Storytelling

Crash Course in Storytelling

Kendall Kend all Haven Haven and MaryGay Ducey

Crash Course Series Series

Westport, Connect Connectiicut • Lon London don

Crash Course in Story rytell telling ing

Recent Titles Recent Titles in Crash Course Series Crash Course in Children’s Children’s Services Services Penny Peck

Crash Course in Storytelling

Kendall Kend all Haven Haven and MaryGay Ducey

Crash Course Series Series

Westport, Connect Connectiicut • Lon London don

Library Li brary of Congress Congress Cata Catalog loging-in-Pub ing-in-Publi lica cation tion Data

Haven, Kendall Haven, Kendall F. Crash course course in sto story rytell telling ing / by Kendall Kendall Haven Haven and MaryGay Ducey. p. cm. — (Crash course) Includes In cludes biblio bibliograph graphiical refer references ences and index. index. ISBN 1-59158-399-3 (pbk : alk. pa paper) per) 1. Sto Story rytell telling. ing. I. Ducey, MaryGay. II. Ti Title. tle. LB1042.H388 2007 372.67’7—dc22 2006030670 British Brit ish Library Library Cata Catalogu loguing ing in Publi Publica cation tion Data is available. available. Copyright Copy right © 2007 by Kendall Kendall Haven Haven and MaryGay Ducey All rights reserved. reserved. No por portion tion of this book may be repro re produced, duced, by any process process or technique, technique, without without the express ex press written written consent consent of the publisher. publisher. Library of Congress Library Congress Cata Catalog Card Number: Number: 2006030670 ISBN: 1-59158-399-3 First published published in 2007 Libraries Librar ies Unlim Unlimited, ited, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 A Member Member of the Greenwood Greenwood Publish Publishing ing Group, Inc. www.lu.com Printed in the United States of America Amer ica

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This book is dedi dedicated to Patrick Pat rick Ducey Dylan Brie Ducey, and Patrick Seth Ducey

Contents Con tents Intro In troduc ducttion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi xi Chapter 1—The Place for Story Chapter rytell telling ing in Your Library Li brary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Librar Li braries ies Are Sto Storries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 We’ve Been Telli Telling for a Long Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 What Kind of Stor Stories? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 What What’s in It for You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 From Kitchen Table Table to Carne Carnegie gie Hall: The Three Levels Levels of Story Storytell telliing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Level 1: The Infor Informal mal Stor Storyteller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Level 2: The Commu Community Sto Story rytteller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Level 3: The Profes Professional sional Stor Storyteller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Place for Story Storytell telling ing in Your Lib Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Chapter 2—Why Tell It?: The Power of Story Chapter Storytell telling ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Because Be cause You Can. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Because Be cause Library Library Pat Patrons Need Your Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Because Be cause Story rytell telliing Is a Great Change of Pace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Because Be cause Story Storytell telling ing Is Affect Affecting ing and Engag Engaging ing for the Audi Audieence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 11 Because Be cause Story Storytell telling ing Makes Nonfic Nonfiction tion Events and Topi Topics Come Alive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Because Be cause Story rytell telling ing Gener erates ates Vivid and Detailed Detailed Ima Images in in a Listener’s Mi Mind . . . . . . . . . 13 Because Be cause Story Storytell telling ing Helps Those Who Struggle Struggle with Language Language to Under Understand stand and Inter Interp pret the Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Because Be cause Story Storytell telling ing Connects Connects Listen Listeners ers to You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Chapter 3—“Okay, 3—“Oka y, But Can Can I I Re Really ally Do It?” Making Mak ing Story Storytell telling ing Practi Practical cal and Doable Doable . . . . 15 Askiing the Right Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Ask You Don’t Have to Get It Right to Get It Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 How Do You Natu Naturally Learn, Recall, Recall, and Tell Your Own Stor Stories? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 18 What Listen Listeners ers Re Really ally Need. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 The Differ Difference ence Between Between Read ing and Tell Telliing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 21 Chapter 4—Choos 4—Choosing ing Stories Stories That Will Work for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Where Do I Start? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Which Stor Stories to Start With? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 24 How to Pick a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 What Is a Story? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 What to Look for in a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Evalu Eval uat atiing a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 27

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Chapter 5—Learn ing the Sto Chapter Stories ries You Tell. Tell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 29 “Learning” “Learn ing” Your Own Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 29 Keep It Simple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 30 Toys to Play With . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Chapter 6—The Great Excep Chapter Exception: tion: Liter Literary ary Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 35 Tell It or Read It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Telling Tell ing Liter Literary ary Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 36 Learning Learn ing Liter Literaary Ta T ales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 38 Chapter 7—Play 7—Playing ing with Practice Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 39 Why Practice? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 39 Play with Pract Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 40 The Fin Final Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 42 Chapter 8—Glori Chapter 8—Glorious ous Tellings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 43 Before It’s Ti Time to Te Tell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 44 Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 44 Don’t Go It Alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Stage Arrange Arrangem ments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 45 Setting the Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 45 Before Be fore You Beg Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 46 Let’s Start the Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 46 Intro Introduc ducttion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 46 Keep Movi Moving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 47 Slow Do D own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Your Partn Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 47 Grand Fin Finale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 48 Don’t Muddy the Wat Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 48 Celeebrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Cel 49 Keepiing Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Keep Chapter 9—First Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 51 To Memo Memorize, or Not to Memo Memorize? That Is the Quest Ques tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Great-Amazi Great-Amazing-Never-Fail Safety Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Go Ahead and Forg Forget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 53 Learn th the Sm Smile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Tell About the Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 54 When You Remem Remember ber You Forg Forgot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 55 What Com Comes Next . . . ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 56

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Chapter 10—Owner’s Manual Chapter Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 59 An Openi Opening Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 61 Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 62 Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 62 Volu Vol ume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 63 Gesture Ges ture and Movem Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 64 67 Chapter 11—Story Chapter 11—Storytell telling ing Extras Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Flannelboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 The Plusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 The Min Minuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 68 Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 69 The Plusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 The Min Minuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 70 Make It Work for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 71 Costtumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Cos 72 The Plusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 The Min Minuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 73 Make It Work for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 73 Pupp Pup pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 74 The Plusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 The Min Minuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 75 Make It Work for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 76 Audi Au dience ence Partic Particiipa pattion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 76 The Plusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 The Min Minuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 77 Make It Work for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 78 “Cast of Thousands” Thousands” Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 80 The Plusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 The Min Minuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 80 Make It Work for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 81 Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 81 Chapter 12—Let the Sto ries Roll! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Chapter 83 Where to Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 84 Special Spe cial Prog Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 84 More Ambi Ambittious Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Keep on Keepi Keeping On On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 87

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Appen Ap pendix dix 1—The Structure Structure of Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 89 What Is a Story? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Charac Char actter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 90 Inttent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 In 91 Conflicts Con flicts and Probl Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 92 Strugg Strug gles (Plot). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 92 Dettails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 De 93 Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 94 Appen Ap pendix dix 2—Who Says Story Storytell telling ing Is Worthw Worthwhile? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 95 Does Story Storytell telliing Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Why and How Does Story Storytell telliing Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Appen Ap pendix dix 3—Copyr 3—Copyright an and Yo You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1 01 Appen Ap pendix dix 4—Defi 4—Defini nitions tions of Tradi Tradittional Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Bibli Bib liog ogra rap phy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1 07 Refer Ref ereences: Works Cited in This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Story Sto rytell telling ing Advice, Advice, Approaches, Approaches, Theory, Theory, and Stor Stories.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1 09 Story Sto rytell telling ing Research Research Guides and Commen Commenttary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1 11 Reli Re liable able Collec Collections tions of Tradi Tradittional Ta Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1 11 Family Fam ily and Personal Personal Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1 14 Partic Par ticiipa pation tion Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1 15 Song, Movement, Movement, and Props Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1 16 Webliography for Story Storytell telling, ing, Story Storytell tellers, ers, and Stor Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Ind In dex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

INTRODUCTION “Do you tell stories?” stories?” Amazingly, Amazingly, many people people answer, answer, “No.” Might as well ask, “Do you breathe?” Of course you tell stories. stories. You might think your stories stories don’t compare compare to the dramatic dramatic perperformances for mances you’ve seen by famed profes professional sional tellers. tellers. But so what? Some go so far as to think that their story storytell telling ing doesn’t count. Not true! Your stories stories are every every bit as legit legitiimate and valuable valuable a part of story storytell telling ing and are just as impor im portant. tant. Storytell Story telling ing is the art of using us ing language, language, vocal vocaliza ization, tion, and/or physi physical movement movement and gesture gesture to reveal re veal the ele elements and images images of a story to a specific, specific, live audi audience. ence. That’s what humans humans do. Story Story-telling tell ing is as old as the human human race and has been a cherished cherished human human activ activity ity for tens of thousands thousands of years. Storytell Story telling ing in the United States survived survived through the early twenti twentieth eth century century in two places: priprivate homes (where family family members members told to enter entertain tain and to inform inform family family and friends) and public public lilibraries. brar ies. In the 1970s a new phenom phenomeenon emerged: Ameri American profes professional sto story rytell telling. ing. These tellers’ tellers’ stories sto ries were designed designed for enter tertain tainment; ment; the style quickly became became theat theatri rical. cal. The spread of profes professional sional tellers tellers has infused infused story storytell telling ing into the fiber fiber and flow of daily life and has encour encouraged aged commu community nity orga organi niza zations tions and groups to tell more stories stories and to create create more oppor opportu tu-nities ni ties for story storytell telling, ing, though (surpris (surprisingly—at ingly—at least to many of us who call ourselves our selves story storytell tellers) ers) not nearly to the extent extent antic anticiipated or hoped for. It’s as if many people people now think that story storytell telling ing is a special spe cial art form that should be prac p racticed ticed only by dedi dedicated, skilled profes profession sionals. als. Nothing could be further Nothing further from the truth. Story Storytell telling ing is a human human attrib attribute, ute, a human human skill—even a human human birthright—that birthright—that belongs belongs to every everyone. one. Yes, polished, polished, practiced practiced profes profession sionals als are fun to watch. But that does not dimin di minish ish the value of, nor the en joy joyment ment others others will derive derive from, the telltelling you do. In part because because librar libraries ies have focused focused on occa occasional sional headliner perfor performances mances by a hired profes pro fessional, sional, we wonder if these artists have discouraged some li library brary staff members members from telling themselves. them selves. We have written written this book to pool both our expe experi rience ence in, and our perspec perspective tive on, story storytell telling. ing. Gay Ducey is a profes professional sional story storyteller teller with twenty-five years’ expe ex peri rience ence who has also served as a children’s chil dren’s librar librarian ian at the Oak land (Cali (Cal ifor fornia) nia) Public Public Library Library for twenty-five years. She brings both an under understand standing ing of the inter interplay play of library library oper operaations and story storytell telling ing and signif signifiicant insights insights into the process process of telling telling stories. stories. She has served long and well on all sides of this issue: issue: as the invited in vited proprofessional fes sional teller, as the librar li brarian ian teller, and as the librar li brarian ian who brings in other profes professional sional tellers. tellers. Kendall Haven Kendall Haven jumped to story storytell telling ing from the world of science. science. With twenty-five years of exexperi pe rience ence as a teller and writer working work ing primar primarily ily with schools and in the field f ield of edu educa cation, tion, he brings both practi practical cal expe experi rience ence and a penchant penchant for ana analyt lytiical assess assessment ment to this writing writing effort. effort.

xi

xii Intro Introduc duction tion

Gay and Kendall Kendall share the same general gen eral philos philoso ophy, which perme permeates ates this work. Most of what is written writ ten here is a melding melding of our common common expe experi riences ences and beliefs. beliefs. Where statements statements reflect reflect the unique expe ex peri rience ence or belief belief of one of us, those statements statements are labeled labeled by name. Professional Profes sional story storytell tellers ers abound in the United States—polished States—polished perform performers ers working working from polpolished stages to appre apprecia ciative tive crowds. However, However, we believe believe that profes professional sional story storytell telling ing is only one end of the contin continuum uum of story storytell telling ing in a healthy commu community. nity. There is a vital vital role to be filled at the commu com munity nity level for stories stories and story storytell telling. ing. There is no better nor more logi logical loca location tion to provide provide this level of story storytell telling ing fare than the library. library. That’s YOU, the local local librar librarian. ian. In this book we hope to encour en courage age you to try more story storytell telling. ing. We hope to gently nudge you to stretch your story storytell telling ing wings, to prove to yourself yourself and to your patrons patrons that your story storytell telling ing skills are more than equal to the task of provid providing ing your commu community nity with a steady diet of story sto rytell telling. ing. Storytell Story telling ing has proven value—to the listen listeners, ers, to the commu community, nity, and to the library. library. This book is our attempt attempt to contrib contribute ute to ele elevat vating ing the promi prominence of story storytell telling ing in librar libraries. ies. This book is not intended intended to serve as a perfor performance mance guide for expe experi rienced enced tellers, tellers, nor is it priprimarily mar ily a sourcebook for stories stories to tell. It is a guide to the simplic sim plicity ity and ele elegance of natu natural story storytell tell-ing for those who are not fully convinced convinced of either either their story storytell telling ing ability ability or story storytell telling’s ing’s place in their library. library. We have filled this book with tested and proven techniques techniques and ideas for you to use. It repre rep resents sents the wisdom wisdom produced produced from over fifty years of combined combined story storytell telling ing expe experi rience. ence. There is not one “correct” “correct” style for story storytell telling, ing, not one “correct” “correct” way to tell a story. Just the opop posite. po site. The richness richness of story storytell telling ing depends depends on each teller finding finding a style and deliv delivery ery that feels comcomfortable fort able and natu natural. The glory and attrac attraction tion of story storytell telling ing comes comes from this range and vari variety. ety. There is room for and need for all styles. Still, we believe believe that too few librar li brarians ians tell stories. stories. Some tell us that they have no time to learn and rehearse rehearse stories. stories. Some feel that they simply simply don’t have the ability ability to do it. Some think it’s too hard and prefer prefer to stick to reading. reading. Some believe believe that story storytell telling ing requires requires a special special talent talent that they may not have. We don’t believe believe it. By the end of this book, we hope you won’t either. either. En joy!

HAPTER 1 C The Place for Story rytell telling in Your Library Library

LIBRARIES ARE STORIES LIBRARIES ARE STORIES Libraries Librar ies are insti institu tutions tions in service service to stories stories and infor informa mation. tion. The public pub lic library, library, in partic particu ular, is a kind of repos repository itory of discourse. discourse. Not just in print, either. either. The library’s library’s collec collections tions of stories stories include include films, record record-ings, docu documents, meetings, meetings, talks, local local history, history, gene geneal alogy, ogy, author author visits, visits, programs, pro grams, and time and space for patrons patrons to simply simply talk. The library library is a place in conversation with the culture at large. Library staff anchors Library anchors the insti institu tution. tion. Those of us in public public service service like to share infor informa mation, tion, impres impressions, rec recom ommen menda dations, tions, and reresources. We like to talk to our patrons. pa trons. Since good conver conversa sation tion is based on construct constructing a co cogent gent narra narrative, tive, librar librariians have more expe experi rience ence in shooting shoot ing the breeze than those in many other profes professions. sions. We present present programs pro grams for all ages, and story storytell telling ing fits right into most of them. Just a

1

2 Chapter Chapter 1—The Place for Story Sto rytelling telling in Your Library Library

cursory look at your monthly schedule cursory schedule will reveal reveal the number number of hours spent in program program presen presenta tation, tion, class visits, reference, and outreach. out reach. We often often persuade persuade a visi visitor to try a new title ti tle or to tell us what books she or he has been reading. reading. In the course of deter determin mining ing what help is needed we find ourselves ourselves listen listening ing to a story as it unwinds, unwinds, and telling telling one in turn. A visit to a contem contempo porary rary public public library library will soon dispel dispel the stereo stereo-type of the sensi sensible-shoed, ble-shoed, bun-coiffed, glasses-dangling, glasses-dangling, middle-aged middle-aged woman who seems to be protect protecting ing the books from the unwor unworthy. thy. LiLibrariians are very savvy about retriev brar retrieving ing infor informa mation tion from the Internet, gauging gaug ing the reading reading level of a silent si lent third grader, finding finding the right book for the right person person at the right time, balanc balancing ing a budget, budget, stretching stretching reresources, and making making friends. No wonder wonder we are naturally good at telling tales.

