Storytelling Fun for the Entire Family

Compact Disc Review

Turning Point: Almost True Tales

Written and Performed by Janice Davin

Available directly from Janice Davin at www.janicedavin.com .

Email: jbdavin@gmail.com.

$12.00, plus $2.00 shipping and handling.

Reviewed By Linda Goodman

Janice Davin's CD of original stories is witty, unique and full of surprises. I cannot remember the last time that I had so much fun listening to a CD.

In Jeremy's Prayer, about a boy who lives in a neighborhood where he has only girls to play with, Jeremy prays that God will give him a playmate who enjoys wrestling, basketball, and dangerous tricks. Be careful what you pray for!

Hazard's Leash is a ghost tale about two boys who break into an old man's house in search of a mysterious leash and get much more than they bargain for. One must believe in order see, and what is explained away by one boy becomes truth to the other.

Reggie Baxter has a secret in Dare to Dance. Unfortunately, a mean spirited classmate shares Reggie's secret with his classmates. Does that stop Reggie? Of course not! There would not be a story if it did.

Set in Union County, North Carolina, where “friendly neighbors care about, look after, and occasionally spy on one another,” Henry Wilson's Fortune is a true gem. Henry's desire to give away a large sum of money leads to unexpected developments and sets two young people on the path to true love. In spite of the unexpected twists and turns, last wishes are fulfilled and Henry Wilson is doubly blessed. This story is expertly written and skillfully told.

If you enjoy fireworks, you will delight in hearing Red, White, and BOOM, a flight of fancy that had me laughing so hard I had to pull off to the side of the road (I listen to CDs in my car). Illegal fireworks lead to hilarious hijinks in this tale centered around a birthday celebration.

The sound on this tale is surprisingly good, considering that Janice's recording studio is in her closet. Truly, she is a woman of many talents. She also understands the hearts and minds of her listeners and knows how to incorporate those things into her stories in delightful ways.

2013 Storytelling World Award Winners

If you click on the link below, you will see all of the winners of the 2013 Storytelling World Awards.  Three stories from my CD Bobby Pins received "winner" awards: Nickels for Dimes in category 2 (Stories for Pre-adolescent Listeners); Pearl in category 3 (Stories for Adolescent Listeners); and Bobby Pins in category 4 (Stories for Adult Listeners).

http://www.storytellingworld.com/2013/

I offfer my sincere thanks and gratitude to Kim Weitkamp and Treehouse Artists. Kim convinced me that I should make this CD, and then did a wonderful job as my CD midwife, guiding me though the process of creating an award-winning CD. Also thanks to all of you who purchased  the CD.  You also helped make it a success.

You can buy a copy of the CD on my website (www.lindagoodmanstoryteller.com) or at CD Baby. You can also order it directly through me by emailing happytales@aol.com.

To watch a video of Nickels for Dimes, click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thMHsBI9Y_s&feature=youtu.be

Happy tales to you!

Orphan Train Featured in Charming New Book

How I Came to Dowagiac

Memories of an Orphan Train Rider

Book Review

Written by Nancy Marie Payne (nancymariepayne.blogspot.com)

Illustrated by Debra-June Batcher

Available for $10.00 + 2.00shipping and handling from

http://tbmbooks.corecommerce.com

Reviewed by Linda Goodman

I spent less than one hour reading this slim book, and yet it is still in my head three weeks later. Good things do, indeed, come in small packages.

This book begins in New York City in 1854, when ten-year-old Elsie Dowdel begins her day with everything a child needs, only to end it homeless and with no family to look after her. After being taken under the wing of a “beggar girl” that she had befriended, Elsie learns to live in a crate, to steal food, and to beg.

Eventually, both Meg and Elsie are picked up by constables and taken to the Children's Aid Society, which leads to their going west to Dowagiac, Michigan on the Orphan Train. There the children will be farmed out to families who will care for them in exchange for their help with the chores on their farms. Brothers may be split apart and friends may be parted, but all harbor hopes of obtaining what all children need: “a warm bed, food on the table, and someone to give thanks for.”

The exquisite little details of this book are what make it so charming and so real: hiccups born of anxiety; the very real fear of not getting chosen by a family; the comfort of being wrapped in strong, loving arms; restitution made to clear a guilty conscience. Regional colloquialisms abound, evidence of good research that make the readers feel as though they are traveling with the children from New York to Michigan.

I cried twice as I read this book: once for sadness when young Elsie loses her home and family; again for happiness when she gains a new home and family.

When I finished reading the book, I pondered the fact that all the children in it found happy endings. According to the Author's Notes, agents kept tabs on the placed orphans with yearly visits. One can only hope that this level of attention kept sad stories to a minimum.

This book is a fictionalized account of the first “Train Riders,” though many of the children's names are taken from a letter written by one of the chaperones. The Children's Aid Society still exists. This story, however, is Payne's own charming creation.

