The Florida StoryTimes A Journal of the Florida Storytelling Association

March/April 2016

Stories on Purpose In each issue, a storyteller reflects on the deeper meaning of their work Guest contributor Manal Fakhoury

3

Stories + Yoga = Wellness, Literacy & Fun with Storytime Yoga®! By Sydney Solis

4 & 5

Don’t Make Me Laugh Pat Nease offers this month’s look at humor

6

The Power of Stories Guest Contributor Aaron Ellis

7

Marketing Strategy Part 3 By Linda Goodman

8 & 9

Learning to Care: Introducing a Theme With Story By Cindy Rivka Marshall

10 & 11

Florida Round-up 12 & 13

Inside this issue:

The Florida StoryTimes is a publication of the

Florida Storytelling Association. FSA and contrib-

uting columnists retain all copyrights on materials

and information found within. Please do not re-

produce articles or portions thereof without writ-

ten consent from the writer and from FSA.

All photographs are in the public domain and

used, to the best of our understanding, as

allowed by law.

Your FSA Board of Directors

Officers

Robin Schulte, President

Linda Chancey, Secretary

Carrie Sue Ayvar, treasurer

Members

Linda ”Schuyler” Ford, Florida StoryTimes Editor

Melinda Munger

Madeline Pots

Connie Trama

Comments, suggestions, and articles may be

sent to Schuyler at FlStoryTimes@gmail.com

Membership Reminder 14

Stories On Purpose Editor’s note: This new feature will explore the uses, applications and special interests that encompass the many aspects of storytelling.

Stories for Peace Concert By Manal Farkoury If you announce a Stories for Peace Concert, who would you attract? Community members that love story-telling, or community members that believe in a better world? Perhaps you would attract both; those individu-als looking for a better world and wanting to share stories to connect with each other. We were delighted with the turnout of nearly a hundred guests for our inaugural event, The Stories For Peace Concert, in my Ocala home. We heard silence and laughter. The mood shifted from serious, tender to humorous moments. Peace may apply to us on a very personal, individual level and yet peace can be quite encompassing in a global realm. The Stories for Peace Concert was a beautiful evening that enabled three groups of guests to move through three storytelling settings featuring a total of three tellers performing twenty minute sets. By the end of the evening, guests had enjoyed hearing all the storytellers share tales ranging from a mother ’s inner peace after losing a son to murder, to a Dutch citizen’s search for peace in Palestine/Israel as a volun-teer, to World War II stories, to folktales about freedom. Featured tellers included Jessica Spence Mccune, L. Schuyler Ford, and myself. Additionally, we had musicians and a guest speaker. We recognized that in our humanity, we want to help each other and shared a message of inclusion. Our goal was to remind ourselves that life can be beautiful, and we have a shared responsibility to work for peace at all levels. After the performances, guests participated in conversations about their vision of peace, their commitment to building peace. This was more meaningful as several faith traditions, races, and ethnici-ties were represented in the gathering. One of our guests shared his mission of working in Peace Circles and his recently published We Do Peace Handbook. Questions were asked about the danger and influence of mainstream media selling us one inac-curate story, selling us fear and mistrust. This was the beginning of a community conversation and the kick off for six additional story circles that will take place during 2016. Peace should never be controversial or discounted, we are on the cusp of change and it is such events that will turn the tide and help direct us to a better community, state, country and life. In short, the evening was a journey within. Dr. Manal Fakhoury is the Founder and CEO of Fakhoury Leadership International, an Ocala-based organization that mentors high school and college students to develop leader-ship skills through creativity, compassion and commitment to quality. Manal’s civic engagement includes serving on several boards: United Way of Marion County, YMCA Executive Board, President of Marion United Toastmasters and founder of Toasting Ocala Toastmasters, Suntrust Bank Board of Directors, Co-Director of CDI, ING Trustee, Rotary, and Chairwoman of United Voices for America, a civic engagement or-ganization working to increase the participation of people of color, minorities and youth in the political process.