WE’VE BEEN TELLING FOR A LONG TIME Storytell Story telling ing has a long, honor honorable able history history in the public public library. library. PerPerhaps the most visi visible exam example ple of that history history has involved involved service service to young people. people. The New York Public Public Library, Library, for instance, instance, blazed a gloglorious ri ous trail for story storytell telling ing decades decades ago when Ruth Sawyer Sawyer began began the first story sto rytell telling ing program program there in 1908. Far from being being a glamor glamorous ous extra, extra, story sto rytell telling ing was an inte integral gral service service for children children.. But telling telling stories stories is far too much fun, far too valuable, valuable, and far too effec effective tive to be the prize of the nursery. It belongs to all of us. Libraries Librar ies are busy places. The days of a quiet q uiet sanctu sanctuary ary for the quiet seeker of knowledge knowledge are gone, if they ever existed. existed. Librar Librariians have too much to do, and too little little time in which to do it. We know that. We wouldn’t would n’t suggest suggest another another profes professional sional invest investment ment if we didn’t think it would make your work more reward rewarding, ing, serve your patrons patrons more effec effec-tively, and, best of all, be enjoyable. Storytell Story telling ing is the most effec effective tive edu educa cational tional tool for the least amount of effort. effort. It employs employs the skills you already already possess possess and puts them to good use. Think of it as another another way to meet the mandate mandate of promot promot-ing liter literaature and ideas—a really really enter entertain taining ing way. It is also a valuable valu able addi ad dition tion in the effort effort to encour encourage age liter literacy acy for all ages and all cultures.

What’s in It for You? 3

WHAT KIND OF STORIES? Storytell Story telling ing changes the picture. picture. Slipping Slipping a told story into a prepreschool storytime presents presents liter literaature in a fresh and novel way. It allows allows for a more engag engaging ing presen presenta tation tion for groups visit visiting ing the library. library. The story can be from the great collec collections tions of tradi traditional tional tales that beg to be freed from the book, book, or an excerpt excerpt from chosen chosen fiction fiction or nonfic nonfiction. tion. A simple sim ple folktale folktale can marry well with books during dur ing a program. program. History History can become become story and lead listen listeners ers to following the path into the past. That story you tell about your bad grade can showcase showcase books about school or study habits. habits. Your mother’s famous famous piano piano recital recital becomes becomes the bridge for a talk about skills, talents, talents, and of course, inev ineviita table ble failures. failures. An urban urban legend legend can open the creaky door of books about myste mysteri rious ous telling ing as the events. Anything Anything will serve. The key is the process pro cess of storytell way you choose to deliver deliver story mate material rial to your listen listeners. ers. Any of these types of stories—or stories—or many others—be others—become come engag engaging ing ele elements of your program pro gram when you tell them.

WHAT’S WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? The more you tell stories, stories, the better you tell them. Your profes profes-sional life will always in include clude presen presenta tations, tions, some more challeng challenging than others. others. Polish Polish up your story storytell telling ing skills, find some enrich enriching ing tales and you will improve improve your presen presenta tational tional style and confi confidence. dence. Not all of those who visit the library library are comfort fortable able with print. Some people people find the oral approach ap proach to liter literaature much easier easier to absorb absorb and retain. retain. Gay knows this from expe experi rience ence since it was told stories, sto ries, not print, that her A.D.D. son responded responded to, whether they were old tales, perpersonal stories, stories, or science science tidbits. tidbits. A good story reached that learner very well since it lev eled the cog cogni nitive tive play ing field. Or at least mini min imized the gradation. Librariian Librar anship ship is one of the few profes professions sions in which every every single single thing you know or have expe experi rienced enced is useful, useful, so your own personal personal ininterests, ter ests, posses possessions, sions, background background become become grist for the story mill. You al al-ready have a wealth of infor informa mation tion to share, and it is easy to convert convert it into good stories.


Need more? There’s nothing nothing like a story to engage engage and enter entertain tain an audi au dience. ence. Your telling telling brings listen listeners ers to you, makes you acces accessi sible ble and approach ap proachable. able. We know how impor important tant that is in forging forg ing rela relation tionships ships with our patrons. patrons. Besides, Besides, there’s nothing nothing like a profes professional sional change of pace to refresh refresh us. Stories Stories of myth, legend, legend, folktale, folktale, fairy tale, epic, and fable fa ble are the great liter literary ary treasure treasure of every every culture. culture. As the heirs to that hoard, we can give it to others others in the way it deserves deserves to be shared: by telltelling. (P.S.: you get to keep it, too.)

FROM KITCHEN TABLE TO CARNEGIE HALL: THE THREE LEVELS OF STORYTELLING Although our evi Although evidence is anec anecdotal, dotal, both of us have noticed noticed how few library library story storytell tellers ers we run across in our travels. travels. More often, often, we (and other profes professional sional tellers) tellers) are the story storytell tellers, ers, who come in to do a perperformance for mance or two, gather the glory, and then hit the road. We also know , again anecdotally, that librar li braries ies routinely routinely use the services ser vices of profes profes-sional story storytell tellers ers as enter entertain tainers ers linked to a partic par ticu ular holiday or summer program. We don’t presume presume to under understand stand all the reasons rea sons for this reli reliance ance on declared de clared profes professional sional tellers. tellers. But we have both seen it and become be come aware of o f its del ete teri rious ous im pact on a community. co mmunity. It doesn’t have to be that way. It shouldn’t shouldn’t be that way. But it is. It may be that library library staff see those profes professional sional story storytell tellers ers and think; “I could never, ever do that.” “That”—when taken liter literally—may ally—may well be true. You may never, ever become become a profes professional sional story storyteller. teller. But that has nothing nothing to do with your becom becoming ing a success successful ful story storyteller teller within the library. li brary. The expec expecta tations, tions, and perfor performance mance require requirements ments of a polished polished profes pro fessional sional telling telling on a raised stage to a thousand thousand listen listeners ers are differ different ent from those of friends sharing sharing stories stories around the kitchen table, table, for ininstance. Common Common sense tells us that, but that doesn’t mean one is more important than another. Think of it this way: profes professional sional chefs clog the landscape landscape of the Food Network, Network, demon demonstrat strating ing their finesse, finesse, their perfect perfect confec confections, tions, their glib on-air deliv delivery, ery, and their panache. panache. For those who are inter inter-ested, it is a dazzling dazzling display. display. But we never see them cooking cook ing at home, only in the hot lights of a show. Books, Boo ks, CDs, up scale kitchen ware all

From Kitchen Table Table to Carne negie gie Hall 5

bear the name of The Famous Famous Chef. Many a cook has learned a good deal by watching watching these pros work and been inspired inspired to try a dish or two. That’s what they do best: inspire, inspire, moti motivate, vate, enter entertain. tain. The food is fancy, and it would be great to sit down to the table table for such a meal once in a long while. Most of us who like to cook on occa occasion, sion, and even those who cook every ev ery day, are not going going to become become Iron Chefs and will never challenge challenge Emeril for his primetime TV slot. Yet we can whip up an appe appetiz tizing ing dindinner that will please—even thrill—our fami families more often often than not, and sometimes some times we can mount a holi holiday dinner dinner that confounds confounds even our mothers-in-law. moth ers-in-law. Story Storytell telling ing is like that. It has room for every everyone one who wants to tell a tale. It is not con fined to those who choose to make a living at it. Granted, some folks have a gift. g ift. We readily admit admit that. They are ununcommonly com monly talented. talented. But just as you would not stop cooking cooking because because you haven’t have n’t been picked up for a pilot, pilot, so, too, you should not avoid telling telling stories sto ries just be b ecause there are some story rytell tellers ers who are better than you believe be lieve yourself yourself to be. That would be a shame, for you would deny the gifts of story liter literaature to the children children and adults who patron patronize ize your lilibrary, except except on those few, scattered scattered occa occasions sions when the hired narra narrative tive gun sweeps into town. That’s not enough. We offer offer the follow following ing idea: story storytell telling ing has levels. levels. None is more impor im portant tant than another, another, but they differ, differ, so it is helpful helpful to distin distinguish guish bebetween them.

Level 1: The Infor In formal mal Story Storyteller teller Informal Infor mal story storytell telling ing happens happens throughout throughout the routine routine course of our daily lives. Occa Occasion sionally ally planned but more often often sponta spontane neous, ous, conver conver-sational, sa tional, and inter interac active tive in nature, nature, infor informal mal story storytell telling ing forms an essen essen-tial part of the fabric fab ric of our normal normal commu communi nica cations. tions. Stories Stories told across the family family dinner dinner table, table, by the auto mechanic mechanic running running your smog check, in the super supermar market ket checkout checkout line, during during chance meetings meetings of friends and colleagues—these are all times when we auto au tomat matiically slip into the role of informal storytellers. We don’t usually usually plan or orga organize nize the text, nor do we practice practice or try to refine refine our style or voices. Some of the stories stories are brand new, the stuff of the day; others others are well-worn narra narratives tives about our fami families that each member mem ber knows by heart. Around Aroun d the kitchen table, table, these stories stories ebb and


flow, sometimes sometimes punctu punctuated ated by someone someone else adding adding a detail detail or correc correc-tion. Above all, infor informal mal story storytell telling ing is a natu natural and unre unrehearsed hearsed part of human communications.

Level 2: The Commu Com munity nity Story Storyteller teller This sort of story storytell telling ing usually usually takes place within the profes pro fessional setting. set ting. The library, library, the classroom, classroom, the pulpit, pulpit, the courtroom, courtroom, each of these is the native hab habiitat for tales. In ancient times, the story ryteller teller passed on stories stories of wisdom wisdom and heri heritage. The tales reflected reflected the prevail prevail-ing values values and exposed exposed new listen listeners ers to impor important tant infor informa mation tion that kept them safe and taught them how to behave. behave. Adults heard the stories stories that glori glo rified fied the commu community’s nity’s valor valorous ous history, history, or traced lineage. lineage. Novelty Novelty was not useful. Continuity was essential. Contempo Contem porary rary visi visitors to the library library need and deserve deserve these stories stories still. This is the setting set ting in which the children children and adults can hear stories stories that feed the soul and free the imagi imag ina nation. tion. It is desir desirable able for the story story-teller to be famil fa miliar, iar, and the stories, stories, too. At this level, stories stories can and should be repeated repeated again and again. Commu Community nity story storytell tellers ers do not need to perform. perform. They need to share. The style of the story sto ryteller teller is unim unimpor por-tant. From a very dramatic dramatic teller to one on e who has a quiet, inti timate mate approach, each is useful.

Level 3: The Profes Professional sional Story Storyteller teller The profes professional sional story storyteller teller deliv delivers ers a polished, polished, rehearsed rehearsed perfor perfor-mance, usually usually to a rela relatively large audi audience. ence. It is not uncom uncommon mon for the perfor per formance mance to have a title. ti tle. The story ryteller teller may well be travel eling ing through, never to be seen again. Styles may differ, differ, but the teller is often often larger than life and the perfor per formance mance is formally formally staged. Our expec expecta tations tions are high; we an tic ticiipate seeing a well-prepared art artist ist with strong, precise precise language lan guage and physi physical prepa prepara ration. tion. Level 3 is something something like a holi holiday feast, a rare, rich treat, to be en joyed en joyed occa occasion sionally, ally, not as a steady diet. We all bene benefit from these oc ca casional sional story rytell tellers, ers, but the place for day-in and day-out storytelling is with you, yo u, the library storyteller. It was when we started to use profes pro fessional sional story storytell tellers ers as the priprimary desig designated nated artis artistic tic hitters hitters that we got off track. Librar Li braries ies can facil faciliitate all three levels lev els of story storytell telling. ing. Encour Encourage age and facil faciliitate infor informal mal telling. tell ing. Arrange Arrange and sponsor sponsor occa occasional sional profes professional sional perfor performances. mances.

The Place for Sto ry rytell telling ing in Your Library Li brary 7

And accept accept your role as a primary primary provider provider of a steady diet of community level storytelling.

THE PLACE FOR STORYTELLING IN YOUR LIBRARY Many oppor opportu tuni nities ties for story storytell telling ing exist exist in your library. library. This list of five is not intended intended to be exhaus exhaustive; tive; rather, it repre represents sents proven niches for your story rytell telling. ing. Let these ideas free you to identify iden tify the many other ways you can weave story storytell telling ing into your library library and programs. 1.

As a snazzy ad addi dition tion to preschool preschool and early ele elemen mentary tary storytimes.

2.

As an effec fective, tive, natu natural, direct direct form of booktalking. booktalking. And not just for au audi diences ences of ele elemen mentary tary school children. children. When When prepresenting senting “booktalks” to middle middle and high school au audi diences, ences, stostories (riddling (riddling tales, urban urban legends, legends, brief infor informa mation tion about a famous famous guy) can be effec effectively tively incor incorpo porated rated into presen presenta ta-tions (see Gail de Vos’s book about story storytell telling ing for teens in the Bibli Bibliog ogra raphy). phy). As an alter alterna native tive to the normal normal booktalk fare for longer longer books (telling (telling a little little bit about the book, main charac character, ter, and/or author author but not the end), consider consider taking taking one inci incident dent within the book and simply tell the whole thing.

3.

As an eve evening ning perfor performance mance for fami families and older kids. Granted, these perfor performances mances often feature feature the storytellerrytellerfor-hire. Let’s change that. Once you have a few tales under un der your belt, you can at least comple complement ment the guest performer, performer, or, better, start offer offering ing programs programs featur featuring ing YOU (the story storyteller). teller).

4.

As a spe special cial holi holiday program. program. You need not do the whole thing. Try combin combining ing your talents talents with several several other staff persons, persons, and, like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, Garland, “put on a show.”

5.

As part of pre presen senta tations tions to commu community nity groups or other orga organi ni-zations. za tions. Any story that comple complements ments your presen presenta tation tion will be well received received by the audi audience. ence. Try a fable, fable, a story about Mullah Mul lah Nasruddin, or any short tale that suits you and the ococcasion. ca sion. Empha Emphasis sis is on brief, fast, and either either amusing amusing or thoughtful, thought ful, whichever whichever the context suggests.

So let’s take it back. Let’s claim story storytell telling ing as a valuable valuable offer offering ing to our constit con stitu uents. And let’s do it ourselves. ourselves.

HAPTER 2 C Why Tell It?: The Power of Story Storytell telling Chapter 1 described Chapter described a role for the differ dif ferent ent levels levels of story storytell telling ing as inte in tegral gral parts of your library library programs. programs. That chapter chapter showed what story story-telling tell ing can do for your library library programs. programs. There are eight addi additional tional reareasons for you to tell sto ries as an im impor portant part of your li library’s brary’s offer of ferings. ings. We know that most of you already already view story storytell telling ing as valuvaluable and worthwhile worthwhile and may not need new evi evidence of its power and value. Consider Consider this list a gentle gen tle reminder reminder of how impor important tant you and your telling telling are in the lives and devel de velop opment ment of your young patrons patrons and what a gift your storytelling can be.

BECAUSE YOU CAN As you’ll see throughout throughout this book, you already already know most of what you’ll need to know, and have the innate innate talent talent you’ll need, to tell stories stories success suc cessfully fully and effec effectively. tively.

