This is the month when the United States celebrates the Thanksgiving season.  While traditional activities are being somewhat curtailed by the Coronavirus, one thing that is still available is family storytelling. This can be done among those with whom you live, or it can be done with extended family over Zoom, Skype, the telephone or any other electronic and virtual medium.  Stories can translate well through cyberspace, and that type of interaction can brings families and friends closer together.  So. . .besides the turkey and trimmings of this season, inject some story into your celebration.  It could help you to be safer and still close to your loved ones.  

 Well, summer is winding down but storytelling is as alive and well as ever.  You can find many storytelling events on-line and the virtual experience will have you hooked on stories!  Then you will be looking for story events when we are able to be "out and about" more.  Timpanogos Storytelling Festival will be entirely virtual this year, giving you the chance to listen to ALL the tellers without having to choose.  It will be available for a small price for 10 days in September.  Check out their website.  This is an excellent opportunity to partake of storytelling (with amazing tellers) right from the comfort of your own home!  Remember, we are "wired" for story.  It's how we tend to naturally communicate...so try it out.

There is some exciting news in the "storytelling world"!  The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, one of the most prestigious in the world, is offering the entire festival on-line this year.  That means that for just $20.00 for your entire family, you can have a dozen professional and international storytellers in your very home.  Go to TimpFest.org to buy your ticket.  After the end of July, the price will be a bit higher, so do it now! The Festival will be held September 10-12, 2020, but will be available for viewing until September 20th.  This is a rare opportunity to hear each story without having to choose which location you want to attend.  You also can watch whenever and wherever in your home you want.  This is the perfect opportunity to see the magic that is storytelling!  You can follow this up by doing some storytelling of your own in your family.

Today, more than ever, we need storytelling.  Many of us are somewhat confined to our homes with less to do than usual.  Now that summer is here and the kids are more free, they are also looking for activities that keep their interest.  Rather than binge watching a screen, why not spend some time sharing stories?  Reading books together is wonderful and so is sharing tales of your childhood with your children.  I have found that nothing keeps the grandchildren gathered around the adults during conversation time than telling incidents from my own or my children's past.  Sometimes, they even try to be quiet so we won't "know" they're listening!  It's such a great way to pass on family traits, culture and knowledge.  In this day we need to draw closer to each other in meaningful ways.  Try story!

The storytelling community has really stepped up and given to the world during this pandemic.  Many opportunities to listen to world-class tellers are available on the internet.  The Story Crossroads Festival was held on May 13th and though normally a live event, it was done entirely through technology.  YouTube and Facebook still have sessions to tune into and watch.  I have been posting stories several times a week on Facebook, as have many other tellers.  If you search, you will find, and possibly get "hooked" on storytelling.  Then after this situation is past, you may want to search out storytelling events that are live and continue to enjoy the magic that is story.

Due to the Coronavirus all live storytelling performances are cancelled or will be done digitally.  So, while you're at home and "sheltering in place", consider using storytelling with your family.  Share stories with your children and help them learn more about their heritage. There are also great tellers who have put their stories on YouTube during this interesting time.  Check out my website at stories-by-laurie.com to see a couple of my recorded offerings of story.  Happy Spring!

The Weber State Storytelling Festival was last week and it was a marvelous experience being able to tell to great audiences and to hear the youth and professional tellers.  Our youth are tremendous and so poised on stage that it's a pleasure to hear them.  I was able to share the stage with a professional Japanese teller, Kuniko Yamamoto, that was truly a delight to hear.  The events are free and family-friendly, so plan on attending the last week of February in 2021! 

The Clearfield Storytelling Festival was held last Saturday (the first day of the Chinese New Year) and it was a lucky experience for all who attended.  We had 14 great storytellers who presented everything from mountain man experiences to puppets to personal stories with pizzazz!  Annie and Dan Eastmond (called Harvest Home) played music to all who entered the building and set the mood beautifully for the evening.  A big thanks to all who attended, told and helped in any way to make the event a success for the 14th year in a row!  Now, go home and tell your own stories.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2020!  During this cold and dark time of year, why not cuddle up to the fireside with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book?  or a good story?  You might even consider telling that story yourself to family and friends.  Storytelling has always been an important part of the winter season, as families tended to remain indoors more and find sedentary means of entertainment.  Don't let the TV and the internet tell all of your stories:  take an active part in that yourself!  Your family and friends will be glad you did--and so will you.