Storefront Theatre Shines with God's Man in Texas

Reviewed by Linda Goodman

During the past few weeks, I have learned three things about Waxhaw, North Carolina’s The Storefront Theatre:

1. Reserve your tickets as soon as they are available. I saw a flyer about the show two weeks before its opening, and called for reservations immediately; but they were already sold out. Thank goodness I was close enough to the top of the waiting list that I was able to get a ticket when someone else cancelled.

2. Get to the theater (in the Museum of the Waxhaws on Highway 75) EARLY if you want a good parking place and a good seat. I arrived five minutes before show time on Sunday afternoon, and I was able to get neither of those luxuries.

3. Expect an excellent production. God’s Man in Texas, by playwright David Rambo, done as a concert reading, was so beautifully executed I forgot all about both the parking situation and the seat.

Set in the present in Houston, Texas at the fictional Rock Baptist Church (a mega church that reflects the excitement of Las Vegas as much as it does the glory of the Lord), the play is the story of eighty-one year old Dr. Philip Gottshall, the church’s pastor, and his power struggle with Dr. Jeremiah Mears, a younger minister who has been brought in by the congregation in preparation for the day that Gottshall will no long be able to fulfill his pastoral duties.

Melvin Faris, as Gottshall, expertly portrays the enthusiasm, the skepticism, the jealously, and, finally, the contempt the great man has for the congregation and the pretender who would dare to replace him. “I will go in God’s time!” he thunders, filled with righteous indignation. Clearly this silver-tongued devil plans to go nowhere until his cold, hard body is put in the ground.

Dennis Delamer, as Mears, displays a high degree of sensitivity in his role. He makes it easy to believe that Mears’ faith is sincere, even though he allows himself to be tempted by visions of grandeur for a short while. Mears eventually finds that he prefers whispers, God’s still small voice, to shouting.

Michael Ruff portrays Hugo Taney, a recovering drug addict who is the church’s technical expert, and provides comic relief to balance out the heavy dramatic moments in the play. Ruff embodies Taney with a child-like naivete that endears him to the audience. The audience believes him when he says he could not exist “out there.”

Catherine Smith, whose silky voice can be heard on television and radio throughout the country, read the stage directions will skill and charm.

The show is filled with small details that add a nice flavor to the drama. Broccoli, prunes, and George H.W. Bush are essential to the plot.

Executive/Artistic Director Judy Simpson Cook and The Storefront Theater’s board and stage crew are to be congratulated for bringing this enthralling show to life. I cannot wait to see what they do next!

Our Secret Territory: The Essence of Storytellig

By Laura Simms
Laura Simms’ email: storymentor2010@gmail.com
Published by Sentient Publications, LLC

ISBN: 978-1-59181-172-5, $14.95

Book Review By Linda Goodman

“Let us now crawl under the canopy

Of the currant leaves,

and tell stories.

Let us inhabit the underworld.

Let us take possession of our secret territory.”

Virginia Woolf, The Waves 

            Laura Simms chose the above quote to open her book, Our Secret Territory, a storytelling road map in which she shares with readers her unique understanding of the relationship between the storyteller, the story, and the listener.

            I briefly met Laura at the VASA (Virginia Storytelling Alliance) Gathering at Virginia’s Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen in 2001. In person, she was warm, articulate, and elegant. On the stage, however, she transformed into something else entirely: an otherworldly vessel, a cup made of the finest crystal, bearing wine so sweet that I wanted to drink it slowly because I did know when I might find such again.

            I did not realize at the time that I was “dreaming wide awake.” In this book, Simms introduces dreaming “not as the unconscious activity that occurs when we sleep, but as the natural process of being.” Simms constantly listens to her listeners: “It’s almost as if I think of something, they visualize it, and then I describe it.”

            I came to storytelling from the viewpoint of a writer, and I share stories that I have written. I have loved hearing the folktales, myths, legends, and fairy tales that I have heard others tell, but I myself have told such stories only sparingly. This book may change that.

            Our Secret Territory uses exposition, short tales, and quoted words of wisdom to illustrate each chapter’s theme. A longer tale, The Hen and the Rooster, is interspersed in segments throughout the book as the “route that takes us home.” Through following this tale as it wove itself from chapter to chapter, I finally discovered the key that makes me want to spend more time absorbing and sharing such tales. I suspect that you will find your key, too.

            Having said that, I must confess that the two stories from this book that I carry in my heart are from Simms’ personal story stock: The exquisite T'Boli Dreaming shares a journey to a territory of seven villages, where Simms meets a woman who tells her the secret to the survival of a culture, even if all material evidence of it is lost; In a chapter on “sudden stories” a boy soldier from Sierra Leone, who has been brought to New York to speak with the United Nations about his plight, has to return to the war after ten days of safety. Sobbing, he asks Simms to tell him a story. His deep understanding of the short tale was quite humbling to me. I heard only a simple, somewhat humorous tale. He heard the key to living life in a world where the life of a child does not much matter. His tragic tale magically takes on new meaning. Remembering it both breaks my heart and fills me with awe at the wisdom to be gained from children.