9

10 Chapter Chapter 2—Why Tell It?: The Power of Story Sto rytell telling ing

BECAUSE LIBRARY PATRONS NEED YOUR STORIES Everyone Every one bene benefits from listen listening ing to stories stories being being told: tradi traditional tional tales, folktales, folktales, “Just So” stories, sto ries, myths, etc. We all need to hear these stories sto ries being being told with enthu enthusi siasm, asm, and need to absorb absorb the form, patpatterns, rhythms, and content content of these stories. Children espe Children especially cially need the devel develop opmen mental tal bene benefits of hearing hearing complete com plete stories stories being being told, and they need the cogni cognitive tive value woven woven into the content content of these stories stories that have been honed and refined re fined over countless count less gener generaations of success successful ful tellings by countless countless tellers. tellers. For many children children you are a primary primary source of this level of story sto rytell telling. ing. They depend depend on you. They need you. Their devel develop opment ment depends, depends, in a small but real part, on the story and storytelling exposure you provide. A Cana Canadian dian study published published in 2004 (O’Neill, Pearce, and Pick, 2004) studied studied the story storytell telling ing ability ability of preschool preschool children children in Ontario, Ontario, Canada, Can ada, and found good corre correla lation tion between between early story storytell telling ing skills and later math abilities. They suggest suggest that time spent telling stories sto ries to chilchildren and allow allowing ing them to infor informally mally and improvisationally tell stories stories to develop develop their own story storytell telling ing skill during during preschool preschool years is likely to improve im prove math skill upon entering school. More impor important tant than its specific specific focus focus on math skills, this study esestablishes tab lishes story storytell telling ing skill (structural (structural knowledge knowledge and story map thinkthinking) as predat predating, ing, and as a precur precursor sor for, the devel develop opment ment of logi logical thinking. think ing. Cogni Cognitive tive science science studies studies have confirmed confirmed that human human beings beings develop de velop the ability ability to under understand stand and inter interpret pret the world around them through story structure structure and story concepts concepts long before before they develop develop loglogical thinking thinking (see Appen Appendix dix 2). In fact, logi logical thinking thinking seems to evolve out of story structural structural thinking. thinking. The ability ability to inter interpret pret expe experi riences ences and to create create meaning meaning using using story thinking thinking comes comes from expo exposure sure to stories stories during the early formative years. They need your stories.

BECAUSE STORYTELLING IS A GREAT CHANGE OF PACE Even the best pitchers pitchers need to change their pitches unless unless they want to spend a lot of time on the bench. Break it up. Change the pattern pat tern of your programs. programs. If your normal normal pattern pattern is to read stories, stories, story storytell telling ing

Because Be cause Story Storytell telling ing Is Affect Af fecting ing and Engag Engaging ing for the Audi Au dience ence 11

(whether impro improvi visa sational, tional, infor informal, mal, or planned) will surprise surprise your lislisteners ten ers and create create extra interest.

BECAUSE STORYTELLING IS AFFECTING AND ENGAGING FOR THE AUDIENCE As a fledgling fledgling story storyteller, teller, Kendall Kendall told stories stories at an Orange Orange County, Caliifor Cal fornia, nia, school—just over a year after after he first performed performed there. As he entered en tered the building, building, a second-grade second-grade girl passed him in the hall and said, “I remem remember ber you. You told us stories stories last year.” Then that seven-year-old girl began began to tell the stories stories she had heard a year before. before. They were origi original stories stories and she had only heard them once. Still, a year later, both stories stories tumbled tumbled out of her, vividly vividly and accu accu-rately, with no prompting. prompting. That is not at all unusual. un usual. Virtu Virtually ally ever story story-teller in the country country has had this expe experi rience. ence. Stories Stories deeply engage engage and entrance an audience. Don’t worry. Just because because there are profes professional sional story storytell tellers ers out there who visit the public public library library and wow the crowds does not mean they have a life lease on this cap ti tivat vating ing expe peri rience. ence. Gay tells stories stories in the library library as well as telling telling stories stories as a professional. Re Recently cently a fifth grader returned returned to the branch after after a long absence. absence. “Do you still tell that story about the sultan, sultan, the little lit tle rooster and the dia di amond button?” button?” he asked. “Yes” she said “Just this week. Is it one of your fa vorites?” “Yes” ev-he said, as he began began to tell it back to her. It happens happens all the time and to ev sto ries. It is inher in herent ent in the pro story-eryone ery one who regularly tells stories. process cess of story telling, tell ing, not in some unique property property of skilled and theatrical performers. Brain research research confirms confirms what story storytell tellers ers know from expe experi rience. ence. Bransford and Brown (2000), Engle (1995), Fisher (1994), Bruner (1990), and other neuroscientists have studied studied this phenom phenomeenon and have drawn two general general conclu conclusions: sions: 1.

Evolution Evolu tion has “hardwired” “hardwired” the process process and form of story storytell tell-ing into human human brains and minds. Fisher concludes concludes that huhumans are really homo narratus, and that story storytell telling ing is an intrin in trinsic sic human human attrib attribute. ute. That is, story archi ar chitec tecture ture is hardhardwired into the human human mind. Bruner has observed observed that story story-telling tell ing predates predates written written commu communi nica cation tion by 50,000 years and that the form and pattern pattern of story storytell telling ing are now, as it were,


residue of many thousands resi thousands of years of evolutionary programming. 2.

We learn through sto story rytell telling. ing. We learn the pattern, pattern, rhythm, and structure structure of oral story storytell telling ing long before before we learn the rhythms and patterns patterns of written written stories. stories. Young infants infants learn to pay atten attention tion to the features features of oral speech (such as into intona na-tion and rhythm) that help them obtain obtain criti critical infor information mation about language and meaning.

Perhaps we respond Perhaps respond so posi positively and power powerfully fully to story storytell telling ing bebecause we are genet ge netiically predis predisposed to fa favor vor the form. That’s certainly certainly story rytell tell-what we think. Your listen listeners ers will be more respon responsive to your sto delivered ered in other ways. ing than to the same story deliv

BECAUSE STORYTELLING MAKES NONFICTION EVENTS AND TOPICS COME ALIVE Dan Fossler, a Cali Califor fornia nia high school music music teacher, took a story story-telling tell ing course and created created a story about the Italian Italian composer, composer, Vivaldi, for his final final exer exercise. cise. The story was a rousing rousing hit. So he told it to his stustudent orches orchestra tra the next fall before be fore assign assigning ing them a Vivaldi piece. He was amazed at how quickly this orches or chestra mastered the difficult piece. He scanned their home practice practice logs and found that this group was practic prac ticing ing an aver average age of 20 percent percent more on this piece than had his preprevious vi ous orches orchestras. tras. When he asked them why, they reported reported that Vivaldi was “cool” and that they liked him and his music. music. Ten students students had gone to the library library to check out addi additional tional reading reading mate material rial on Vivaldi. In short, Fossler’s told story made Vivaldi real, acces accessi sible ble and inter interest esting. ing. It created created context context and rele relevance. Storytelling does that. Librariians have booktalked Librar boo ktalked for years, just as Mr. Fossler did, us u sing epiisodes from the lives of the famous ep famous and not so famous famous to entice entice listen listen-ers into reading reading more. It’s story storytell telling, ing, really, really, and it works. Any topic can be intro introduced duced to listen listeners ers through a tale. Brief folktales folktales can intro intro-duce the sciences; sciences; personal personal stories stories can be woven woven into sports and the arts; and the 900s offer offer oppor opportu tuni nities ties for folktales, folktales, myths, legends legends . . . just about any sort of story.

Because Be cause Story Storytell telling ing Helps to Under Un derstand stand and Inter Interpret pret the Story 13

BECAUSE STORYTELLING GENERATES VIVID AND DETAILED IMAGES IN A LISTENER’S MIND Kendall once conducted Kendall conducted an exper experiiment with primary primary students students in eight schools (total (total of 1,090 students students and six perfor performances). mances). During During short assem assemblies, blies, he told one story and read a differ different ent story of about the same length. Students Students returned returned to the classroom classroom and, with no discus discussion, sion, each drew one picture picture from just one of the two stories. stories. He varied varied both the order order and the specific specific stories stories he presented. presented. But the varia variations never affected af fected the final final results. results. Be tween 78 and 86 per percent cent in each class drew a picture pic ture of the story that was told. Story Sto rytell telling ing seems to create create stronger, stronger, more vivid and more memorable imagery. When being being read a picture picture book, young listen listeners ers almost almost always always ask to see the pictures. pictures. But when a story is being being told, listen listeners ers have no need for pictures. pictures. Listen Listening ing encour encourages ages them to create create their own images, images, tailortailormade to suit each child. Recent Recent neuro neurolog logiical research research has shown that memory memory depends depends on the density density of sensory sensory details details asso associ ciated ated with the event. The greater the number number of sensory sensory details details filed away into memory memory surround surrounding ing an event or idea, the eas ier and more likely it is that a person will recall that event or idea. Listening tening to stories stories creates creates vivid, multisensory details. details. Details Details crecreate memory memory.

BECAUSE STORYTELLING HELPS THOSE WHO STRUGGLE WITH LANGUAGE TO UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET THE STORY When reading reading a book, you use vocal vocal tools, such as tone, pace, and volume vol ume to inter terpret pret the text. Story rytell telling ing does that too. But story storytell telling ing more readily allows allows for physi physical inter interpre preta tation tion of the story through gesgesture, movement, movement, and expres expression. sion. These inter interpre preta tations tions can vary from dancing danc ing across the floor to the most subtle subtle body language. language. And they are effec ef fective tive in aiding aiding listen teners ers to inter interpret pret and visualize the story.


Improvi Impro visa sation tion is a natu nat ural part of story storytell telling. ing. Tellers Tellers refine refine or change their language language and deliv delivery ery in response response to the audi audience ence reac reaction. tion. Although Al though small text changes are possi possible ble when reading, reading, readers readers strive to stick closely to the author’s words. Cooper (1997) conducted Cooper conducted an exten extensive sive study of how in-class story story-telling tell ing affects stu students’ dents’ devel develop opment ment of the ability ability to extract extract meaning from texts. He concluded, concluded, first, that story storytell telling ing signif signifiicantly enhanced enhanced students’ stu dents’ under understand standing ing of story text and, second, second, that a ma jor part of this enhance enhancement ment came from the im pro provi visa sational tional nature nature of story storytell telling ing that allowed allowed the teller to acknowl ac knowledge edge and respond respond to student student verbal verbal and nonver non verbal bal responses responses and to ad just the tell telling ing to incor incorpo porate rate those reresponses. Students’ Students’ ability ability to inter teract act with the teller and to have the teller ad just the story and the tell telling ing to account account for those responses responses signif signifiicantly improved improved students’ students’ ability to understand stories and to create meaning from stories.

BECAUSE STORYTELLING STORYTELLING CONNECTS LISTENERS TO YOU To many patrons, patrons, you are the library. library. Story Storytell telling ing can strengthen that impres impression. It forges an inti timate mate rela relation tionship be between tween teller and lislis tener that contin continues ues far beyond beyond the actual actual telling telling of a tale. It doesn’t rereally matter matter what kind of story you tell, where you tell it, or what kind of event it is. It might be part of a planned, formal formal program, program, or an impro improvi vi-sational, sa tional, off-the-cuff story about your family family or your own expe experi riences. ences. Regard Re gardless less of what you choose to tell, the story works to creates creates the bond. It is always a shared experience. So, why story rytell telling? ing? Because Because it produces produces all of the results—the results—the topiical and general top general inter interest, est, the delight, delight, the engage engagement, ment, the enter entertain tain-ment, and the fun—that mark a good presentation.

HAPTER 3 C “Okay, But Can I Re Really ally Do It?” Making Mak ing Story Storytell telling ing Practi Practical cal and Doable Doable

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION Storytell Story telling ing is not a new set of perfor performance mance skills to learn. It’s not about rules. Story Storytell telling ing is a natu natural process process that we all do, but do auto auto-matiically (uncon mat (unconsciously) sciously) rather than consciously. During workshops During workshops we often ask groups, “Do you tell stories?” stories?” Many, envi envision sioning ing a long list of rules and mandates mandates for how one is sup supposed to to tell a story, answer an swer “No.” Such people people search for the wrong kind of rules to guide them to better, easier easier story storytell telling. ing. Should stories stories be told word for word? Should you use gestures gestures when you tell? Should you move or stand still? Stand or sit? Should you use vocal vocal charac character teriza izations? tions? Physi Physical charac character teriza izations? tions?

15

16 Chapter Chapter 3—“Okay, But Can I Can I Really Really Do It?” Making Making Story Storytell telling ing Practi Practical cal and Doable Doable

Should stories stories be told in the third person? per son? In the first? Should stories stories be presented pre sented in chrono chronolog logiical order? order? Should you avoid costumes costumes and props? Name any aspect aspect of story storytell telling ing orga organi niza zation tion and perfor performance mance that would seem suitable suitable for such a “rule” and you will find success successful, ful, respected re spected story storytell tellers ers who inten intention tionally ally and successfully violate whatever rule you create. Those are the wrong kinds of questions questions to ask and the wrong kinds of “rules” to search for. You don’t think abo ut rules when you tell infor infor-mal stories stories to your friends and fami families. You simply simply tell the story—and usually usu ally do just fine. But there are guide guidelines—ac lines—actu tually, ally, more like natu nat ural laws—which, like a lighthouse lighthouse beacon, beacon, can serve to guide every ev ery teller around the shoals and eddies eddies of story storytell telling ing distress. distress. We call them natu nat ural laws bebecause, like the law of gravity, gravity, they do not tell you what you should do do (as a speed limit law does), but rather they describe de scribe the way the process process natnaturally works. From these natu natural laws we derive de rive insights insights and under under-standings stand ings that, like effec ef fective tive rules, guide us to more consis consistently tently successful storytelling. In the mid-1990s the National National Story Storytell telling ing Asso Associ ciaation spent two years crafting crafting their defi defini nition tion of story storytell telling. ing. In one sentence, sentence, they said: “Story “Sto rytell telling ing is the art of using using language, language, vocal vocaliza ization, tion, and/or physi physical movement move ment and gesture gesture to reveal reveal the ele elements and images images of a story to a specific, live audience.” That’s story storytell telling—and ing—and that’s what we all do every every time we share a story with a friend, weave a story into a lecture, lec ture, or try to enter entertain tain sixty fourth graders graders during during a class visit to the library. li brary. You already already do it. Asking, “Do you tell?” (or “Do I tell?”) Asking, tell?”) is the wrong question. question. The question is as meaning meaningless less as asking, ask ing, “Do you breathe?” We all tell stories—per sto ries—personal sonal day-to-day stories—ev stories—every ery day. You’ve told stories stories virtu vir tually ally every every day since you were three years old. That’s what humans humans do. After quick reflec After reflection, tion, many think that a better question ques tion to ask is, “Do you tell your stories stories well?” Occa Occasion sionally, ally, every everyone one does a lousy job of telling telling a story. It falls flat; it doesn’t work. We’ve all been cornered cor nered at an office office party, a family family function, function, or at a reunion re union by someone someone who droned through endless endless and painfully painfully boring boring stories—Un stories—Uncle cle Philbert’s trip to the Little Little League Hall of Fame, Aunt Penny’s morti mor tifi fica cation tion at bebeing 30¢ short at the check out, a classmate’s class mate’s intrigu intriguing ing life as the third assis as sistant vice pres presiident of market marketing. ing. We’ve even done it ourselves.

You Don’t Have to Get It Right to Get It Right 17

Again, it’s a meaning meaningless less question. question. We guaran guarantee tee that every ev ery reader of this book at some time, in some place has told at least one de delight lightfully fully mesmer mes meriz izing, ing, enchant enchanting, ing, totally totally effec effective tive story. Maybe it was only to three of your best friends or two cowork coworkers ers at the water wa ter cooler. Perhaps Perhaps you’ve felt really really “on,” with your listen listeners ers eagerly eagerly hanging hanging on every every hap-word, only a few times in your life. The point is, we guaran guarantee tee it has hap stories well. As a commu com munity nity level pened . You have and can tell your stories story sto ryteller, teller, that’s all the proof you’ll ever need. What’s a better question question to ask? Remem Remember ber our cooking cooking meta metaphor from Chapter Chapter 1? The right question question to ask is: Am I trying try ing to be picked for a theat theatri rical cal TV cooking cooking show that has to wow and en enter tertain tain a large audi au di-ence, or am I trying trying to provide provide a nutri nutritious tious and flavor flavorful ful meal that my family fam ily will en joy? These two types of cook cooking ing have radi radically differ different ent mandates man dates and expec expecta tations. tions. Which are you trying trying to do with your story story-telling? tell ing? You’re going going to be a commu community nity level story storyteller, so the answer an swer is: cook a nutri nutritious tious and tasty meal for your listen listeners. ers. That’s very differ differ-ent from becoming an Iron Chef on the Food channel. The trick for your kind of telling—though telling—though it’s not much of a trick—is simply simply to know your story storytell telling ing self: how you natu naturally learn, remem re member, ber, and tell your own stories. stories.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT TO GET IT RIGHT You see a profes professional sional teller and think that every ev ery gesture, gesture, every every pause, every every glance, word and tone were perfect. perfect. You think, “Wow. She got it right! That’s what story storytell telling ing is supposed supposed to look like.” No. That’s what theat theatri rical-main-stage-tell cal-main-stage-telling-in-front-of-a-largeing-in-front-of-a-largeaudi au dience-of-strang ence-of-strangers-in-a-for ers-in-a-formal-set mal-setting-byting-by-that -teller -teller is supposed supposed to look like. If that same teller sat in a cir cle of ten first grad gr aders ers and told the same story in exactly exactly the same way, it would not look or sound nearly as “perfect.” “per fect.” It wouldn’t wouldn’t even look appro appropri priate. ate. It would look and feel wrong. Why? That style of story storytell telling ing is appro appropri priate ate for one kind of stostoryteller ry teller and one kind of event. Do you stop a friend in mid-story and refuse refuse to listen listen any further further bebecause she didn’t get the words right? Do you feel cheated because be cause you suspect sus pect she missed a word? We have yet to meet the person person who could honestly hon estly answer answer yes to either either question. question.


