... Return to Normalcy - but what exactly is normal?

The final day of the annual National Storytelling Network conference found the troupe restless and ready to hit the road. Interpreter Libby worked the last concert, and while several attended, others of us felt the confinement of the van coming, choosing to stay in the lobby, which was fun.

Waiting down in the lobby for our fellow troupe members was an experience not to be forgotten. Whether we knew the storytellers attending the conference or not, it was as though we were of one family and strangers no more. Some we had seen in conference sessions during the week, but never got to meet, so this was our chance. And yes, the sound heated up as we greeted, bade farewell and more.

And speaking of the lobby: As some are aware, storytellers cultivate their vocal folds into powerful amplifiers. This storyteller, working downstairs at the public computer found out for herself the trouble we can cause. There I was, typing away, minding my own business when it began - a conflagration of sound coming from who knew where. Nearby, patrons eating or having drinks expressed concern, and that's when I overheard a staff member say, "I'm so sorry sir. I promise it's not usually loud like this. You see there's a storytelling ..." After hearing the same explanation to different patrons several times, I realized we storytellers must practice some wisdom when using our most powerful instruments - our voices.

During most of the trip, I had experienced unusual sensitivity to sound, later diagnosed as an ear infection, so this got my attention. Are we really that loud and disruptive? My answer is "no, not usually," but we can be when we're together. In a world where people are talking less and less, we may stand out more in our exuberance for what we do.

 Joined by our fellow troupe members at the concert's conclusion, those of us on the floor had done a full day's work already, and were ready for the road. Still, there was some reluctance as we knew that no matter what we did, it could never be replicated in exactly the same way. That particular combination of personalities, talents and events had rubbed together, worked and played just long enough to create something special - a treasured memory.

 Tellabration is a time-honored tradition in the oral tradition storytelling world, and one at which storytellers gather to tell stories as close to the Thursday before Thanksgiving as possible; ours is November 20 at the Jonesborough Visitors Center.  That night we'll honor our sponsors by telling our favorite stories from the journey, sharing video footage of our performances at different venues, and recap highlights from the trip. www.storytellersguild.org.

The Uptown Arts Bar - Kansas City

All through this journal, we've described the cooperation found in our storytelling community here in Jonesborough, our sponsors, and especially the Town of Jonesborough. From the very beginning, the National Storytelling Network office was supportive of our road trip efforts, sharing vital contact information that enabled us to book the venues and meet with fellow guild members in four states. What we accomplished still seems almost mythic to those of us who went, and our sense of being a performance troupe continues.

Arriving in Kansas City, we thought the Uptown Arts Bar would be our last gig of the trip. Our new NSN interim director, Robert Buenavitas helped us secure this gig, we were all excited about. Located downtown in the middle of tiny shops and restaurants, the place had an aura that was enchanting from the moment we walked in. The bar is out front, but is divided from the stage hall in the back by an improbable stairway. A charming touch of whimsy, at first I thought it led to nowhere, but not so - there were necessary rooms at the top of those steps, and woe to anyone who couldn't navigate them...

The River and Prairie Storytelling Guild's Steve Otto and others came to hear us and to tell, as we advertised the concert as an olio, but first, they wanted to hear the Jonesborough Kansas City Road trip Troupe tell. It was great fun to tell stories in that black space, as all one could see were the faces nearby. Further back the hall was filled with a wonderfully diverse group of listeners, and later, we discovered the concert was broadcast into the bar as well. The photo below was taken at the Uptown Arts Bar in Kansas City, MO.

Troupe members are decked out in our matching blue vests.

Kansas City - we made it!

Troupe members stagger down the hall to our rooms on arrival at the hotel in Kansas City. All any of us could think of was good food and a good night of rest. Fortunately we got both, as Monday night we were off. The hotel, in the middle of downtown Kansas City, was still relatively quiet when we got there, with a few storytellers coming in for early meetings.

The next morning, Delanna, David, Libby and I took off for the VA. After some minor confusion we were told to go up to the 9th floor where every door was locked. There, we waited for the music therapist who secured a room for us, and then we waited there until a group of men came in. Tense, with downcast eyes and clinched fists, it was obvious they were not happy to be there, but then stories have a way of changing all that.