Entertainment

Fun

Peace-Building

History

Connection

Business

Self Awareness

Insight

Creativity

Photo by Pixabay user 4 Walls

Literacy

There’s no doubt about it. Yoga is booming across the nation and showing up in thousands of elemen-tary school and gym class as kids and parents alike reap the huge benefits that yoga provides, such as calm, focus and attention to name a few. Combine the physical movements with oral story-telling and you get something even better, a body-centered education program called Storytime Yoga® that teaches kids to be fit and literate all through play!

Since 2003 I have taught thousands of kids, parents, teachers and more in Storytime Yoga® classes

around the world to enjoy hearing multicultural folktales told orally and then to re-enact that story

with yoga poses and movement. Something special happens when kids participate in active listening

and then re-enact the story with their bodies using yoga postures - a child-centered participatory

consciousness. I’ve had parents ask, “How did my ADHD kid do?” and I have to respond, “He’s

ADHD? Had no idea. He did great!” For storytelling is a natural mindful activity that gravitates to the

body as it listens and creates original images. It is the original virtual reality, painting narrative that

kids begin to associate with as they ground their bodies in the present moment, listen to their breath-

ing and become aware of themselves.

Kings, queens, talking armadillos, demons, princesses and other characters pitch kids out of ordi-

nary reality and into the fantastic, opening up possibili-

ties for creative and original thinking as well as self-

awareness through the third-person narrative, offering

glimpses into their own lives and actions. Storytime

Yoga® is excellent for kids to develop emotional intelli-

gence and guides for living in the world from listening to

folktales, fairytales and more.

The combination of storytelling and yoga also assists

kids with special needs, from autism to ADHD to trauma.

It provides learning skills for self-soothing by calming the nervous system via movement and breath-

work, and kids learn social skills and life lessons from the stories. Kids see themselves in the stories

and this provide opportunities for self-reflection, bringing awareness to kids and their problems.

Hearing stories also brings about peace-making skills, helping kids become aware of emotions and

actions via the trials and errors of protagonists and villains. The stories’ outcomes provide kids an

ability to imagine alternatives to violence and use problem-solving skills instead as they have filed

away resources in their heads from hearing stories.

6

Stories + Yoga = Wellness, Literacy & Fun with Storytime Yoga®! by Sydney Solis

Storytime Yoga® is based on Montessori education principles, so it integrates many parts of the cur-

riculum, from literature to social studies to music and physical education. It’s seamless and fluid, and

most of all it’s fun! All types of learners benefit from hearing the stories orally and using their bodies

to tell stories, and for kids who need more visuals to learn, I use traditional Kamishibai storytelling

cards during the re-enactment to

repeat the story as we do the yoga.

After the fun re-enactment of the

story in which kids learn narrative

structure and embody the charac-

ters and “become” the hero, re-

laxation and meditation with sooth-

ing imagery integrates the experi-

ence of learning through play. Af-

terwards, games and fun follow-up

activities of art, storymaking and

creative writing allows kids of any

age and ability a literary education

as well as use expressive arts for

wellness and self-esteem.

Overall, it’s the power of play found in the power of the spoken word combined with yoga that can

boost a sense of security and build stronger relationships because of the ritual experienced in a

Storytime Yoga® class. These connections can be integrated into the home environment, as kids

and parents are encouraged to tell stories at home and develop a family yoga and storytelling hour

to improve literacy and communication. Even at-risk kids who experience a poverty of words coming

from lower socio-economic backgrounds and may not have parents read to them regularly can ex-

perience the benefits of story and yoga at home, because even illiterate parents can still listen to

and tell stories to their children - stories of family, folklore, fun stuff -and love.

So try it out! Come to the Storytime Yoga® class for kids at the Florida Storytelling Festival April 2!

Don’t forget Mythic Yoga for teens and adults too!

For more information, visit www.StorytimeYoga.com

Namaste!

Sydney Solis is a storyteller, yoga instructor and creator/founder of Storytime

Yoga®! Sydney is also an award-winning professional poet, and creates photographic art.