Recent neuro Recent neurolog logiical research research has shown that we humans humans remem remember ber the gist , not the specific specific wording, wording, when we listen listen to a story. (See Appen Appen-dix 2 for a summary summary of rele relevant research.) research.) Every Every time neurol neurolo ogists conconduct this test, sub jects think they they accu accurately re remem member ber the words. But the words they “remem “remember” ber” are largely their own creation cre ation and not in the origiinal text. We humans orig humans remem remember ber the gist—the idea and the emotion emo tion and the meaning meaning of a told story. Then we rein reinvent vent our own words to dedescribe what we inter interpreted preted and remembered from the story. Getting a story “right” has to be measured Getting measured by the images images lodged in listen lis teners’ ers’ minds and by listen listeners’ ers’ reac reactions tions to the story. Story Storytell telling ing is not a ver reciita tation. tion. It doesn’t require require you to get the words right. It verba batim tim rec does require require that you get the gist of of the story right. Luckily, Luckily, that’s much easier eas ier and more natu natural. The gist includes includes the main flow of events (the plot), the charac characters ters and their goals and struggles, struggles, and the emotional emotional flow or mood of the story. That is what you are used to learning learning and telltelling for your own stories. “Getting it right” for you will mean just two things: (1) get the story “Getting charac char acters ters and events (sequences) (sequences) across to your listen listeners, ers, and (2) tell it in such a way that your natu natural enthu enthusi siasm asm and passion passion for the story shines through in your telling. telling. That kind kind of “getting “getting it right” is much easeasier and more natu natural and is what your lis ten teners ers need when you tell.

HOW DO YOU NATURALLY LEARN, RECALL, AND TELL YOUR OWN STORIES? Sure, you tell stories—an stories—anec ecdotes, dotes, inci incidents, dents, memo memories of your past, family fam ily stories. stories. But you don’t consciously consciously think about how you’ll tell those infor informal mal stories, stories, or how you’ll word and structure structure them. You just tell them. It’s like many other uncon unconscious, scious, auto automatic matic things you do. You know how to tie shoelaces. shoelaces. But it would be extremely ex tremely diffi difficult cult to write down what you do with w ith each thumb and finger finger in tempo temporal ral sequen sequen-tial order order to get those laces tied. You do it, but don’t consciously consciously know how you do it. We tell stories stories the same way. We do it, but b ut don’t consciously consciously pause to think about how we do it. The differ difference ence is that if you suddenly suddenly doubt your ability ability to tie shoelaces shoe laces you need only glance down at your feet to see proof. The problem problem is that we have no such ready source so urce of proof to remind re mind ourselves ourselves of our natu natural story storytell telling ing ability.

What Listen Listeners ers Re Re ally Need 19

The key there is that you do it, and, thus, that you know how to do it. You just have to become become a bit more aware of what you already already know and natu nat urally do every every day. Recall something Recall something that happened happened to you years ago—some memory, memory, maybe some special special event. What popped back up into your conscious conscious mind? Typi Typically, two things appear appear from your long-term memory memory when you recall recall a past event: sensory sen sory details details (sights, sounds, smells, feels, or tastes) and a memory memory of the way you felt when it happened. happened. That’s what we humans humans remem remember ber effi efficiently. ciently. Cogni Cognitive tive science science research research has rerepeatedly peat edly confirmed confirmed it. We record record sensory sensory data. And we record record our emoemotional state to match those sensory impressions. As most tellers tellers tell the story, something akin to a slide show flashes through their minds as image image after after image image of these sensory sensory details details shines onto their mental mental screens. That’s how you typi typically tell your own stostories. Nothing Nothing compli complicated; cated; nothing nothing needing needing exten extensive sive rehearsal rehearsal or chochoreog re ogra raphy. phy. It’s simple, simple, natural storytelling. Storytell Story telling ing is supposed supposed to be natu natural and fun. Telling Telling stories stories is something some thing we sponta spontane neously ously burst into when we are having having a good time with friends, family, family, or cowork coworkers. ers. With just a bit of forethought, forethought, the same core skills can carry you through more formal formal library library telling. telling. You want to keep the natu nat ural story storytell telling ing style and system system you already already sucsucsto ries re cessfully cess fully use for all stories regard gardless of the source—be source—because cause that is what already already works for you. Don’t ad just you to fit the story, ad just (or stories ries to fit you. select) se lect) sto Storytell Story telling ing is not acting. acting. It is not about mimick mimicking ing the perfor perfor-mances of others. others. It is not about dramatic dramatic theat theatrics rics (unless (unless they are natu nat ural and comfort comfortable able for you). You don’t worry about such things when telling tell ing your daily-event stories stories to friends and family family members. members. So don’t try to force yourself yourself to worry about them for other stories.

WHAT LISTENERS REALLY LISTENERS REALLY NEED NEED Have you ever thought about what listen listeners ers need—really need—really need — from you when you tell a story? Have you ever wondered wondered what your lislisteners ten ers don’t abso absolutely lutely need from your stories? stories? Proba Probably not—and the stories sto ries worked just fine. But isn’t that a big part of story storytell telling—to ing—to give


an audi audience ence what it needs—and just what it needs—so that they can concon jure vivid, intrigu intriguing ing images images in their minds? There is a game Kendall Kend all uses during during workshops workshops called What Makes storytell telling ing version version of To It Real . It’s the story To Tell the Truth . He has three people peo ple stand and tell a short story that they have discussed dis cussed and practiced practiced for only ninety seconds. seconds. One of them is telling telling the truth. (It happened happened to that person.) person.) The other two claim it happened hap pened to them. They tell it as if it happened hap pened to them. But it didn’t. The audi audience ence must vote for which story they think is the real version ver sion of this story. It’s fun. But its value comes comes in discuss discussing why w hy peo people ple voted as they did. What made one story sound more mo re real than the other two? All menmention the same few factors fac tors that influ influenced enced their votes.

What listen listeners ers say they need from the content content of the story: • Appro propri priate ate and arrest arresting ing details details • Relevant, inter interest esting ing charac characters ters • Intrigu triguing ing story problem, problem, tension, tension, and suspense suspense (often (often mentioned mentioned under un der their catch-all synonym synonym “excite “excitement”) ment”) • Humor • Infor forma mation tion and conci concision sion • Believ lievabil ability ity

What listen listeners ers say they need from the perfor performance mance of the story: • Confi fidence dence • Emotional expres expression sion • Enthu thusi siasm asm • Energy • Humor Notice what’s not on Notice on this list. No one has ever voted v oted for a story bebecause the teller got all the words right. No o ne has ever mentioned mentioned voting voting because be cause of the story’s action action (the sequence sequence of events in the story).

The Differ Difference ence Between Between Read ing and Tell Telling ing 21

Look at the five items listed in the second sec ond half of the list. They all refer re fer to listen listeners’ ers’ percep perceptions tions of how the teller told the story. The listed items refer refer not directly directly to what the teller did (use of gestures, gestures, facial facial exexpression, pres sion, vocal vocal pacing, pacing, etc.), but to the listen lis teners’ ers’ inter interpre preta tation tion of what the teller did. Really, they are all differ dif ferent ex expres pressions of a central need of every every listener listener.. If listen teners ers believe believe that the teller believes be lieves in the story, then they, too, will believe. How do listen listeners de decide cide if they think that a teller likes and is excited ex cited by his or her own story? By the way the teller said it. Does the teller apap pear confi confident, dent, comfort comfortable, able, and natu natural? Does the teller appear appear to be en joy joying ing his or her own story? Again, this is good news. You are used to pouring pouring your natu natural enenthusi thu siasm asm into the booktalks you present. present. You are already already skilled in makmaking your listen listeners ers see that you en joy the books you present present and describe. describe. Those same skills will serve you well as you be begin gin to tell stories.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN READING AND TELLING Librariians, partic Librar particu ularly those working working with young people, people, are skilled at reading reading aloud. They know well the differ difference ence between between reading reading a story and listen listening ing to a story storyteller teller tell a story. However, However, there are subtle subtle differ dif ferences ences between between listen listening ing to a story being being read and listen listening ing to a story being being told . It is worthwhile worthwhile to review review these differ differences ences as you dedecide the role of story sto rytell telling ing in your presentation repertoire. 1.

Reading places the book between Reading between you and your listen listeners. ers. Even if you are a skilled reader, the book is still primary primary to your listen listeners: ers: the images images handed to them rather than created created in their minds, the words prede predeter termined. mined.

2.

The pres presence ence of the book limits limits your gestures gestures and movements. movements.

3.

Reading preserves Reading preserves the author’s author’s exact exact words. Story Storytell telling ing does not.

4.

Reading gives listen Reading listeners ers expo exposure sure to excep exception tionally ally good writwriting and, in picture picture books, to excep exception tionally ally good illus illustra tration. tion.

5.

Reading Read ing does not require require the reader to learn the story.


6.

Shifting from reading Shifting reading to telling telling repre represents sents a change of media. media. Changing Chang ing the media media of deliv delivery ery changes the expec expecta tations tions (conscious (con scious and uncon unconscious) scious) of the listener. listener. As an exam example, ple, Harpers ers mag Jack Hitt, a senior senior edi editor for Harp magaazine in the early 1990s, came to a national national story storytell telling ing festi festival val and, dazzled dazzled by the delight delight and power of story storytell telling, ing, decided decided to print a series series of stories stories in Harp modern story storytell tellers. ers. He put out a call Harpers ers by modern for tell ers who wrote their own stories stories to submit submit their favor favor-ites for his consid consider eration. ation. He told Kendall Kendall that he received re ceived 176 submis submissions sions (includ (including ing four from Kendall). Kendall). Yet he found one—just one—that he believed believed worked in print, even though he could see how most would be delight delightful ful and success successful ful perfor per formance mance pieces. He read the stories stories out loud to cowork cowork-ers, who agreed that they would love to hear and see the stostories being being told, but that they didn’t work coming coming off the printed page. Jack canceled canceled the pro ject. The sto stories ries were writwritten and structured structured for live story storytell telling ing and could not survive survive a shift to the printed page—even when read aloud from that page. When you change media, you change the expectations of the listeners.

Whether reading reading a story or telling telling it is right for you will vary from telling ing, situ sit uation to situ situation and story to story. The more you try storytell the more you will expand expand the situ situations in which you feel comfort comfortable able telling tell ing as opposed opposed to reading. reading. We both believe believe that telling tell ing is a power powerful ful and attrac attractive tive choice for sharing story mate terial. rial. We also believe be lieve that you, as a trained member member of the library library staff, are better equipped and better able to success successfully fully tell stories stories than you might think. We are comcompletely convinced convinced that, if you try telling telling stories, stories, you’ll find both that your listen listeners ers will overwhelm overwhelmingly ingly en joy and ap appre preci ciate ate your telling telling and that your story storytell telling ing will be more successful than you y ou imagined.

HAPTER 4 C Choosing Stories Choosing Stories That Will Work for You

WHERE DO I START? Start with yourself. yourself. After After all, you’re the one who will be telling telling the story. The conven conventional tional advice advice is to choose stories stories that you love. Strong words, and perhaps perhaps a bit roman romantic tic for some, but it makes sense, because because some stories stories just seem to jump right into your arms and say, “It’s me! I’m the one you want.” We find it more accu ac curate rate to say that you should choose stories stories that you can’t seem to forget, forget, that stay with you, that you instinc instinctively tively want to tell. What makes one story appeal appealing, ing, and not another, another, is an artis artistic tic mystery. Librar brariians are famil familiar iar with that sort of mystery, mystery, because because we know that of the ten titles titles we might toss out to a patron, patron, only one or two make the cut.

23

24 Chapter Chapter 4—Choosing 4—Choosing Stories Stories That Will Work for You

WHICH STORIES TO START WITH? process cess of telling Consider getting Consider getting used to the pro telling stories stories by telling telling the easiiest stories eas stories of all—your own. Slide into it. Tell personal, personal, rele relevant bits and stories stories between between other mate material rial or to intro introduce duce other presen presenta tations. tions. Exper Ex periiment with personal personal stories stories to see what feels comfort comfortable when you don’t have a book in your hand.

You don’t have to start by formally formally telling telling your listen listeners ers that you’re going go ing to tell a story. You don’t even have to tell complete complete stories. stories. Start with the simple simple bits you might tell a friend or family family member. member. Watch what happens happens as you slip these into your programs. programs. What do you like about these story bits? To what kind of mate material rial do you natu naturally gravi gravitate? What produces produces the best audi audience ence response for you.? In this way you can use your own stories stories to gain a better sense of what kinds of stories stories you want to tell and that will likely work well for you. It’s a nice, but not essen essential, tial, guide to picking picking stories. stories. This ad vice is time-tested and works well w ell for most tell tellers. ers. For most, but not for all. We recom recommend mend that you give it a try. We all come equipped with inter interest esting ing moments moments that can be shaped into stories. stories. However, How ever, if the mere thought of dragging dragging your personal personal stories stories out for public pub lic display display stabs icicles icicles of fear into your heart, don’t force f orce yourself.

HOW TO PICK A STORY The language language in stories stories gets some story storytell tellers’ ers’ atten attention. tion. Others Others like an unex unexpected pected ending. ending. Still others others en joy telling telling stories stories from a spespecific culture, culture, theme, or topic—about tricksters, tricksters, for instance. instance. As you start to collect collect and tell tales you may see some common com monal ality ity between between your seselections. lec tions. Story Storytellers tellers develop develop an affin affinity ity for genre as well, and so bebecome well known for tall tales or ghost stories. stories. In the begin beginning ning try lots of stories stories on and see how they feel. As you develop develop your story ears and personal per sonal style s tyle of telling you y ou may set tle into a pre pr edictable series of sto sto-ries. That is the time to shop around for new kinds of stories stories you haven’t haven’t tried before. before. Stretching Stretching your repertoire is good for your telling.

What Is What Is a Story? 25

The past thirty-five years have been busy in story sto rytell telling. ing. Some have referred referred to this period period as a story storytell telling ing renais renaissance. sance. Maybe, alalthough the stories stories were there all along. This upsurge up surge has been respon responsi si-ble for the startling startling increase increase of story storytell telling ing perfor performance, mance, and the devel de velop opment ment of story storytell telling ing events and festi festivals, vals, as well as classes. The blessing bless ing is that you have chosen chosen to explore explore story storytell telling ing at a time rich in resources. re sources. New collec collections tions of tales, advice advice and how-to manu manuals, and even precise precise instruc instruction tion about using using stories stories within partic particu ular groups or settings set tings are available available for borrow borrowing. You might as well take advan advantage tage of this largesse. There are re reli liable able lists of stories stories for partic particu ular age groups and settings that do the work of searching for you. While nothing nothing replaces replaces the excite excitement ment of finding finding an unknown unknown tale and making making it your own, there is a lot to be said for starting starting with what is tried, true, and available available as you begin begin your journey. journey. You will find stories stories that are recom rec ommended mended so often often it would be folly to ignore ignore them, whether you end up using using them or not. Most of the tales you choose will come to you through reading. reading. The library li brary has such a wealth of tra tradi ditional tional tales that you can hardly exhaust exhaust it. But it is also impor im portant tant to listen, listen, to train your ears to recog recognize nize a good story. The library’s library’s audio audio collec collection tion can afford afford you the luxury luxury of listen listen-ing to gifted tellers tellers while driving driving to work. That’s good company company to keep. Seek out story storytell telling ing in your area and make a point p oint of attend attending ing events as often of ten as you can. You may know k now of librar librariians who tell stories, stories, or it may take a bit of sleuth ing to find fin d them. It is partic particu ularly important to hear these story storytell tellers, ers, as their styles may differ dif fer from those of profes professional tellers. tell ers. Pro fessional or not, there is no sub substi stitute tute for being being present present when a fine tale is shared by a fine sto ry ryteller. teller. Af ter a time you yo u will be able to spot the tellable tale very quickly and, just as quickly, know whether it is one you are interested in telling.

