, NC), September 13, 2007 Summary: The Blue Ridge Family Literacy Project, formerly known as the Appalachian Storytelling Project, recognizes the power of personal history and is using it as a tool to do so. Housed in the Reich College of Education, the program is now embarking upon its third […]

One Way to Close Culture Gap? Telling Tales

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL), September 6, 2007 Summary: Arif Choudhury is recounting a story from his childhood, a funny tale of what it was like to be the only Bangladeshi child growing up in his leafy neighborhood north of Chicago. Choudhury, age 5, is in a sandbox when a boy suddenly asks him, “Are you […]

Computer Scientists Help Indian Villagers Share Stories Across the Digital Divide

Innovations Report (Bad Homburg, Germany), June 4, 2007 Summary: Computer scientists at Swansea University are working on a collaborative project that is using new mobile phone technologies to help villagers in India record and share their stories and experiences. The StoryBank project is providing people in the Indian village of Budikote, 100km from Bangalore, with […]

New ‘Starring Role’ for Storytellers in Alness

Scottish Provincial Press Ltd. (Inverness, Scotland, UK), May 4, 2007 Summary: As part of a digital storytelling initiative, the people of Alness will be given the chance to bring their personal tales to life, creating a short digital story which will be showcased in front of family and friends, before being published on a BBC […]

We Can Heal the Wounds

The Fiji Times Online (Suva, Fiji), December 3, 2006 Summary: Father Lapsley’s decade-and-a-half-long activism against South African apartheid, both from within and outside that State, could have ended in him living the rest of his life bitter and a victim. In 1990, a letter bomb delivered to him in Harare, Zimbabwe, from the then South […]

Storytelling is Great Tool in Tourism and Reconciliation

City Vision (Western Cape, South Africa), November 9, 2006 Summary: The sixteen ex-combatants and community activists trained by the Direct Action Centre for Peace and Memory (DACPM) in storytelling to become authentic voices in the tourist industry, graduated in Woodstock on Monday. During the course which took nine weeks, the graduates took a part on […]

Latino Vets of WWII Share Stories

The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), March 11, 2006 Summary: Ralph Chavarria sat next to his teenage grandson. The 91-year-old leaned on a cane and talked about his experiences as a World War II firefighter and crash-crew worker in the Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific. Ralph and 17-year-old Sean are close in large part through […]

Gathering Local Stories From Residential School Survivors

Opinion250 News (Prince George, British Columbia, Canada), March 11, 2006 Summary: Between 1892 and 1969, residential schools operated in Canada through arrangements between the Government of Canada and the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, United and Presbyterian churches. Although the Government was no longer officially involved after 1969, a few schools and hostels continued to operate […]

Event Offers Peek into Tribal Culture

The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA), March 7, 2006 Summary: The theme of this year’s Southern California Indian Storytelling Festival is “Bridging the Pacific with Story & Song,” and the event featured young and old storytellers from several tribes, including the Cahuilla, Kumeyaay, Chumash, Yokuts, Serrano, and Ohlone, as well as Owana Salaza, a Hawaiian who is […]

Two History Groups Combine Efforts

San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA), June 22, 2005 Summary: The Digital Clubhouse Network, founded in Sunnyvale, and the regional California Pioneers of Santa Clara County, are now partners sharing facilities at History Park in San Jose. “To my knowledge, this will be the first partnership of this type in the country among traditional […]

BBC Turns Spotlight on Young Arab Women

Arab News (Saudi Arabia), February 28, 2005   Summary: Young Arab women are getting a chance to air their views — literally — over the BBC Arabic Service. The “My Life” project by the BBC World Service Trust enables young women in the Arab world to develop their own media portfolios, or audiovisual stories, while […]

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