After living in Boulder, Colorado for most of her life, in 2010 she followed her bliss and lived

abroad on a personal mythic journey with her two children for three years in Buenos Aires and

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. She is now settled in DeLand, Florida and spends summers in

Boulder, Colorado. She is very glad that she followed her bliss, because as in fairy tales, she got

what she wanted, just not the way she expected it.

It’s No Small Thing to Impart Joy. The easiest way to add a bit of humor to your story is through descriptions. Donald Davis and Barbara McBride Smith come to mind as they both have the hu-mor business down to a science, and much of that humor relies on portraiture. Studying what they do and how they do it, I find that many times, their descriptions involve an unexpected comparison or a delightful turn-of-phrase. These zings enrich the story, lighten the mood, and unite the audi-ence in the shared humor. The idea is not that you’ll have people falling off their chairs laughing (although wouldn’t that be

grand!), but simply eliciting a smile or a giggle.

Listening with a sharp ear to fellow tellers is one resource, but pay attention to the Sunday com-

ics, the editorials, and comedians too. When something makes you smile, write it down.

I’m a great fan of joke books too, and if you’re looking for a really good one, I highly recom-

mend A Pretty Good Joke Book: A Prairie Home Companion (Volume 5 or 6. They just keep

adding to them). You’ll find yourself knee-deep in descriptions again. You’ll want to start collect-

ing the ones you love and having them on hand when you’re working on a story. The possibili-

ties are endless.

Here is a partial list of my collection. Feel free to use it if it helps. Feel free to send me more!

You can tell the rich kids when they come in ‘cause they all look like Tide commercials.

She had these skinny-smooth white arms with little brown moles for decoration.

I took so much medicine I was sick a long time after I got well.

My uncle was bald. He shampooed with Mop-n-Glow.

He sweated so hard that 15 pounds of him melted and ran down into his shoes.

Happy as a fly on a chocolate cake.

I looked so good, I wished I could just sit on the porch and watch myself go by.

Red meat is not bad for you. Fuzzy green meat is bad for you.

Her hair has more body than I do.

Nothing in life is “fun for the whole family.”

Now, I’m more pooped than a flea at a dog show, so I’ll stop writing and leave you to it.

Pat Nease , of Panama City, Florida, knows her way around a funny bone!

She is a champion liar, educator and popular storyteller in Florida and beyond.

Pat is past president of the Florida Storytelling Association and is current

liaison to the National Storytelling Network.

Page 6

Don’t Make Me Laugh! By Pat Nease

The Power of Stories,

and the Power of Storytelling

By Aaron Ellis

It strikes me that we are not particularly encouraged, in

our daily lives, to share our most important stories. Of

course, we often tell stories to others, whether to col-

leagues and coworkers, or to families. But these stories

are often self-censored. It is hard, and often not advis-

able, to tell our most pressing stories to the people we

encounter regularly. Our stories could be too per-

sonal, too raw, too unacceptable in the circle we often

find ourselves. And yet these stories-”irrelevant” or “inappropriate” at work, at home, or at the

bus stop-are what make us into the people that we are.

It is a beautiful occurrence when we have the opportunity to share these stories with those

we work with, love with, or meet haphazardly. But these opportunities are few and far in

between, and are sometimes so pertinent for us to share that we feel we must share them.

And because so much of our lives are policed by social niceties and societal conventions, it

is important and powerful to establish storytelling spaces where we are invited to simply

come and share.

Amongst others. Because in being permitted to share, and indeed sharing tough, important,

personal stories, storytellers also license audiences to think about, value, honor, and even

tell, stories of their own. In a society where stories are primarily valued as selling points or as

objects for consumption, storytelling spaces are radical. And necessary. Beautiful. Personal.

Communal. Human.

Aaron Ellis is a PhD student in Florida State University's Theatre Studies program. He teaches a Poetry and Performance class at Gadsden Women's Correc-tional, and stays active in the performing arts and progressive political scene in Tal-lahassee. He works with various student groups on FSU campus, a DIY art space called The Plant, and LGBTQ++ and dis/ability theatre company, Mickee Faust.