WHAT IS WHAT IS A A STORY? In the end, you’ll choose what pleases you. We know that. But will those stories stories please your y our listen teners? ers? No way to know for sure, except except to try them out. We have found that infor informa mation tion on the ele elements of a story sharpens sharpens your selec selection tion skills. A story is a unique and specific spe cific narra narrative tive that inincludes a clear plot, at least one char ac acter ter with which the listener can


identify, sometimes identify, sometimes an antag antago onist, a problem problem or conflict conflict to be resolved, resolved, a reso res olu lution, tion, and a satisfying ending. Stories contain Stories containing ing these infor informa mational tional ele elements both satisfy, satisfy, and reso res onate with, listen listeners. ers. Tradi Traditional tional tales pass on wisdom, wisdom, expe experi rience, ence, infor in forma mation, tion, and fact, and rein reinforce force prevail prevailing ing beliefs beliefs and values. values. New stories, sto ries, fictional fictional or famil familial, ial, shape beliefs beliefs and values. values. Stories Stories are the building build ing blocks of knowledge, knowledge, the founda foundation tion of collec collective tive memory memory and learning. learn ing. Stories Stories model effec effective tive use of language. language. Stories Stories encour encourage age emempathy pa thy and connect connect us with the best and worst parts of human humanity. ity. Stories Stories link past, present, present, and future future and teach us the possi pos sible ble future future conse conse-quences of our present actions, if we choose to heed them. There is much of inter interest est and value that we could say about story structure. struc ture. Entire Entire books have been devoted devoted to the sub ject. (See Ha Haven, ven, telling ing sto 2004 as an exam example.) ple.) Here, our focus focus is on tell stories, ries, so we have moved our brief discus discussion sion of these structural structural ele elements into Appen Appendix dix 1. It is a quick summary summary of these ele elements and of their function function and contri contri-bution bu tion to a story and to listen listeners’ ers’ appre appreci ciaation of a story. This appen appendix dix isn’t essen essential read reading ing since you won’t, as a rule, create create your own stories. stories. But it will help you under understand stand the stories stories you select select and tell. It also serves as a handy refer reference ence tool to answer answer questions questions that might arise as you select, select, learn, and tell stories. sto ries. Why is the story orga organized nized as it is? Which as pects of the story are most crit critiical to listen lis teners? ers? What can I change (shorten or reorder) without altering the story in a negative way?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A STORY Once you get a sense of how a story works, and why, you’ve you’ ve gone a long way toward toward making making good choices. Each story has a structure. struc ture. The structure struc ture may vary depend depending ing on the story type, but in the main, tradi tradi-tional tales depend depend on a strong plot and a good deal of action. action. Charac Characters ters move the plot along and provide provide someone someone to cheer or to vilify. vilify. Sensory Sensory details de tails are limited to the bare es essen sentials tials in folk mate material rial for several rearea sons. Tradi Traditional tional stories stories come from specific specific cultures. cultures. Those within the culture cul ture didn’t need topo topograph graphiical details, details, or descrip descriptions tions of clothing clothing and such. The shared knowledge knowledge of the community made these unnecessary. As stories stories travel about, the sense of place becomes be comes blurred and the story changes with every every telling. telling. In transit, transit, stories stories may have picked up more descrip scriptive tive mate terial rial than they started with. That’s natu nat ural. But this

Evalu Eval uat ating ing a Story 27

means that it is impor im portant tant to pay atten attention tion to the cultural cultural markers markers within the story that seem to have survived survived the trip and to live with them for a while before before changing changing them. You are, after after all, borrow borrowing ing something something of value, and in doing doing so it will take on the color col oration ation of your own telling, telling, You cannot cannot freeze the tale like a fly in amber, amber, but you can become become famil famil-iar enough with the cul tural details to do d o them justice. ju stice. With the rise of a profes professional sional class of story storytell tellers ers has come a good deal of discus discussion sion of cultural cultural appro appropri priaation. Should story rytell tellers ers recount recount stories sto ries from cultures cultures they don’t belong belong to? Who owns a story? What is the right thing to do? This is a complex com plex topic, but we encour encourage age library library story sto rytellers to tell what they wish. You Yo u are sharing shar ing liter eraature in an oral form, and that’s part of your mission. mission. Choose stories stories carefully, carefully, treat them with respect, respect, tell them with joy. In doing do ing so, you honor all traditions.

EVALUATING A STORY As a summary, summary, here are consid consider erations ations that the collec lective tive expe experi ri-ences of many tellers tellers have shown will guide you toward toward stories stories that will be easier easier for you to learn and more fun for you to tell: 1.

Pick sto stories ries you like and that you can easily easily and clearly see in your mind. Did the story grab your inter interest est and atten attention tion on first hearing hearing (or reading)? reading)? Do you find yourself yourself thinking thinking about the story? Reliv Reliving ing it? Do you like the story well enough to want to learn it?

2.

A story with fewer char charac acters ters is easier. easier. Every Every extra extra charac acter ter adds extra extra work for you and makes the story more compli compli-cated to tell.

3.

Short is eas easier. ier. Short stories stories have less story to learn and reremember. mem ber. Even in two-minute two-minute quickies quickies listen teners ers will still want inter in terest esting ing charac characters ters with strong intents, intents, danger-filled danger-filled obsta obsta-cles, struggles, struggles, and details. details. They just come faster and with less devel develop opment ment in such a short story.

4.

Pick sto stories ries with a clear plot (sequence (se quence of events). Stories Stories with defi definite, sharp scene breaks are easier easier to learn than stostories in one, contin continu uous flowing flowing sequence.


5.

Can you clearly see the struc structural tural ele elements in this story? If you are unclear unclear about them, your listen listeners ers will likely be ununclear as well.

6.

Stories with charac Stories characters ters you clearly see and under understand stand in your heart are easier easier for you to learn and tell. Do you clearly under under-stand the charac characters’ ters’ feelings, feelings, reac reactions, tions, goals, and motives? motives? Would you feel comfort comfortable able portray portraying ing them to an audience?

7.

Choose sto stories ries with language language you don’t feel you have to rerepeat exactly exactly as it appears appears in the book. Such stories stories are good candi can didates dates for story reading. reading. Good stories stories to tell are ones that let you comfort comfortably ably use your own natu natural vocab vocabu ulary, phrasphrasing, and manner manner of talking.

8.

Consider stories Consider stories your audi audience ence already already knows (or have at least heard before). before). This is partic particu ularly true for young children. children. If they have heard the story before, before, they can help you tell it if you ever need or want their partic particiipa pation tion and assistance.

9.

Pick sto stories ries that fit with your natu natural story rytell telling ing style and strengths. If, for exam example, ple, the story is a raucous raucous farce full of physiical comedy phys comedy and you are a quiet teller, this will be a chalchallenge for you to tell.

10.

Pick sto stories ries that will be appro appropri priate ate for, rele relevant to, and inter inter-esting est ing to your intended intended audi audience. ence. Are these charac characters, ters, the charac char acter ter infor informa mation tion (traits) included included in the story, the charcharacters’ ac ters’ goals and motives, motives, and the obsta obstacles cles they face suited for the audience you will face?

You may have already already noticed noticed that folktales folktales tend to meet more of these crite criteria ria than do any other kinds of stories. stories. You certainly certainly don’t have to start with w ith folktales. But they are a consis sistently tently reli reliable able source of tellable tales. Above all else, start with something something that feels easy, something something enen joyable, joy able, something something you like. You might want to start with a story you have often often read aloud and already al ready know. The more clearly you can see the story start-to-finish in your mind, the faster and eas easier ier it will be to learn. After After you have told a few stories stories you picked because because they were easy to learn and tell, you’ll have the telling telling expe experi rience ence under under your belt to move on to broader story vistas. vistas. Let your early expe experi rience ence guide you.

HAPTER 5 C Learning Learn ing the Stories Stories You Tell

“LEARNING” YOUR OWN STORIES The best way to start is by doing. doing. Grab a story you know fairly f airly well and try telling telling it. Don’t make it a big produc production. tion. Just tell it. See how it feels. See where you felt comfort com fortable able and strong. See where you felt less sure. Try it a few more times and see what happens. happens. Did your telling telling change? Were you more confi confident dent or less? Did you forget forget parts? Was it fun? Whatever Whatever happened, happened, pat yourself yourself on the back. You’re well on the way now. Although it is more than likely that tradi Although tra ditional ma mate terial rial will be your mainstay, main stay, you can learn a lot by look looking ing at the way you tell your own ow n stostories and those of your family. family. We’ve said that you already already know what you’ll need to know to tell stories. stories. So how does that apply apply to learning learning a story? Let’s start with your y our own sto ries. How do you learn stories stories that happen hap pen to you?

29

30 Chapter Chapter 5—Learning 5—Learning the Stories You Tell

Don’t say, “I don’t have to learn them. They happened happened to me.” AfAfter the expe experi rience, ence, you had to inter interpret pret the events and create create a mental mental stream of infor informa mation tion that you transferred transferred to long-term storage storage (mem(memory) with tags that you could access access to recall recall the event. When you tell something thing out of memory these personal personal stories, stories, you pull some memory into your conconscious brain that directs directs what you say and how you say it. Try it. Recall Recall a story (or inci incident) dent) that happened happened to you when you were a child. Quickly tell it to someone, some one, anyone. anyone. What popped back into your mind? What did you remem remember? ber? Most likely you remem remembered bered sights, sounds, smells, etc. (sensory (sensory images) im ages) and how you felt. Remem Remember ber that from Chapter Chapter 3? Filing Filing those impres im pressions sions into your long-term memory memory is learn learning ing the story. Recall Recalling ing them and convert converting ing them into language language and gesture gesture is re remem member bering. ing. You natu naturally do it all the time. That’s learning learning and remem remember bering. ing.

KEEP IT SIMPLE Advice about learning Advice learning stories stories is thick on the ground. Each book or arti ar ticle cle duti dutifully fully lists techniques tech niques and sugges suggestions. tions. The remark remarkable able part is the spectrum. spectrum. On one end are the simplest simplest of sugges suggestions, tions, and on the other end are processes processes and approaches approaches so labor labor inten intensive, sive, so detailed detailed that the reader droops in exhaus exhaustion tion before before even begin beginning. ning. The latter resem re semble ble the wrinkled wrinkled instruc instructions that come with the piece of o f furni furniture ture described de scribed as “some assem assembly bly needed.” You’d have to quit your day job to do this stuff. Librariians are busy, so let’s keep it simple. Librar sim ple. Try this list of sugges sugges-tions that many story storytell tellers ers agree are helpful. help ful. They are ubiqui ubiquitous— tous— because be cause they mostly work. If they work for you and you find you successfully master master the tales you want to tell, great! If not, we have included in cluded addi additional tional techniques—more techniques—more extensive, but also tested, proven, and reli reliable—that able—that will serve your needs. We have split the process pro cess of learning learning stories stories in half. This first half (Chapter (Chap ter 5) describes describes the process process of initially initially bringing bringing the story into your mind and heart so that you will be ready for the second second half, learning learning

Keep It Simple Simple 31

how to get it back out again when you tell. That half is discussed dis cussed in Chapter Chap ter 7. Here is our list of simple learn ing ideas: 1.

Don’t mem memo orize the story—unless story—unless it’s a liter literary ary tale. (See tale. (See Chapter Chap ter 6.) Many hear that advice advice and nod in agreement, agreement, only to then secretly secretly memorize the story for fear that they’ll never tell it if they don’t. The tempta temp tation tion to memorize is strong in many begin beginning ning tellers. tellers. Resist Resist the urge! For those who need a bit more on this criti critical topic, we have included included an expanded expanded list or reasons reasons not to memo memorize in Chapter Chapter 9.

2.

If you are work working ing from a written written text, read it out it out loud to stories yourself. your self. Use your ears, not just your eyes. These stories were meant to be heard and learned, as well as read and learned.

3.

Read it enough enough times to be able to recall recall the plot with a The time this takes varies var ies wildly. Some fair bit of accu accuracy. racy. The stories sto ries seem to float right into your mind. Some take a good long while. Don’t worry, these varia variations are to be expected. expected.

4.

Memo Mem orize the first thing you will say and the last thing you will say. We say. We feel that if you can get in and get out, then you can wander wander around the middle middle of the story for a very long time before before anyone anyone turns off the lights.

5.

Also learn the es essen sential tial chants, songs, and phrases in the story. It’s not the story you memo story. memorize, just those few key names, repeated repeated phrases, and musi musical cal bits that you have to say verba ver batim, tim, just as written written in your source mate material. rial. It’s not hard; they are meant to be easy to remem re member. ber. There shouldn’t shouldn’t be very many, and you’ll know them when you see them. “Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin” has to be said just that way. Substi Substitut tuting ing “Not by my whiskers” whiskers” just doesn’t work. Learn these lines early and then rein re inforce force this wording wording as you practice prac tice the story.

Now a few things not to to worry about while learning learning a story: Don’t worry about getting 1. Don’t worry getting the words right. We’ve said it before; be fore; we’ll say it again. When you listen listen to a story storyteller, teller, you don’t fret over whether he or she got the words right. You would never say to friends and family family as you burst through


the front door with a juicy expe experi rience ence to share:” The greatest great est thing just happened happened to me! I can’t wait to tell you about it. But first I’m going going into my room, write it down, and be sure I get the words right.” 2. Don’t fret over se quen quential tial order. order. Yes, you want to get the scene-by-scene, event-by-event order order right when you tell. But don’t overly dwell on it while learning learning the story. And don’t hold back from telling telling it until until you’re sure you have the sequence se quence perfectly perfectly in mind. Think about personal personal stories stories you sequence hear from friends. They jumble jumble the se quence of events all the time, backfill backfilling ing with flashbacks flashbacks and forward forward jumps as new infor in forma mation tion pops into their heads. You have no trouble trouble folfollowing low ing each tempo temporal ral and spatial spatial jump through such stories. stories. With telling telling and practice, practice, the story will straighten itself it self out. 3. Don’t worry Don’t worry about gestures. ges tures. You take your body wherever wherever you go, and so it will be a part of your story storytell telling. ing. You do not design de sign your gestures gestures when making making other presen presenta tations, tions, so don’t start now. Let gestures gestures natu naturally evolve from your body and the story. 4. Don’t worry Don’t worry about how you sound. The voice you have is the voice you have. You can certainly certainly develop develop more expres expres-sion or fiddle fiddle around with your volume, volume, pitch, or rate. But the voice you have and use every every day has been, and will be, plenty good enough to get your stories stories across. You can go a long way on the sugges suggestions tions above. That might just about do it. But maybe not. So we have added a list of addi ad ditional tional apapproaches for those who find they need more. You need not use these. InIndeed, some story storytell tellers ers are very impa impatient tient with what they consider consider unnec un neces essar sarily ily compli complicated cated approaches approaches to a simple simple art form. If you are among them, avert your eyes. 1.

fi-Divide the story into manage Divide manageable able scenes. This scenes. This is not diffi cult because because stories stories tend to be epi ep isodic anyway. anyway. Some like to physiically draw a line between phys between scenes on a copy of their source mate material. rial. Number Number and name the scenes and see if just saying say ing each scene name helps you re call the places, im images, ages, and events of that scene.

2.

Develop addi Develop additional tional sensory sensory details. details. Think of the Three Bears. You might be tempted to skip a detailed de tailed look at that listen teners ers if you kitchen. The scene will come alive for your lis

Toys to Play With 33

see that kitchen your yourself self . What kind of bowls do the bears use? Thick, service serviceable able pottery? pottery? Do they sit at a table? ta ble? Use napkins? nap kins? Is it a fine day? Is the kitchen bright or dingy ? Is the fridge covered covered with Baby Bear pictures pictures held up by people people magnets? Are last night’s dishes still piled precar pre cariiously in the sink? 3.