I started off with My Cousin Phil (with his permission, of course,) - a parady on the old bear chases man theme, in which he accidentally sets off a bear down on the St. Marks River in North Florida, and runs for safety. While the heart of the story is  quite serious - my beloved cousin was in Viet Nam and came home to a different world, it is funny, and that warmed them up. Each story seemed to touch them in a different way and we rejoiced as barriers dropped and they began to actively listen.

Our friend the therapist was shocked, as she had told us early on not to expect much from those men. "Their attention span may last 45-minutes," she told us, "and then they'll want to leave." But that's not what happened - they relaxed into the stories and when the time was up and Libby had not told, asked her to tell. They sat for well over an hour without a single complaint, and when they left, it was with smiles, jokes and handshakes. You can't beat storytelling for mood-changing miracles!

Before we left, the therapist told us she had another group meeting in a different location on Thursday...would we care to tell for that one, too? Yes!

St. Louis - Our Reputation Precedes Us!

     Leaving Evansville, Indiana, we traveled the long road to St. Louis, Missouri, completely impressed by the magnificent arch which seems to define that great city.  Even though we knew that our chair, Sherril Miller’s father was a master welder who worked on the structure during construction, Jeff Stratton, who is height-averse, regaled us with his story about being stuck at the top. Oh, the horrors of being deliciously afraid are so much fun. . .

     Starving after our light lunch, and in need of rest and sustenance, we decided to eat dinner prior to our evening concert. As several of the troupe have specific dietary needs that had flown to the wind that day, we voted for Asian cuisine. Located downtown, nice, quiet, and cozy, the restaurant allowed the group some real downtime, a commodity we had come to appreciate.

     Making her choices and opting for a special order of sesame chicken, Libby, our mountain teller, caught the eye of Buddy, our server, and it went from there. We played, laughed, and enjoyed their banter as we ate as fine a meal as one could ask for in a big new town. Leaving, two women, who occupied a table near us approached saying, “Are you the storytellers from Jonesborough?” As it turns out, they were storytellers, and they, too, had stopped for dinner prior to attending our concert at the Crown Center for Senior Living, spied us and came by to chat. I must say the recognition so far from home felt good.

    Arriving at the Center, Libby and Delanna set up their cameras for videotaping, as we all assessed the crowd and settled into performance mode. While we had long since discovered that special condition stayed “on” for most of the trip, the really interesting thing was that we all felt it as one entity; we really were a troupe with our egos parked at the curb. It was a powerful feeling to be so attuned to our fellow storytellers, and one we’ll all savor for a long time to come.

      David Claunch secured the gig for us, through the auspices of Bobby Norfolk. Bobby was with us last year in Jonesborough in his role as Teller in Residence, and conducted a workshop at the International Storytelling Center which most of us attended. At that time, he told us about his work leading storytelling and history tours in the St. Louis Arch, all of which had come back to us when we saw it in person. He and his talented wife, storyteller, educator and author Sherry, welcomed us warmly to their state, as did all the other storytellers and guests present including our new friends from the restaurant, one of whom was named Rose.

     After, we talked to members of the guilds for nearly an hour, as it seems almost everyone is interested in how the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild works. Linda Poland interviewed a woman for her WWII story collection project, and I exchanged ideas with the artistic director at one of the big museums in St. Louis. When we finally left for our hotel, we were an exhausted but happy group, having again fulfilled our mission of planting story-seeds along our path to the national conference in Kansas City, MO.

Sacred Storytelling - Unity comes in all Flavors

After a good night's sleep, the troupe again hit the road but as our church gig was nearby, we had only a short way to go this time. Again, it seemed miraculous that seven people - that perfect number in so many ways, could manage to sleep, shower and get out the door on time, but we did. Of course, David Claunch and Jeff Stratton, our time monitors, had made sure we were up and getting ready, but we really didn't need the help. Our work on the road was fun, and with each day came new experiences to savor.


Sherril Miller, a licensed Unity minister, chair of the Kansas City Road Trip effort, put us in touch with the Evansville Unity Church Pastor, Glenda Wilson, who made us welcome from the beginning.

Arriving at the small, very clean building, we entered to such a welcome that immediately we knew the day was going to be a success. We were introduced to everyone who came in, but with our matching blue vests, it was pretty obvious who we were to them; there was no question but that they were glad we were there.