Photo Art by FlickR user Beth Scupham

In 1999 I was trying to find a publisher for my

book Daughters of the Appalachians. I was

teaching a workshop at the Melungeon Confer-

ence at Clinch Valley College that July, and af-

terwards I went to the resource area to see

how my desktop published version of the book

was doing. While at the table, I noticed a man

wearing a name tag that said “publisher.” I

picked up the book and handed it to him, asking

him to consider publishing it. If I had not asked,

that book would never have been published. Of

course, the fact that my desktop version sold

out was a big help in persuading him.

Beware of Sabbaticals. Everyone needs a

break at some point. Just remember that while

you are taking time off, the world of storytelling is

still turning. I have known several storytellers

who took a year or more off from telling stories,

and they tell me that it is not easy to get back

into that golden circle

Join organizations that support the arts

in general. Many people do not think of

storytelling as an art form. We can change

their minds by inserting ourselves into the

“arts” world and showing them that we are

worthy colleagues. I have joined several

arts organizations since moving to North

Carolina three years ago. Each of those or-

ganization has a FaceBook page, a website

with a directory, and a newsletter. I get a

listing in the directory, alongside all the vis-

ual and graphic artists. When one of the

groups puts up a show, I ask if I might rep-

resent myself as a “spoken word” artist.

That usually entails having a booth at their

shows, where I can play and sell my books

and CDS. I get into many conversations

about storytelling, and people are surprised

that this art form has alluded them for so

many years. Converts are won to the story-

telling cause.

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.

Don’t sit by the phone waiting for opportunities.

Storyteller for Hire:

Marketing to Build Your Storytelling Business

© Linda Goodman 2015

once you have left it for a long period of time. If

you find it necessary to take time off, but intend

to return at some point to telling stories profes-

sionally, be sure to stay active in social media,

so that you are not forgotten. Keep up your

blog. Let your followers know that you WILL re-

turn. The world moves at a fast pace these

days. Don’t become yesterday’s news.

Know the benefits of storytelling and

make sure your clients know them, as well.

Stories are powerful instruments of healing,

education, interpretation, entertainment, nur-

turing community, and cultural pride. Stories

also have the power to hurt others. I am of

Melungeon* descent, and when I was little, I

heard numerous stories about them. The

word Melungeon never appeared without

being preceded by the adjectives “dumb”

and “dirty.” On the other hand, whenever my

father told stories about Melungeons, he

portrayed them as strong, wise, and just.

They could grow food from rock. They could

predict the weather by observing the leaves

on the trees or the behavior of animals. The

shame that I felt when I heard others ridicule

us was banished by my father’s stories. His

stories made me proud of my culture.

Don’t be afraid to pay it forward; or back-

ward. I could never have become a profes-

sional storyteller without those friends who

supported me and pushed me in my work.

When I first began storytelling professionally

door with a brochure that she designed for

me, soup to nuts. I soon as I started distrib-

uting those brochures, my storytelling gigs

increased exponentially. I have several

friends who did

such kindnesses for me, and I owe my career to

them. I repay them by offering my help to any-

one who needs it on their storytelling journey.

Naysayers tell me that I lose business when I

give away marketing tools that have worked

well for me. That has not happened. The conse-

quences are that they gain the advantage of my

experience, and I gain new friends. That sounds

like a good deal to me.

This is the last of my storytelling articles. I wish

you all much success with your marketing.

Happy tales to you!

*The Melungeons are a mystery people living in

the Appalachians mountains of Virginia, North

Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. To learn

more about them, read N. Brent Kennedy’s

book Melungeons: The Resurrection of a

Proud People.

Linda Goodman is a highly regarded storyteller, play-

wright, author and educator. She is also one of the

producers of Stone Soup Storytelling Festival. Linda is an

accomplished marketer, and a generous supporter of

storytellers everywhere. She lives in South Carolina.