Create a storyboard Create storyboard and map the story on the board. Rough, stick figure figure pictures pictures are just fine for these drawings. drawings. For some learners, learners, just seeing seeing the story this way is a good memory mem ory boost.

4.

move that story. Walk tryGet up and and move story. Walk around while you tell, trying on some of the charac characters. ters. Use your body to ani animate them and the tale. You don’t have to use these postures pos tures and gesgestures when you tell. The idea here is to use your bo dy to help fix the charac characters ters and story in your mind.

5.

Do you Ask your yourself self some questions questions about the charac characters. ters. Do know what makes them do what wh at they do? What are they after after in this story? Why is that goal impor important tant to them? Spend some time thinking thinking about their places in the tale.

6.

Create an emotional Create emotional memory. memory. As As you learn each scene, ask yourself your self how each of the charac char acters ters must be feeling. feeling. How would you be feeling? feeling? That emotional emotional memory memory will stay with you and make it easier eas ier to recall the story and tell it with the appro ap propri priate ate feeling. feeling.

TOYS TO PLAY WITH While touring touring Italy Italy in the 1970s, Kendall Kendall met a door maker–door carver—a genu genuine Old World crafts man. He was rubbing rubbing a breathtak breathtak-ingly beauti beautiful ful door relief relief with a polish polishing ing rag. Kendall Kendall asked if he was ready to hang the door. He said, no, it wasn’t wasn’t finished. finished. Kendall Kendall asked him when it would be finished finished (it looked perfect perfect to Kendall). Kendall). He shrugged and replied: replied: “When they take it away.” Like polish polishing ing that door, tellers tellers can work on their telling telling skills forforever, after after the telling telling is long over. There is always al ways a pause to ad just, a


gesture to refine, gesture refine, a vocal vocal inflec inflection tion to improve. improve. But these, as Gay, corcorrectly calls them, are toys—stuff to spruce up the place. Toys are not es essen sential tial to your success successful ful telling. telling. Fold them into the way you learn and tell stories stories when you’re ready. It’s a lot like frosting frosting a cake—not worth doing doing unless unless you have a well-made cake under underneath. neath. But once your cake-making cake-making skills are depend dependable, able, playing playing with the frosting frost ing provides provides a good deal of pleasure. pleasure. Don’t worry about playing playing with your perfor performance mance toys until until you’re comfort com fortable able with your telling telling and itching itching to find out what the story sto rytell tell-ing tools at your disposal disposal can do. Physi Physical movement; movement; vocal vocal charac character ter-izations; iza tions; physi physical charac character teriza izations; tions; vocal vocal tone, pace, pitch, etc.; gestures; ges tures; and your physi physical rela relation tionship ship to the audi audience ence are among the toys you can develop develop both for your telling telling in general general and for a partic particu ular story as you learn and practice the story. But only when you’re ready and it doesn’t feel like work. When you’re ready to add more vari variety ety and control control into your telling, telling, fine. Have at it! But don’t think for a minute minute that you must consider consider these when you start your telling. telling. Your natu natural story storytell telling ing system system will serve you just fine until until then. Remem Re member: ber: you are suffi sufficient cient as you are.

HAPTER 6 C The Great Excep Exception: tion: Liter Lit erary ary Tales We take it back. There is one kind of story you have to memo memorize: the liter literary ary tale. Liter Literary ary stories stories have an origi original, known author, author, not a reteller or an adaptor. adaptor. The stories stories are housed under under fiction, fiction, not folklore. folklore. It can be confus confusing, since authors au thors sometimes sometimes re-create re-create folktales, folktales, making making a new story. Sometimes Sometimes the same author au thor may simply simply retell the story, making mak ing him or her not author, but adaptor. Collections lections of liter literary ary stories stories to tell are well repre rep resented in the li li-brary, nota notably bly in the children’s children’s section. section. You will find Elea Eleanor nor Farjeon there, keeping keeping company company with Richard Richard Kennedy, Kennedy, Rudyard Kipling, and several sev eral others. others. Picture Picture books, too, are liter literary ary stories stories to tell—and not just to young children. children. Chris Van Allsburg’s work is a good example.

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36 Chapter Chapter 6—The Great Excep Exception: tion: Liter Literary ary Tales

TELL IT OR READ IT You could read it rather than tell it. Of course, all of the limi lim ita tations tions of reading reading presented presented in Chapter Chapter 4 still apply. apply. However, However, many of you are trained, practiced, practiced, and skilled in reading. read ing. It comes comes easily easily to you. You might want to read these stories stories and save your learning learning and practic practicing ing time for stories stories that will be faster and easier eas ier to learn. But these are great stories, sto ries, filled f illed with wonder, magic, and the power to enthrall enthrall listen listeners—good ers—good reasons reasons to consider consider telling telling liter literary ary tales.

TELLING LITERARY STORIES Why do so many tellers tellers put so much effort effort into memo memoriz rizing? ing? BeBecause many of these stories stories are glori glorious ous and worth the trouble. trouble. The lanlanguage is often often evoca evocative tive and compel compelling. ling. They embody embody the same univer uni versal sality ity and timeless timelessness ness found in tradi traditional tional tales. Many of these stories sto ries are good yarns created created by writers writers who are both story plotters plotters and great wordsmiths. Recita Reci tation tion of liter literary ary stories stories appeals appeals to many librar librariians. The stories stories are well written, with evoca cative tive language language that is catnip to any wordsmith. They’ve got a lot going going for them. Some story storytell tellers ers have dedevoted themselves themselves to liter lit erary ary stories, stories, and made an artis artistic tic reputa tation tion from their inter interpre pretations. tations. You may do that as well, although it is more likely that you will w ill find just a few lit er erary ary tales that you think are worth the efef fort. We do not recom recommend mend that you start your story storytell telling ing career career with liter lit erary ary tales. These are stories stories to work up to, as your telling tell ing becomes becomes a comfort com fortable able second nature. It does take work w ork to master them. Good manners manners and good ethics ethics dictate dictate that you do your best to tell the story exactly exactly as the author author wrote it. Usually Usually the language language makes that a joyful joyful task. For exam example, ple, Kipling’s “Just So” stories stories have to be “just so.” It will not do to say: “Go down by this really, really, really really big river, deep too, with lots of trees, a lot of differ different ent kinds . . . .” Not when the author au thor wrote: “The Kolokolo Bird said, with a mournful mournful cry: ‘Go to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees fever-trees . . . ’.” If

Telling Tell ing Liter Literary ary Stories Stories 37

you choose to tell the story you have to tell it in Kipling’s own words. The words are in large part what distin distinguishes guishes it. We know that liter literary ary stories stories were meant to be read, but can they be just as strong a tale when told? Perhaps Perhaps so. Any number number of liter literary ary colcollections lec tions began began as stories stories told to family family members members for fun. These retain retain their oral ante anteced cedents ents and tell very well. But if you are unsure un sure that the story is going to tell well, read it a few times to lis ten teners ers and an d assess its potential. Literary sto Liter stories ries have lots in common common with tradi ditional tional tales. There are charac characters ters riding riding the plot, there are problems, problems, villains, villains, the full comcomplement ple ment of robust robust life going going on. There are differ differences, ences, however, however, and not just in the language. language. Tradi Traditional tional stories stories have a mini minimum of descrip descriptive tive passages, pas sages, evoca evocative tive language, language, subplots, subplots, charac characters, ters, and inci incidents. dents. Liter Liter-ary tales tend to have most of these in spades, espe especially cially descrip descriptive tive paspassages. While they are lovely to listen listen to for awhile, recount recounting ing one more landscape land scape scene dotted dotted with geese and featur featuring ing a croquet croquet match can be trying. try ing. Make the liter erary ary tale pass the tradi traditional tional tale test. Is it a good, strong story, or just an impressionist romp? We are loath to rein re invent vent any wheel. We suggest suggest you avail yourself yourself first of the au thors whose tales are often of ten told. Start with Hans Chris tian Andersen, Richard Richard Kennedy, Kennedy, or Carl Sandburg and use these worthies worthies to measure mea sure new authors authors and their stories stories against. Story-length poems poems might also appeal appeal to you. Every Every man we’ve ever known has gloried gloried in “Casey at the Bat,” “The Crema Cre mation tion of Sam McGee,” or “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mari Mar iner.” James Whitcomb Riley’s “Little “Lit tle Or phant An Annie” nie” is similarly popu popular with those few women tell tellers ers who include poems in their repertoire. Ballads are the musi Ballads musical equiv equivaalent of liter literary ary tales. Many lend themselves them selves to being being told and have all the quali qualities you seek in a tellable liter lit erary ary tale. Finally, Finally, don’t overlook overlook the collec collections tions of short stories, stories, esespecially pe cially fantasy, fantasy, and look at both Gary Paulsen and Ray Bradbury for excerpts ex cerpts as well as whole tales. Excerpts Ex cerpts work too, so you may find yourself your self coming coming across a great passage passage to turn into a complete complete story. Tuck that one away for booktalking

38 Chapter Chapter 6—The Great Excep Exception: tion: Liter Literary ary Tales

LEARNING LITERARY TALES Oh yeah, the memo memoriz rizing ing part. Well, we all know it is hard work and time-consum time-consuming. ing. We also know you can do it, because because we have. We have done a lot of forget forgetting, ting, too. To mini minimize the pain and maxi maximize the investment, we of offer fer a hint when memo memoriz rizing ing liter erary ary stories. When you learn a liter literary ary tale, you’ll natu naturally focus focus on memo memoriz riz-ing the author’s author’s words. But don’t just memo memorize the words. Every Every story is more than the words—includ cluding ing liter literary ary tales. You are used to infus infus-ing your story reading reading with inflec inflection, tion, energy, energy, rhythm, pace varia variation, and emotional emotional inter interpre preta tation tion of the charac characters ters and situ situations. You do the same thing when you natu naturally tell your own stories. stories. In the previ previous ous chapters chap ters we’ve disussed doing doing that when you learn and tell a story. However, memo However, memoriz rizing ing a string of words is unnat unnatu ural, and recall recalling ing that memo memorized stream re r equires focus focus and concen concentra tration. tion. And that’s the problem. prob lem. Often Often so much concen concentra tration tion and focus focus goes into remem remember bering ing the words that none is left over to give energy energy and meaning meaning to the telling telling of those words. As is true for all stories, stories, you have to expressf the story in large part by the way you say it . As you learn the words of a liter literary ary tale, consider consider the mood and feeling feel ing of the story as well as the charac characters ters and their emotions, emotions, person person-ality, al ity, intent, intent, and struggles. struggles. Then the words can come alive for your lislisteners. ten ers. It’s like the differ difference ence between between reading reading a Shakespeare play and watching watch ing the same lines brought to life and vivid meaning meaning by trained Shakespear Shake spearean ean actors. actors. Your job with a liter literary ary tale is both to learn the lines and to fill them with energy, en ergy, meaning, meaning, and life by the way you tell them. It’s work, but these stories stories are worth it.

HAPTER 7 C Playing Play ing with Practice Practice

WHY PRACTICE? By “practice” “practice” we mean telling tell ing the story out loud to live lis ten teners ers bebefore you tell it to your intended in tended audi audience. ence. Such practice practice telling telling of a story is not a require requirement ment of success successful ful story storytelling; it’s a tool. It’s a valuable part of learning learning the story. After After all, story storytell telling ing is tell telling. ing. Many tellers (the two of us included) included) believe believe that telling tell ing a story is learning learning the story. Telling Tell ing is the other half of learning—fol learning—follow lowing ing after those ac activ tiviities presented in Chapter 5. But did you ever practice practice telling tell ing personal personal inci incidents dents before before sharing sharing them with family family or friends? No. Of course not—or did you? you? Think back on your treasured treasured family family and personal personal stories. stories. The first time you told the story of some new personal personal expe experi rience, ence, it rarely came out as smoothly or as well-devel well-developed oped as during during later tellings. The act of telling tell ing helped you edit and orga organize nize the story in your mind, create create effec effec-tive sequenc sequencing, ing, cut out unnec unneces essary sary digres digressions, sions, and develop develop the rele relevant details details you need to tell. Stories Stories grow over time, and your tell telling ing of

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40 Chapter Chapter 7—Playing 7—Playing with Practice Practice

them gains flow, pacing, pacing, and energy energy as you tell them over and over again. That’s practice. practice. It’s a natu natural part of your story devel develop opment ment and refinement process. Kendall often Kendall often plays a game during during workshops workshops in which partic particiipants tell about abou t a charac acter ter or a past event three times, once to each of three differ dif ferent ent partners. partners. He tells them that they will have one on e min ute to tell their story each time. In truth, he gives them f ifty seconds seconds the first time, sixty seconds seconds the second, second, and seventy-five seventy-five seconds seconds the third. Most parparticiipants can’t fill their first fifty-second tic fifty-sec ond telling. Most M ost par p artic ticiipants also run out of time on the third telling. Over three quick tellings, the story expands, expands, devel develops, ops, and takes on clearer inter interpre pretation tation and more vivid details. details. That’s practice. practice. Really, Really, practice prac tice is nothing nothing unnat unnatu ural or onerous. onerous. You auto automat matiically do it all the time.

PLAY WITH PRACTICE Approach practice Approach practice not as mandated mandated work, as drudgery, drudgery, but as play time. Play with the story as you practice practice it. Treat practice prac tice like trying try ing on dress-up clothes. Exper Experiiment with differ different ent wording, wording, differ different ent charac charac-teriza ter izations, tions, differ different ent voices. No need to keep it if you don’t like it, but don’t be afraid to try. Play with the process process as you would while creat creating ing an outfit outfit from indi individ vidual ual pieces and acces accesso sories. ries. You’ll wind up with a better story and will be ener energized gized by the process process of trying trying it on and makmaking it fit with your style and flare. You also want the greatest greatest bang for your story practice practice buck. Here are ideas to make your story practice practice more effec effective tive and effi efficient: cient: 1.

Describe scribe what happens happens and to Before you tell it, tell about Before tell about it. it. De whom. See how far you get. Don’t worry about the actual actual wording word ing or sequenc sequencing; ing; just tell about it. it. Tell about the ma jor charac char acters ters as if you were describ describing ing a well-known friend. Feel free to include aspects of that char charac acter ter that you know don’t actu actually ally appear appear in the text of the story. No, this doesn’t mean that you’ll include include this level of charac acter ter detail (some would call it fluff ) when you tell. But the better you can see the charac characters ters in your mind, the more completely completely they will

Play with Practice Practice 41

appear in your listen appear listeners’ ers’ minds when you present present the words and details details that are in the text of your story. 2.

Try telling telling it right now. now. Yes, that’s what we mean: right now. Since we tend to set great store on doing doing things until until they are done, we, also, need to tell stories stories be fore they’re ready to tell. And by the way, when w hen is it ready to tell, anyway? anyway?

3.

You don’t have to prac practice tice it all it all . Just work on small pieces of the story when you have a free moment moment but not enough time to run through the entire entire story. This will let you focus focus more atten attention tion on the fuzzy parts.

4.

mirror. Never prac prac-Mirror, mirror Mirror, mirror on the wall. Cover the mirror. tice a story in front of a mirror. mirror. Never.

5.

Kinesthetic Kines thetic learning. learning. Ges Gesture ture and movement can be effec effective learning learning techniques. techniques. Many of us are kines kinesthetic thetic learners: learners: we learn best right through the skin, like kids. Try telling telling your story (privately) (privately) by moving moving around a lot, gestur gesturing, ing, dancing, dancing, and walking. walking. Some people people find this freeing freeing and learn about the story that way.

6.

Take a more detailed detailed look around the story. We introduced this idea in Chapter Chapter 5 with the Three Bears’ kitchen. It won’t hurt to use this technique technique again in between between your pracpractice tellings.

7.

Art as prac practice. tice. Some tellers find it valuable to sketch a series of quick stick-figure stick-figure drawings drawings that tell their story. As does any other practice practice telling, telling, this storyboard storyboard game helps cecement the story in your mind. As a bonus, bonus, drawing drawing each scene encour en courages ages you to fully picture picture the space and place you’ll tell about.

8.