            Our Secret Territory, written by a master who generously shares her expertise and insights culled from many years of experience, is another jewel in Laura Simms’ crown. I expected much and got much more than I expected. I recommend it to both listeners and tellers, especially tellers seeking to take their tales to a deeper level.   

101 Games That Teach Storytelling Skills

Book Review

Written by Anthony Burcher and Mike Burcher

Available for $19.95 ($15.96 for ebook)+ shipping and handling from
www.healthylearning.com

Reviewed by Linda Goodman

Using their more than fifty combined years of storytelling and camp leadership as a model, Anthony and Mike Burcher have co-authored this comprehensive book that teaches the value of joy and play with regard to storytelling.

The Burchers acknowledge that in recent years, movies, television, audio recordings, and digital media have changed the way stories are told. Dependence on electronic media has led many to fore-go mastering the communication skills necessary to navigate today's social and business paradigms. Social networking has denied users the experience of seeing how others react to what is shared, resulting in the user's own shrinking knowledge regarding how to appropriately listen and respond to others.

So how can one gain these skills in today's modern world? The Burchers suggest duplicating the camp experience, which deliberately limits technology to create an environment that is ideal for learning social and linguistic skills.

This book is divided into three groups of games. Of particular interest is the section on games that teach the skills needed before you take the stage in front of a live audience. These games focus on such elements as imagination, word selection, powers of observation, dedication to practice, and an above average command of both the English language and story structure. Most storytelling handbooks and workshops assume such skills are already in play. Because this book makes no such assumptions, it is a valuable tool for the true beginning storyteller. The Astounding Adjective Name Game, for instance, requires participants to introduce themselves by preceding their names with adjectives that begin with the same letters as their names and also aptly reflect their personalities. This requires a thought process that sharpens word selection skills and mastery of language.

The second group of games focuses on skills needed to perform in front of an audience (facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, etc.). The third group of games focuses on practicing and telling stories in front of and with others. These games include round robin stories, jet speed autobiographies, and other games that keep the story moving when no one knows who is telling next.

With all three groups, the essentials (objective, goal, recommended ages, number of players, energy level, formation, and props) of each game are given prior to the instructions for playing the game. These essentials guide the leader into selecting the most appropriate games for the group of participants.

This book is a good investment for storytellers of all levels. Not only does it aid in the development of new storytellers, but it is a good tool for experienced tellers who want to sharpen skills learned long ago and re-energize their own performances.

Tom Weakley's The Stories

Stories written by Vermont Storyteller Tom Weakley

Available for $19.95 + $5.95 shipping and handling from

http://highlandpublications.com/items.html

Reviewed by Linda Goodman

I have been a big fan of Tom Weakley's gentle wisdom and homespun humor ever since I first saw him at the Three Apples Storytelling Festival in Harvard, Massachusetts in the early 1990's. His CDs RFD Vermont and Harry and the Texaco Boys are favorites of mine.

Weakley retired from performing in 2008, and I was sad to hear that. His delicious stories, though, will live on, not only on his CDs, but also in his new book The Stories, published by Highland Publications. His words paint images so exquisite that I stopped to read them over and over until I could do instant replays in my head. Reading them was like watching the Andy Griffith Show, but Weakley's version of the fictional Mayberry has a dark side.

Esther, as near perfect a ghost story as I have ever heard, is the eerie story of a ghost trying to make amends for a tragic accident. In the heartbreaking Sleeping Outside Eden, a father and grandfather bid farewell to a lost loved one at the Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC. Adrift on the Alfalfa Sea shares the lonely life of an aging storyteller and dares to voice the words that every professional storyteller has pondered: “As she came to look forward to the money she began to worry that her talent mightn't last as long as she did. What would be the first to go, she wondered. The voice? The stories? Maybe her memory. If I can just concentrate, she thought, maybe I can postpone its coming.” What horrifying, but completely logical, thoughts for an elder who makes a living spinning tales!

Humor is also evident in Weakley's stories. Two Pickpockets, Directions, and The Good Lookin' Suit provoke belly laughs to counter balance the more serious stories.

Teen angst is evident in Do You Love Me Mary Olson?. In Tommy, a young boy learns a hard lesson about coming when called. An unfaithful husband lives to regret his betrayal in The Raspberry Affair.

There are a total of twenty stories in this book, each one a gem. Stories told use eye contact, facial expressions, voice, body language, and movement to make you see what words alone do not express. These stories use just words so effectively and artistically that we see in our minds every element that oral story presents. Tom Weakley is a fabulous storyteller who has performed on the main stage at the National Storytelling Festival, and deservedly so. As fine a storyteller as he is, however, he is an even more gifted writer. Like Pat Conroy, he paints pictures that we have all seen, but in such a way that we relive the moments simultaneously as we read them.

Christmas is coming. If you have story lovers or book lovers on your list, this book is the perfect gift for them. Please buy this book!