Learning to Care: Introduce a Theme with Stories

By Cindy Rivka Marshall re-posted with permission from Story Arc Blog copyright 2015

http://www.cindymarshall.com

“There was once a princess who had never cried.” So begins a story I am telling to a group of chil-

dren late one fall afternoon. My task is to introduce them to the themes of compassion and g’milut

chasadim, or acts of lovingkindness.

When I first enter the room at Temple Shir Tikvah’s religious

school in Winchester, MA, I see twenty fourth graders gath-

ered around tables. They are typically unruly, more inter-

ested in eating their snacks and seeing their friends than sit-

ting through another class. I do not wait too long before

launching into my story.

“The princess had no reason to cry; her every need and de-

sire was anticipated and fulfilled. She was fed before she was hungry, she was clothed as was

needed, she was caught before she could fall, and she was protected from any danger.”

I quickly have the attention of even the most rambunctious child. All eyes are on me, but they are not

just seeing my facial expressions and my gestures. They have a certain mesmerized look about

them that signals that they are each experiencing the imagery in their own way. We have entered

what I call “story space” – where teller and listeners are co-creating the story in a shared space and

time.

With children – and with learners of all ages – stories can be a doorway in, a way to capture the

imagination, to experience vicariously, to think symbolically, and to hear of possibilities outside one’s

experience. According to brain research, humans are literally hardwired to think and make sense of

information in terms of story. Kendall Haven, in his book Story Proof, writes, “If you craft your stories

based on the elements of effective story structure, your messages, your themes, and your informa-

tion will arrive more accurately into the conscious minds and memories of your intended audience.”

On this day, I am introducing the fourth graders to the idea that they, and their parents will act as a

“Caring Corps” this year. Temple Shir Tikvah’s innovative model, the Learning Corps, pairs each

grade of students and their parents with a synagogue committee. This provides opportunities to

strengthen ties between the congregation and the religious school, and for young families to learn

about and to contribute authentically to the ongoing work of the synagogue committees. The fourth

grade families, paired this year with the Caring Committee, will participate in activities that support

temple members going through challenging life cycle events. They will make baby blankets, deco-

rate sympathy and get well cards, and attend shiva gatherings to support mourners experiencing the

loss of a loved one.

Page 10

The story I selected to introduce this theme is a traditional tale that I found in Molly Cone’s

book Who Knows Ten. As always, I create my own version of the story, in order to highlight the mes-

sages of the particular lesson I am teaching. To prepare for telling the story, I think about the motiva-

tions of the characters in the story, and find their body postures and voices. I practice telling the

story many times, preferably to listeners who can give me feedback. I never memorize a story, but

rather learn the basic outline, or story arc, and then speak as I visualize the story unfolding in my

own imagination. This allows me to improvise in the moment, in response to my listeners.

“If the princess wanted a toy, her parents gave her a playroom full of toys. If she wanted a book,

they gave her a whole library of books.”

It strikes me as I tell of this privileged princess that although her situation is more extreme, it is not

unlike some of the children in the room, who live relatively safe and comfortable lives in the suburbs

of Boston. My hope is to get them thinking beyond whatever material possessions they may think

they “need” or want, to the basic physical, emotional and spiritual needs of all humans.

“The princess began to demand more and more things, challenging her parents, until finally she

stamped her foot and declared, ‘I want to see God!’”

Once the princess is guided (by a wise older person) out of the protected setting of the palace, she

begins to see beyond herself and meets less fortunate children. Only then can she look into her

heart and experience empathy. She wants to share what she has with them. In this moment of not-

ing her own compassion and generosity, she cries for the first time, and she glimpses God.

I invite the children to respond to the story. I give them the option to respond non-verbally as well,

with a gesture or facial expression. Many of them readily make personal connections to the story:

“Sometimes I feel sad when I see someone having a hard time.” They observe: “The princess

wanted to do something to help the other children.” I ask them to give examples of times when they

helped others.

When an educator uses a carefully selected story to introduce a theme of study, the story serves as

a jumping off point that can lead into questions, discussion, interpretation through the arts, and ap-

plied action steps. The strength of the imagery and message of that story can be easily recalled as a

sort of shorthand reference to the lesson later in the process. “Remember how the princess felt com-

passion? What might you do if you were feeling that kind of compassion right now?”