Tell the story before a small audi dience. ence. This might mean the family fam ily (but only if they are really really support supportive), ive), a few staff members, mem bers, a friend or two, or your book club. We recom recommend mend that you not ask ask these groups for feedback feedback or critique. critique. They aren’t skilled story and perfor performance mance critics. critics. They’re your family fam ily and friends. Tell them the story, thank them for listen listen-ing, and know that every every time you tell it, you’ll become be come more comfort com fortable able and confi confident dent with your telling telling of this story. These tellings are valuable valu able practice, practice, but don’t treat them as more than that.

42 Chapter Chapter 7—Playing 7—Playing with Practice Practice

THE FINAL FOUR If we were to distill distill all the advice advice and techniques techniques in Chapters Chapters 5 and 7 into four bottom-line bottom-line things to remem remember ber as you learn and practice practice telltelling a story, they would be these: 1.

learn sto This sounds The best way to learn stories ries is to tell to tell sto stories. ries. This counterintuitive, but it is one of the most reli reliable able ten ets of sto sto-rytell ry telling. ing. No matter matter how much you prepare, prepare, how polished polished your presen presenta tation tion skills, you don’t really really create create the story until until you tell it to an inten intentional tional audi audience. ence. Not off the cuff, not as practice, prac tice, but as a planned, arranged arranged telling. telling. At the risk of sound ing like we have spent too much time in Cal Caliifor fornia, nia, we know that something something happens happens when you tell; something something sursurprising, pris ing, something something inde indefin finable. able. Your well-prepared well-prepared tale changes. The story dances across the bridge to your listen teners ers and dances back to you. Your timing timing shifts, new words apappear, the empha emphasis sis in a given scene subtly subtly alters. alters. You give one story and receive receive another another one in return, return, changed but the same.

2.

people It doesn’t al always ways feel right. (And that’s okay.) Most people are unac accus customed to tell telling ing stories stories in a formal malized, ized, inten inten-tional way. We know this because because when we confess confess that, yes, we do tell stories stories for a living, living, we’re likely to hear: “That’s dydy ing out, isn’t it? It’s too bad, huh?” But when Gay first began began to tell, she remem remembers bers think th inking, “This feels a little odd. Nice, but odd.” When she told a story it felt contrived contrived and awkward awkward at first, something something like trying trying to learn the tango. So it may be for you, but don’t stop. Soldier Soldier on, for soon enough it will lose that “what am I doing doing here?” quality quality and you will ease into the confi con fident, dent, comfort comfortable able story storyteller teller you were meant to be.

3.

Nothing ing can convince convince fledgling fledgling tellers tellers Seeing is . . . seeing. Seeing seeing. Noth that story storytell telling ing works except except doing doing it. No amount of witness witness-ing and testi testify fying ing to the power of story storytell telling ing is worth a fig. You have to do it to believe believe it.

4.

Less is truly more. more. Re Remind mind yourself yourself that this is a simple simple art form; it is not improved improved by making making it more compli complicated.

HAPTER 8 C Glori Glo rious ous Tellings You’ve chosen; chosen; you’ve learned; you’ve practiced. practiced. Only one thing left to do: tell. The most impor important tant advice advice anyone anyone can give you now is to do what feels comfort comfortable able for you and appro appropri priate ate for your audi audience, ence, your lilibrary, and its available available space. That having hav ing been said, here are some tips that repre resent sent the collec lective tive wisdom wisdom and expe peri rience ence of many tellers tell ers to help you decide decide what will work best for you. We speak here from personal personal expe experi rience. ence. Both of us have made alalmost every every mistake mistake refer referenced enced in this chapter chapter and know how easy it is to ignore ig nore these seemingly seemingly trivial trivial concerns concerns as you focus focus on your role as stostoryteller. ry teller. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. foolish. You have poured your time and energy energy into prepar preparing ing yourself yourself to tell. A minor minor oversight oversight in your planning planning for the space and audi audience ence could derail your efforts.

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44 Chapter Chapter 8—Glori 8—Glorious ous Tellings

BEFORE IT’S TIME TO TELL While you and your story are what’s impor important, tant, neither neither exists exists in an aesthetic aes thetic vac uum. You Y ou will tell stories sto ries in a par p artic ticu ular place, at a partic ticu ular time, to a partic particu ular audi audience. ence. Librar Librariians are good at advance advance planplanning, and that’s going going to come in handy here. Look at the ele elements you have to work with and treat yourself yourself as a visit visiting ing artist, artist, worthy worthy of the best preparations you can provide.

Space Your job as a story storyteller teller and an event manager is to create a space for stories stories that is comfort com fortable able and protected. protected. Evalu Evaluate the space that you have available, available, using using the eyes of a guest performer. performer. Is there a way to use the available available space to protect protect and advance advance your purpose? purpose? You’ll want to use the space to mini minimize disrup disruptions tions and to suggest suggest the nature nature of the occasion. Children’s programs Children’s programs are usually usually held in the open part of the chilchil dren’s area, or in a space set aside for program pro gramming ming or meetings. meetings. Other sorts of programs programs also use either either the library library proper or a meeting meeting room. If the former former is what you have, then the options options for changing changing the space are limited. lim ited. The options options for adapting adapting it are not. Try a fabric fab ric or screen backbackdrop (but not too busy) that is only used for fo r story storytell telling. ing. Perhaps Perhaps you can arrange ar range the seating so that listen teners ers have their backs to the cen ter of the room. If it is a sterile sterile meeting meeting room that holds the memory memory of city councouncil meetings, meetings, is there a way to person per sonalize alize it? Try using using a backdrop backdrop here too, and place the chairs at an unex unexpected pected angle. angle. Are there rugs or carpet squares to set out? Easier by far to line folks up in rows, or a gentle Easier gentle arc. Chairs are ununneces nec essary sary for little little ones, but after after fourth grade or so give young youn g people people the dignity dig nity of a for mal seat. During During fam ily shows it is custom cus tomary ary to seat small children chil dren down in front and adults in chairs behind. behind. Resist Resist this at all costs. It’s much better to have fami families sit together together so that par ents can wit witness ness firsthand first hand their children’s children’s delight delight with stories stories and share in that delight delight durduring the story. Stagger Stagger chairs so small ones can see. Now look at the space as a story sto ryteller teller and check light and sound. Can you be clearly heard without without having having to shout? Can you drop your voice to a whisper whisper and still be heard at all? Where does the light come from? Will the audi audience ence be able to see you?

Before Be fore It’s Time to Tell 45

Finally, view the space as an audi Finally, audience ence member. member. Walk out into the seating seat ing area and sit down. Do you like it as a listener? lis tener? Are you comfort comfort-able? Are there visual visual distrac distractions tions that should be removed? removed? As we said, this sounds like a lot of extra extra work. But this is work that can pay divi dividends during during your telling.

Don’t Go It Alone You can’t do it all. No teller can. Desig Designate nate another another staff member, member, a visit vis iting ing teacher, or some other respon responsi sible ble adult to be “house manager.” manager.” During Dur ing your stories, stories, you tell, and let that person per son manage manage the audi audience. ence. If admin ad minis istra trative tive questions questions arise—“Where’s the bathroom?” bath room?” “Is that story in a book I can check out?”—if disrup disruptions tions or behav behavior ior problems problems sursurface, let the house manager man ager handle handle it. Discuss Discuss it ahead of time so that person per son will know when he or she should or shouldn’t step in.

Stage Arrange Arrangements ments What will you want with you and near you when you tell? You may need to provide provide a chair, table, table, stool, or all of these. Be sure water wa ter is nearby. Some folks place a vase of flowers flowers “on stage.” That’s fine, but any ob ject must contrib contribute ute to the event, not distract dis tract from it.

Setting Set ting the Scene Storytell Story tellers ers traffic traffic in enchant chantment. ment. The stories will take care of most of that, but you can help it along. What is the signal signal that the stories stories will begin? begin? Is there a special special seat? Does a song signal signal the begin beginning? ning? A chant? A poem? An ob ject can do yeoman’s yeoman’s work for you: a bell or drum dr um as a summons; summons; if you play an instru instrument, ment, by all means do so, unless un less it means hauling hauling the tuba into work. You might like to don an evoca evocative tive garment gar ment that acts as a signal sig nal (but, again, not too busy). Mister Mister Rogers Rogers enendured many jibes for his sweater routine, routine, but it was just that, a routine routine that sepa separated work time from enchant enchantment ment and make believe. believe. It worked for him, and, with a little little thought, it can work for you. yo u. Go ahead, create a sense of occasion. Guide listen listeners ers into your seating seating plan as they arrive. arrive. Don’t let them flop against the nearest nearest conve convenient nient wall. Does this sound bossy? ReRemember, mem ber, you’ve spent consid consider erable able time and thought to create create the ararrangement range ment that will be best for f or lis tener and teller alike. So use it.


Before Be fore You Begin Begin Give yourself yourself a moment moment to review review the stories. stories. Don’t rehearse; rehearse; just review review quickly and simply, simply, taking taking care to speak the first line of the story so you can get in, and the last line of the story so you can get out. Review Review any of those key lines and memo memorized bits that will appear appear in today’s today’s stories. Choose your posi position. tion. Are you going going to stand or sit? Will you stay in one place, or have you grown used to moving moving around a bit? Your listen listeners’ ers’ ages help make the deci decision. sion. An adult who stands in front of little little kids can loom as large as a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day float. Older children children and adults are unsur unsurprised prised by your standing, standing, but even they will be uneasy uneasy if you stand in a small space, your toes inches from their own. Conversely, Conversely, if older children children are in chairs, will the back row be able to clearly see you if you sit to tell? During Dur ing practice, practice, have you made gestures gestures or movements movements that would be awkward awkward to do while sitting?

LET’S START THE STORY Backstage Backstage usually usually doesn’t exist exist in librar libraries. ies. Oh sure, you can lurk behind behind the circu circula lation tion desk, but mostly it is public public space. That makes it partic particu ularly impor important tant to walk into the space you’ve created created for your telling telling ready to tell. Many begin beginning ning tellers tellers creep apolo apologeti getically—as if being being forced—into the perfor performance mance space, resign resignedly edly square their shoulders, shoulders, breath as if they are on life support support and . . . begin. begin. But, oops, you have already already begun, begun, and the audi audience ence has been unwill unwillingly ingly observ observ-ers to your ad justments justments and tics. Prepare to tell before you tell.

Intro Introduc duction tion The occa occasion sion deter determines mines the intro introduc duction. tion. You may be adding adding a story to an exist existing ing program, program, present presenting ing a program program of stories, stories, or using using a story as a counter counterpoint point to a presen presenta tation. tion. There are all manner manner of varia variations. In all cases do be begin gin with something. something. If you are present presenting ing one story only, or a program program of stories, stories, then an intro introduc duction tion gives you a momoment to settle settle in and allows allows the audi audience ence to get a look at you, what w hat you’re

Let’s Start the Story 47

wearing, and how you sound. That way, when you do begin wearing, begin your listen listen-ers are ready to really really listen. listen. Disci Discipline pline yourself yourself to keep it short, since a long intro introduc duction tion usually usually signals signals the teller’s anxiety at beginning the tale. Opinions differ Opinions differ about announc announcing ing the title title of the story. Even we difdif fer. One of us likes to announce an nounce the title title and hence plug the book; the other likes to talk a little little bit about the story (very briefly), b riefly), giving giving the auaudience di ence a small taste or a bit b it of informa mation tion about the or igin of the tale, and then state the story’s title ti tle after after the story is over. Af ter this brief intro intro-duction, duc tion, pause for just a moment moment to create create a small space between be tween your intro in troduc duction tion and the beginning of the story.

Keep Moving Moving Now comes comes the good part: the story. Imagine Imagine that you and the story are standing standing there together. together. Step up together, together, and then you step back and let the story shine. Don’t worry about an occa occasional sional lapse. This is not a high wire act, and you won’t fall to your you r death if you miss something something or other. The audi audience ence won’t turn on you like a pack of wolves. Slow down and pause a moment moment if you need to. It will come back. Yes, it will. The audi au dience ence will neither nei ther mind nor remem member ber the lapse.

Slow Down Keep the story moving, moving, but don’t be in a rush. Slow down. Let your listen lis teners ers enter enter each scene and event. You have h ave all the time in the world. Take it easy. Pause and take a breath. Pauses are amazingly effec effective and aren’t used as often often as might be. They build antic an ticiipa pation tion and suspense suspense and give listen listeners ers a moment moment to sink deeper into the story. They are your little lit tle friends, too, since they allow al low your mind to stay ahead of your mouth and keep you and your story dancing dancing to the same tune.

Your Partners Partners Storytell Story telling ing is an equal oppor opportu tunity nity art form. You get to tell, and the audi au dience ence gets to help you. In fact, the only thing you should be aware of while you tell-other than the story-is the audi audience. ence. You can chart your course and moni monitor your story’s progress progress by watching watching the audi audience. ence. Are they right there, with eyes on you, smiling smiling at all the right places? Or are


there sub tle glances at their watches, shift ing in their chairs? Let their rere actions ac tions guide you and you will alter alter your pace, your details, details, your telling telling as neces necessary. sary. It’s a wondrous wondrous gift to create create the story through your audi audi-ence’s guidance. guidance. Embrace Embrace it. There is one excep exception, tion, though: very small listen lis teners ers may be less able to control control their bodies bodies than you might wish. Don’t be too sure that this is a lack of interest.

Grand Finale Finale Whether you’ve told just one story, or a full evening evening of tales, don’t be in a hurry when it is over. Stay where you are when you y ou are finished. finished. Take a well-deserved well-deserved bow, acknowl acknowledge edge the wild applause, applause, and take your time before before leaving. leaving. A race to the door is unseemly unseemly and unnerv unnerving, ing, and it disrupts disrupts those moments moments when the story still lingers.

DON’T MUDDY THE WATER Above all, do not apolo apologize af after ter you finish finish a story. Never. No matmatter what happened happened during during the telling. telling. It does not contrib contribute ute to the listen lis ten-ers’ expe experi rience ence to hear what you forgot forgot or regret regret or want to add. If they en joyed the story and your tell telling, ing, your post-perfor post-performance mance disclaimer disclaimer will dimin diminish, ish, even negate negate that en joy joyment. ment. Sure, there is the impulse impulse to make it right. Resist it. Let the story be. You may be ea eager ger to take questions questions or make comcomments about the story or stories stories after after you are finished. finished. It’s a little like watching watch ing those outtakes or direc director’s tor’s cuts on a DVD, and that can be fun and instruc instructive. tive. But if you do it after af ter you’ve finished finished a story you become become the observer/critic observer/critic not the story sto ryteller, teller, and that dimin di minishes ishes the expe experi ri-ence. Let your listen listeners ers sit with the story. They don’t don ’t need a full précis of the expe experi rience. ence. To seize this oppor opportu tunity nity to comment comment about the story’s meaning, mean ing, lessons, lessons, or impor importance tance to you is tanta tantamount mount to announc announcing ing that the listen listeners’ ers’ own expe experi rience ence is shallow shallow at best and must be augmented by your own. Another to resist!

Keeping Keep ing Track 49

CELEBRATE After your story After storytell telling ing is over and the audi audience ence is gone, reserve reserve a moment mo ment for private private cele celebra bration. tion. Cele Celebrate what you and the audi audience ence have accom accomplished. plished. Cele Celebrate the success success of your shared experience. There will always al ways be time to re view your ex expe peri rience ence later and give it your full and criti critical atten attention. tion. Not now. You too need time to absorb absorb the expe experi rience ence and to claim it. You’ve done a good job. Enjoy!

