Tim Lowry
Storytelling Live!, the International Storytelling Center’s teller-in-residence series, continues its season with an outstanding line-up in June. The program features 26 of America’s best-loved storytellers, one each week, through October. Each teller appears in matinee performances Tuesday through Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall.
Bill Harley, of Massachusetts, kicks off the month with performances from May 28-June 1, including a special children’s concert on June 1 at 10:30 a.m. A songwriter, storyteller, author and recording artist, he uses song and story to paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of American life. With more than 35 award-winning recordings and numerous books to his credit, Harley’s work honors the universal joys and hardships that we all share. He is the recipient of two Grammys, the lifetime achievement award from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, and an NSN Oracle Circle of Excellence award.
Anne Shimojima, from Illinois, arrives for her residency June 4-8. Known for her elegant, mesmerizing delivery, she tells literary stories, folk tales from her Asian heritage and around the world, and the story of her Japanese American family’s incarceration in a WWII camp. A retired, award-winning school library media specialist, Shimojima has performed at venues nationwide for over 30 years, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Chicago History Museum, and the Asian American Storytelling Festival. Her award-winning CD, “Sakura Tales: Stories from Japan,†introduces listeners to her favorite folk tales.
Emmy award-winning Storyteller Jim May of New York appears June 11-15. May’s stories are hilarious, touching and filled with the many characters who populated the Illinois farming community where his family has lived since the 1840s. His story collection, “The Farm on Nippersink Creek,†won a best book award from the Public Librarian Association, and his book, “Trail Guide for a Crooked Heart: Stories and Reflections for Life’s Journeys,†received a 2017 Storytelling World award. May has shared his work throughout the U.S. and abroad and is the recipient of the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence award.
June 18-22 brings National Storytelling Festival favorite Tim Lowry, from South Carolina, as Storytelling Live’s resident storyteller. Lowry tells stories from his “seersucker perspective†of storytelling which features historical facts, regional folk tales, personal narrative and traditional Southern folklore. A professional teller and former teacher, Lowry leads workshops across the country, including for nonprofit and corporate worlds. On Thursday, June 20, Lowry leads the workshop, Using Story for Effective Communication, where attendees can learn to replace the usual sound bites with meaningful stories that show who you are, describe what you are doing, explain why you are taking action and invite others to get involved.
Storytelling Live! welcomes Corrine Stavish, from Michigan, June 25-29. Stavish specializes in personal and historical narratives and biblical interpretative tales that are warm, witty, thoughtful, powerful and poignant, and enhanced by a lively performing style. Featured at festivals nationwide, Stavish has also been a keynote speaker at the National Storytelling Conference, a Detroit Jewish Woman Artist of the Year, a contributor to “Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul†and “The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible†and author of four award-winning CDs.
For more information about Storytelling Live! or to purchase tickets visit www.storytellingcenter.net or call (800) 952-8392 ext. 222 or (423) 913-1276.