Cindy Rivka Marshall is a multicultural and Jewish storyteller, Story Coach, workshop fa-cilitator, professional development trainer and education consultant based in Boston. Since 2011 she has worked with Bailee Star, Education Director at Temple Shir Tikvah in Winches-ter, Massachusetts. Cindy’s expertise in Story-Based Learning has informed the design of an innovative model for Jewish learning called the Learning Corps. Religious school classes are paired with synagogue committees, a concept originated with former Education Director Joan Forman. Temple Shir Tikvah receives funding from Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston to support the development and growth of this program.

The

Florida

Round-up

And Stories

House Concerts...Becoming a Florida Claim to Fame

We have set up a storytelling house concert circuit with loca-

tions in Tallahassee, Ocala, St. Augustine, Winter Park and

Oviedo. If you are interested in hosting a house concert, please

contact Linda “Schuyler” Ford at StoriesHeal@gmail.com or

Robin Schulte at Robinstales@gmail.com.

Are you interested in being the featured teller at a Florida

house concert? We can talk about that, too!

Florida House Concerts are catching on throughout the

region, and beyond. Together, let’s grow!

Upcoming House Concerts

Will Feature:

Geraldine Buckley

in May

And look for details about

Bil Lepp

Andy Offutt Irwin

Elizabeth Ellis

Carol Burch

coming to a sofa near you!

Do you have a new storytelling CD out?

Are you listening to one that you’d like to tell us about?

Please contact Schuyler regarding reviews in an upcoming issue.

Queensland Archives

Page 13

Congratulations to the Virginia Rivers Scholarship Winners!

1. Emily You - (The Little Rooster and the Turkish Sultan) Tampa Rotary contest.

2. Melody Coe - (The Tailor's Jacket) - Mt. Dora Christian Academy

3. Liberty Blair - (Rumpelstilkskein) - Madison County Storyteller's group

4. Kalena Slaten - (The Three Sillies) - Tampa Hillsborough Storytelling Festival

David Novak Master Storyteller

In Tallahassee March 25 and 26 Nationally recognized storyteller, David Novak, will present a concert and workshop at the Unitarian Universal-ist Church of Tallahassee on Friday, March 25, and Saturday March 26.

Featured at festivals and theaters throughout the U.S. and abroad, Mr. Novak is a recipient of the Circle of Ex-cellence award from the National Storytelling Network and is former Master Storyteller for the Disney Institute.

Described as a "gifted teller" who "enhances his stories with a bag of tricks" by Smithsonian Magazine, Mr. No-vak's Friday evening performance, "A Return to Storyland," will "take listeners through the woods to the place where stories live" with his surprising adaptations of old stories and inventive originality.

At Saturday's playful and participatory workshop, "Massaging the Story and Exercising the Listener," designed for storytellers ages 10 to 100+, Mr. Novak will lead exercises that challenge our thinking about stories and in-troduce performance strategies to manage our listener's interest through creative dramatics, character masks, voice and speech, movement and mime.

Visit http://bit.ly/NovakUUCT for more information, including how to purchase tickets.

Friday concert (March 25, 7-9 pm)

$10 adults

$20 families with children (ages 4-18)

Saturday workshop (March 26, 9 am - noon) [maximum 30 participants]

$10 adults

$20 families with children (ages 10-18)

Combined package

$15 adults

$25 families with children (ages 10-18)

Childcare will be provided for both events. For more information, please contact Bob Deyle or call 850-443-6657.

Time to Join FSA or Renew your

Membership There are 3 convenient ways to join or renew your FSA membership

Mail: Download Membership Form and mail to

Florida Storytelling Association PO Box 258 Mt. Dora, FL 32756

Online: Use the form below with your credit card

Call the Office: 800-327-1796, ext. 1

Membership Benefits Become a member today and begin enjoying the benefits! FSA Membership is open to everyone.

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listserv. Have easy communication with all members.

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