Pastor Glenda was a surprise. With short graying hair, absolutely no makeup and casual clothing, I had taken her to be a member of the congregation, but no, this woman was their leader, and such a leader she turned out to be. The entire group - and the church was full, was as accepting as she, and the sense of unity strong. The service was simple and exquisite, with beautiful music played on a baby grand piano.

Our storytellers entered into the essence of the day with their stories blending seamlessly into the tapestry of worship. Teller Libby Tipton, asked for a Bible to use with her story as she had left hers behind. The pastor shared her own - one that her parents had given her when she graduated from seminary.

At the end, teller Linda Poland asked pastor Glenda for a blessing, which she gladly bestowed on each of us with the support of her people. Such a blessed day it was, and on we'll never forget, in Evansville, Indiana.

Telling for a Full House in Evansville, IN

     After lunch with staff at the Nazareth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Louisville, Kentucky, we boarded the van headed for Evansville, Indiana. This was our second day on the road and we were on our way to our fourth venue, a house concert sponsored by the the local Evansville storytelling guild.

After driving all afternoon, one of the first things we noticed on arrival in Evansville was how pretty and clean it was. That may not be the case everywhere you might look, but from our vantage point, it held true. Approaching our destination we were thrilled to see signs reading "Storytelling," with arrows pointing to our destination, but things got even better...

Approaching the wide, curving drive of our hosts, we were met by a young couple who showed us where we needed to go and helped us with parking. Debarking at the house, we were met by storyteller and educator Mary Jo Huff, our contact in Indiana.

After greeting us with hugs like old friends, which by that time we were, she led
she led us to the porch which was decorated with a large version of the invitation they had created, and tons of flowers. You might say we felt like royalty by this time, and that is exactly how we were treated all that evening.

Our hosts had emptied both the living room and dining room to accommodate the over seventy guests who attended. The house was a perfect spot for us as those two rooms flanked the foyer and led straight into a delightful den where we told with Mary Jo and another guild member, Tammy, to an enthusiastic crowd.

A break took us to the back porch where a sumptuous feast of chocolate - cookies, brownies... awaited us. Leaving, our emcee, Mike, presented us with small boxes of exquisite chocolate turtles...

We left for our hotel knowing we were doing something beyond breaking new ground for storytellers with our trip; we were performing as a troupe and were exceeding what we had ever done before. Heady, it was with a more-ish taste to it, and one lavished with more than a hint of chocolate!

Storytelling at Nazareth Nursing & Rehabilitation in Louisville, KY

     Saturday morning found the Kansas City road trip troupe wide awake and eager to take to the road for more storytelling. Arriving in Louisville, Kentucky, we were awestruck by the good-looking structure which houses the rehabilitation center, nursing facilities and an Alzheimer's Unit. Run by the Sisters of Charity, it is also the place many Catholic priests and nuns live out their final days loved and appreciated by an excellent staff. The care given the place is a good indication of that given to its residents in my opinion, and this one was first-rate.

     On seeing it, I soon realized the honor we had been given: supporting member, Mattie Mullins secured this venue for us, and apparently not just anybody performs there. Just the night before, someone familiar with the facility asked, "how did you get booked in there?" I just told her a friend of a friend snagged it for us, which was true... At any rate, we were happy to be there, and treated like royalty from Kathy at the front desk, to our host, Sarah Coode.

     We held two simultaneous concerts - one for the general population, the other for those with Alzheimer's. A good friend of Mattie's from years back, a Mr. Tipton who lives in the area, came for the main concert, while David, Libby and I went to the Alzheimer's unit. Lucky, the golden retriever who watches over the ladies, had been visiting with a family and missed our arrival. He sauntered in not long after we did and quickly detected the presence of strangers amongst his charges. Libby and I easily passed muster, but David, the lone male, had to make friends rather quickly or give up and leave it to us. Fortunately, he's a lovable character and it took him little time to convince the canine guardian that all was well. While not all the women were nuns, all were called "sister," and it delighted us to take them back in time with stories that sparked special memories of the past. Such a beautiful time it was.

After a sumptuous lunch of chicken salad sandwiches, chips and dessert, the strong need for a quick siesta set in, but that's also when the reality of the vigours of staying in performance mode became most clear: stories were at the tip of my tongue and I would have been happy to continue performing to anyone I could find to tell to, but it was not to be. Next: the Evansville, IN House Concert.