Story Genesis

A funy thing happened on the way to the conference….

On Saturday I was headed towards Washington DC to be a storytelling groupie at the American Library Association Conference, where friends Linda Martin and Kim Weitkamp were going to be performing with Southwestern Storyteller Joe Hayes at an evening tale telling session, when I was struck by a story in the making.

Right there on the side of 295, vividly outlined against a bright blue sky, an orange VW Beetle was alight – red and yellow flames  bursting out the top as though the sun was rising through its roof.   Standing about a hundred yards away, slumped against a wall, space in between them, their eyes on the ground, a young man and woman, looking despondent but completely unharmed, were speaking into cell phones. 

All the way to DC “I told you so” story scenarios danced through my mind. 

Had she wanted to stay at home and watch the World Cup?

Had he nagged her to have the car serviced?

Were they always cast in non-traditional gender roles?

Would the relationship survive the inflagration?

Or - my favorite - was this bonfire an answer to prayer where a paid off, fully insured lemon had gone up in smoke?

I’m hoping one day to hear the true tale of the roadside fiery furnace…

Praying it has a happy ending.

Theater Of The Spoken Word

A friend I haven’t heard from in a long while called me the other day to ask what I was doing and I told him all about my headlong plunge into the world of storytelling. 

He phoned back yesterday to ask if I was still busy reading books. 

I wouldn’t have known what he was talking about except that I had just read an article online by Jason Gelt* about California’s  Ojai Storytelling Festival where artistic director and founder of the festival, Brian Bemel, is quoted as saying: “One of the biggest misconceptions is that people just stand up and read books.  That’s why I started using the term ‘theater of the spoken word,” because they don’t read, they perform the stories.”

Theater of the spoken word!  I like that!

And I was delighted to have such a succint nugget to pass on to my slightly cynical friend. 

Thank you Mr. Bremel!

* Have they got a tale for you in Ojai, by Jason Gelt, Los Angeles Times, April 29, 2010

The Journey Begins!

Since leaving my position of Protestant Chaplain at the Maryland Correctional Training Center in January 2010 I have plunged into the deliciously different world of storytelling rekindling a passion that was too often put on the back burner during my prison years.   

I discovered SpeakeasyDC – an award-winning Washington DC biographical storytelling club and made up for lost time by exploring their web site, watching dozens of their archived videos of past open mike participants then joining them onstage or in the audience as often as possible.   

I told stories at February and May's true storytelling sessions as well as taking part in their productions for Washington DC’s Big Read and their first Fathers Day event on June 18th: Who’s Your Daddy? Stories about men, masculinity and fatherhood – a culmination of their inaugural advanced storytelling workshop.  

At the May SpeakeasyDC open mike I met the very kind, very funny, highly talented, Kim Weitkamp - a professional, national storyteller who told the first story of the evening to great acclaim.  This is what she wrote after hearing me tell a tale later that evening about being bored in paradise… 

“I first heard Geraldine tell when I was in D.C.  Halfway through I looked at all the other tellers and said, “Where the heck has she been hiding?!”  They felt the same way.” 

Kim told me I could have told that story on any national stage, graciously took me under her wing saying I was a hidden treasure (which of course made me swoon with delight!) and has opened doors for me in the storytelling world at large – for which I am extremely grateful – and still a little stunned.  

God is so full of delicious surprises – and meeting Kim was one of them.  It always amazes me what He has up His sleeve, besides the everlasting arm! 

So now, on July 25^th, I am recording my first album of stories, Destination?  Slammer!  Tales of life and laughter and I have been booked for the Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival in Chillicothe, Ohio from September 10-11 2010 (www.southernohiostoryfest.com) – which I am looking forward to immensely.  

I am telling stories anywhere and everywhere and I am meeting storytellers of all kinds – surely the most delightful people in the world! 

In the days and weeks ahead I will be looking at the world of storytelling through fresh eyes – eyes of wonder and thankfulness – as well as sharing my thoughts on creativity and the quirkiness of life.  I would love to have you join me on this journey of inspiration, insight and oddity.