Donna Washington tells tales Sept. 5-9.
JONESBOROUGH, TN - Storytelling Live!, the International Storytelling Center's celebrated teller-in-residence series, continues its season with a world-class line-up in September. The program features 26 of America's most-loved storytellers, one each week May through October. Each teller appears in matinee performances Tuesday through Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall.
Donna Washington, storyteller, recording artist and educator, joins the center Sept. 5-9. A world-traveler, Washington has performed in hundreds of festivals across the country as well as thousands of schools and libraries. Her nine storytelling CDs have garnered 26 awards, including Gold and Silver Parent's Choice and National Parenting Publication awards. She is the author of five books for children, and writes a popular storytelling blog called "Language, Literacy and Storytelling." On Sept. 9 from 9:30-11:30 a.m., Washington presents "Literacy and Storytelling," a workshop for teachers that explores the link between storytelling and literacy. This event is sponsored by the Niswonger Foundation and the East Tennessee Foundation and is free to childhood educators.
Sept. 12-16 welcomes Tennessee's Hannah Harvey. Born and raised in southern Appalachia, Harvey has delivered award-winning performances and workshops at festivals and universities in the U.S., U.K. and Morocco. Her stories highlight the true tales of contemporary Appalachian people, including compelling stories of Virginia coal miners. She also tells folk and fairy stories, particularly those who have influenced the southern Appalachian mountain culture and the region's Scottish heritage. Harvey's DVD/audio course, "The Art of Storytelling: From Parents to Professionals," is part of The Great Courses series.
Lyn Ford, from Ohio, appears Sept. 19-23. A nationally recognized and award-winning fourth-generation storyteller, Ford shares folktale adaptations, spooky tales and original stories rooted in her family's multicultural African American heritage. Ford's "Home-Fried Tales" are seasoned with rhythm, rhyme, audience interaction, humor and heart. She is an Ohio teaching artist in a collaborative initiative of the Kennedy Center for the Arts, a story artist with the Greater Columbus Arts Council and a Thurber House mentor for young authors. A recording artist with award-winning recordings, Ford is a recipient of the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence award.
Rounding out the month, Storytelling Live! welcomes story artist, writer and television personality Susan O'Halloran of Illinois Sept. 26-30. Featured in such media outlets as PBS, ABC Nightline, The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, her stories focus on family, a sense of place, history, race relations and other social issues of today. O'Halloran has authored seven books and co-produced multicultural performances and internationally recognized films. She has taught seminars for more than 40 years for clients that include Fortune 500 companies, universities and school districts, and is a recipient of the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence and Leadership and Service awards.
For more information or to purchase tickets call 800-952-8392 ext. 222 or 423-913-1276.