KEEPING TRACK The last thing to do is also the first: good record re cord keeping. keeping. Keep track of your stories stories and your story storytell telling. ing. You will want to develop develop your own method for filing filing and retriev retrieving ing stories. stories. The usual deci decisions sions and approaches approaches to infor informa mation tion manage management ment apply, apply, and no one is better than library library staff at making making them. We have two differ different ent methods, methods, but both of us have a hard copy of each story we tell, as well as a data database base of the stories stories on our comput computers. ers. You may decide decide to orga organize nize the tradi traditional tional tales by title, cul ture, theme, or all three. You want the sys system tem to serve you well, and to allow allow you to grab the right story quickly when an unex unex-pected occasion for telling arises. Many story storytell tellers ers keep abbre abbrevi viated ated forms of their stories stories for conve conve-nience as well—just a brief story outline out line with a begin beginning ning and ending ending sentence. sen tence. This way you can tuck the ones you’ve chosen chosen right into your requi req uisite site library library tote and hit the road—school visit, commu com munity nity group, etc. You’re set for a fast review review before before you begin to tell. After the tell telling, ing, it is time to reflect on the event. Both of us have a planning plan ning sheet for each appear appearance, ance, and we use it to make notes about the audi audience’s ence’s response, response, the suitabil suitability ity of the stories stories we chose, and how well the telling tell ing went. You will do more of o f this in the begin beginning. ning. As time goes on, your ex pe peri rience ence as a sto ry ryteller teller will make it a less elab elabo orate exexercise. er cise. The planning planning sheet is still useful useful even then, because because it reminds reminds you of what stories stories you’ve told to what group. It’s not a good day w hen you think your choices are new to your listen listeners ers only to have one comcomment, “I remem remember ber that story.” Now don’t misun misunder derstand stand us, telling telling the same story to the same folks is no gaffe; we all like and need to hear tales again. You want to KNOW you’re doing it, that’s all.


If you are most inter interested ested in tradi traditional, tional, liter literary, ary, or histor toriical tales, you will read many before before you find one you yo u know you will want to tell. “I’ve got to remem remember ber that one for the future,” future,” you’ll say. Yes, you do. But you won’t. A cardi cardinal nal rule is to make a copy of any story that attracts attracts you, even if it’s a mild flirta flirtation. tion. You know how we learned to do this, and it’s a sad, bitter bitter tale. We’re still looking looking for that one. Have you seen it?

HAPTER 9 C First Aid While learning learning to ride a bicy bicycle, cle, every every child earns a Band-Aid™ or two, gathers gathers a few scrapes, and merits merits a bit of minor mi nor triage—the triage—the stuff of good stories, stories, or at the least, badges of honor. Story Storytell tellers ers can simi similarly beneefit from learning ben learning a few basic basic first aid techniques techniques to gently and safely handle han dle the bumps and scrapes they may encoun encounter ter along the way. Don’t worry about fixing fixing perfor performance mance mishaps mishaps as you start your story sto rytell telling ing career. career. Tell some stories. stories. See what works well for you and what feels comfort comfortable. able. If a partic particu ular telling telling feels more like a train wreck than an accom accomplish plishment, ment, move on and tell others. others. It’s all part of gaining gain ing your chops, as they say in the music business. When the period period of picking picking yourself yourself up and dusting dusting yourself yourself off has provided pro vided more than enough expe experi rience ence in scrubbing scrubbing out, it will be worth your while to pick up a few tools and techniques techniques to head off those loomlooming disas disasters ters that shine like a pair of high-volt high-voltage age headlights, headlights, threaten threatening ing to freeze you in your tracks and strip your mental gears.

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52 Chapter Chapter 9—First Aid

TO MEMORIZE, OR NOT TO MEMORIZE? THAT IS THE QUESTION We said it earlier. earlier. Don’t memo memorize stories. stories. But be honest. honest. If you had to tell “The Three Little Lit tle Pigs” tomor tomorrow row and held a copy of the story in your hands tonight, tonight, wouldn’t wouldn’t you want to read the story over and over, trying try ing to memo memorize the words and plotting plotting sequence? Memoriz Memo rizing ing is a deadly trap. It under undercuts cuts your story storytell telling ing in six impor im portant tant ways that almost al most guaran guarantee tee you will not success successfully, fully, effec effec-tively tell the story: 1.

Memo Mem oriz rizing ing is diffi difficult cult and time-consum time-consuming ing.. Try it. See how long it takes you to memo memorize the words on this page. One page is a small part of a complete complete story. Memo Memoriz rizing ing is a frightfully fright fully slow and labor-in labor-intensive tensive process. process.

2.

The words of a mem memo orized story don’t last. Once last. Once you have memo mem orized this one page, see how well you remem remember ber it totomorrow. mor row. Can you still recite recite it in two days? In four? We doubt doub t it. Then you’ll have to start all over again.

3.

Memoriz Memo rizing ing a story makes it diffi dif ficult cult to tell the story with enough energy, en ergy, enthu enthusi siasm, asm, and expres expression sion—key —key ele elements of your natu natural and success successful ful story storytell telling. ing. If your enenergy is diverted diverted into recall recalling ing a string of words, not enough is left over to put into the tell telling ing of those words.

4.

The spe specific cific words a teller says are not the most impor important source of infor informa mation tion for listen listeners ers.. Research Research shows that listen listeners ers inter internal nalize ize and remem remember ber the gist of of a story, not your specific specific words. You don’t help or improve improve the listen listeners’ ers’ expe ex peri rience ence of the story by memo memoriz rizing ing words.

5.

Memoriz Memo rizing ing a string of words makes it more diffi dif ficult cult for natural you to use your natu nat ural story storytell telling ing style. style. Your natu story-learning story-learn ing system system is based on sensory sensory images images and feelfeelings, not words. Memo Memoriz rizing ing words competes competes with the natu natural system system you have devel developed oped and perfected perfected over a lifetime life time of telling telling expe experi rience. ence.

6.

You will rarely con convince vince yourself yourself that you have success suc cessfully mem orized a story—at story—at least, not until until you have told it a number num ber of times, something something you may never do. These doubts increase in crease the proba probabil bility ity that you will for forget. get.

The Great-Amaz Great-Amazing-Never-Fail Safety Safety Net 53

Don’t memo memorize a story. Memo Memoriz rizing ing is the rocky road straight to perfor per formance mance disas disasters. ters. If you are going going to tell it, relax relax and tell it.

THE GREAT-AMAZING-NEVER-FAIL SAFETY NET What should you do if you forget forget part of the story while you’re telltelling? Even the Great Gari Garibaldi Brothers, Brothers, defy defying ing gravity gravity as they soared high through the air of the Pari Parisian sian big top in the late 1800s, had a safety net under underneath neath them. Story Storytell tellers ers deserve deserve no less. We can almost almost guaran guarantee tee that, at regu reg ular inter intervals, vals, you’ll forget forget while you tell. So what? No one will really really care—besides care—besides you. The folfollowing low ing ele elements of the Great-Amazing-Never-Fail Great-Amaz ing-Never-Fail Safety Net are dede signed to help you gracefully gracefully recover recover from your story slips.

Go Ahead and Forget Forget Yes, we mean it. No big deal. People People do it all the time while tell ing stories. sto ries. No teller seems to mind a mo momen mentary lapse when tell telling ing in an ininformal for mal setting. setting. You forget forget for a moment, moment, pause, gather the story, and go on. Friends and family family hardly notice notice and certainly certainly aren’t criti critical. SomeSometimes you even say, “Let me think here for a second,” second,” as you pause and mentally men tally review the story. Treat your role as a commu community nity story storyteller teller in the same way. Launch into your stories stories with confi confidence dence and enthu enthusi siasm. asm. If you happen happen to forforget for a moment, moment, shrug, pause to regroup, regroup, and continue continue as the story rereforms in your mind.

Learn the Smile A reli reliable able secret secret to success successful ful recov recovery ery from perfor performance mance mistakes mistakes is—simply—to is—sim ply—to not act as if you made a mistake. mistake. How do you do that? Learn the smile, the oops-I-goofed-but-I’m-not-going-to-let-youoops-I-goofed-but-I’m-not-going-to-let-you- see-it smile. Imagine the moment Imagine moment when you real realize ize you’ve just made a mistake mistake during dur ing your telling—for telling—forgot gotten ten to tell a piece of the story, missed one of those repeated repeated phrases or rhymes, or simply simply forgot forgotten ten what comes comes next. Yes, it will happen hap pen during during your tellings. It happens happens to every everyone. one. Don’t


despair. Stop, pause, and buy time while you mentally despair. mentally regroup regroup without without mis take and are trying to regroup. looking look ing like you made a mistake Use the smile. What does it look like? Sim ple. First pause—stop talking. talk ing. Second, Second, smile and nod as if this were your favor favorite ite part of the story. Third, breathe, deep and slow. Take your time and remem remember ber that you are the only one who really really knows what’s coming coming next. You’re also the only one who has any notion notion that what comes comes next has momen momentarily tarily danced off your mental mental desk top. So relax relax and smile. It’s easy to buy five or more seconds. sec onds. That’s a good long time for you to quiet your mind and let the story flow back in. Trust us, it will. You can, of course, extend extend the pause by repeat repeating ing the last sentence sen tence you said and repeat repeating ing the pause—smile, nod, breathe, and exhale. ex hale.

Tell About the Story We mentioned mentioned this as a story learning-tech learning-technique. nique. You can also use it when you tell. The first few times you tell a story, you won’t have convinced convinced youryourreally ally know the story. Some parts of the story remain self yet that you re re main annoy an noyingly ingly elusive. elusive. Knowing Knowing that these fuzzy sections sections are waiting waiting to trip you up sometimes sometimes conspires conspires to make you forget forget the parts you do know. Eliminate the stress. Don’t promise Elimi promise to tell the story, promise promise only that you’ll tell about the the story. Liter Literally. ally. Tell your audi audience ence that you want to tell them about a new story. We have each said, and heard other tellers tell ers say, “I want to tell you about a new story I’m working working on.” You have subtly subtly changed the rules and the lis listen teners’ ers’ expec expecta tations. tions. Now launch into tell en thusi siasm asm you can telling ing the story with all the enthu muster—right mus ter—right up to the first section section you are unsure unsure of and reluc reluctant tant to tell. Keep going going if you can. There’s no mandate mandate to stop. But if you feel at that moment mo ment that you must, then pause, smile, and say, “Isn’t that a wonder wonderful ful begin beginning?” ning?” Then tell about this this part you are afraid you won’t remem remember ber and won’t tell well. Provide Provide only a summary summary plot bridge to keep your audi audience ence from getting getting lost. As soon as you’re past that part and are back to firmer story ground, pause, smile, and say, “Here is what happens happens next,” and launch back into story storytell telling ing again. You’ll switch back and forth between between tell right up telling ing and tell telling ing about right


to your big finish, finish, telling telling only those parts of the story you are comfort comfort-able and confi confident dent telling telling with energy and enthusiasm. By not forcing forcing yourself yourself to muddle muddle through the problem problematic atic secsections, you never pull your energy energy and confi confidence dence out of the telling. telling. When you tell, you tell with convic conviction. tion. Listen Listeners ers will be swept into the story, getting getting the best of your storytelling.

When You Remem Remember ber You Forgot Forgot You’re fully engaged engaged in telling, telling, when, with a jolt of terror, terror, you real real-ize that you’ve left out a whole w hole section section of the story. Relax. Relax. Every Every teller does that. Consider the infor Consider informal mal stories stories you tell and hear. People People forget forget parts all the time and, when they real re alize ize it, they merely stuff it back in wherwher ever they are. We’re used to hearing hearing jumbled, jumbled, nonsequential storytellings. With guidance, guidance, your listen listeners ers are fully capa capable ble of reor reorder der-ing the story sequence sequence in their heads without with out getting lost. The key to smoothly and success successfully fully handling handling these moments moments is to neither nei ther look nor act as if you have done anything anything wrong (and that’s right; you haven’t). haven’t). Don’t cringe, grimace, grimace, or mutter mutter dire curses at yourself. yourself. That will worry your audi audience ence and they’ll leave the story to take care of you. First, use the smile. Pause, smile, breathe and nod, as if you were taking tak ing a moment moment to relish relish this part of the story. Then choose one of the follow fol lowing: ing: “There’s something something I haven’t haven’t told you yet . . . “ (not as a conconfession, fes sion, but with intent) intent) and tell them the part you earlier ear lier forgot. forgot. PerPerfectly true. You haven’t haven’t told them yet (because (because you forgot). forgot). Or say, “There’s something something you need to know before before we go on . . . .” . ” Again true. (They need to know it now be because cause you left it out ear .) Or say, “Now, earlier lier .) what we know but the wizard wizard doesn’t is . . . .” What would this look like? Here’s an exam ex ample. ple. While telling telling the “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” you announce announce that, trip-trap, trip-trap, the first Billy Goat marches onto the fateful fate ful bridge—only to real realize ize that you completely com pletely forgot forgot to mention the troll. No biggie. Pause, smile, breathe, and say, “Of course, we can peer ununder that bridge, as the Billy Goat cannot. cannot. And under underneath neath . . . .” There you are, smoothly transitioned into the omitted omitted part. Then repeat repeat “trip-trap, trip trap” and return return to the Billy Goat starting starting his trip across the span.


No one but you will suspect suspect that the story didn’t come out the way you intended, intended, and your confi confidence dence will take a great leap forward. for ward. Even if some folks sense you’ve just completed completed an adroit save, they will admire ad mire the save and forgive forgive the lapse.

What Comes Comes Next . . . ? Probably the greatest Proba greatest public public speaking speaking fear is to suddenly suddenly real realize ize you have no idea what to say next. Your mind goes blank. Your mouth opens, and nothing nothing is there to come out. No problem. problem. No damage damage has yet been done because because no one but you knows you don’t remem remember ber what comes comes next, and you have plenty of time to recover. recover. Again: Relax. Relax. Pause, smile, breathe deep and slow, and nod as if this were your favor favorite ite part of the story. Even chuckle softly to you rself. There’s a good ten seconds seconds you can buy without without having having to say a word. Ten seconds seconds is plenty of time for the story to return. return. If you remem remem-ber, simply simply proceed proceed with the story. They’ll never notice notice a thing. If the story hasn’t hasn’t reap reappeared peared in your mind yet, you need to verbally verbally tread water water and hold your spot in the story. How? • Repeat peat it and again pause, nod, smile, and Repeat the last line. Re line. Repeat breathe. Repeat the line a third time as if it were a pro p rophetic phetic turnturning point of the story. Many tellers tellers use this technique technique to add ememphasis pha sis and power to specific specific words and moments. moments. Blamm! There’s another another fifteen fifteen seconds seconds to recon reconstruct struct the story and where you are in it. It will w ill come back. Yes, it will. • Describe saDescribe the scene you are in. We in. We rarely need more than a salient few sensory sensory details we tell tellers ers have created and stored in our minds. Try wander wandering ing through these scenic scenic details details while your brain tries to figure figure out what happens happens next. It’s easy to buy ananother fifteen fifteen to twenty seconds seconds with this descrip description. tion. You have now bought almost almost a minute—a minute—a lifetime lifetime when you’re on stage and plenty of time for you to conduct conduct a system systematic, atic, orderly orderly recon recon-struction struc tion of the story. • Ask them: “What happen next?” This is only “What do YOU think will happen used as a safety net. Listen Listeners ers should not be required required to pony up some opinion opinion or answer answer as a bride price for hear hearing ing the story ununless this is a planned partic ticiipa pation tion story. Even if it’s an unfa unfamil miliar iar


story, they’ll likely be able to forecast forecast the next part well enough to help you remem remember. ber. If you need n eed it, it’s nice to know that the audi audi-ence is there and capable. honest. Tell • Be brutally honest. Tell them that you can’t remem re member ber the rest of the story. They may not believe believe you and may yell for you to finish finish it now. Still, you’re being being honest, honest, and it’s valuable valuable for them to see that their favor favorite story ryteller teller is falli fal lible ble and that a story storyteller teller can forget for get and still survive. sur vive. The key to making making this work is to confess confess you’ve lost your way in a manner manner that suggests suggests that the sun will still rise on the morrow mor row and you will live to tell again. The real points of the safety net are these: First, these are real, pracprac tical ti cal inter interven ventions tions that save most tellers most of the time. Second, Sec ond, as soon as you believe that you can extract extract yourself yourself from a trouble troublesome some spot, you will. The trouble trouble isn’t forget forgetting. ting. We all do that. The trouble trou ble is the mind-freezing mind-freezing fear of forget forgetting. ting. Third, the only real mistake mistake you can make while telling telling a story is to act like you have made a mis take. Un til you act that way, you haven’t. haven’t. Last, and maybe most impor important, tant, in rereclaiming claim ing a story that has come unmoored: unmoored: never, ever apolo apologize and never, ever let your listen listeners ers see your anger anger or disap disappoint pointment ment with yourself. your self. If you indulge indulge in either either of those alarming alarming responses, responses, you take all of the energy energy in the room and place it where it doesn’t belong—on belong—on you and your struggle. struggle. The story, not you, should always hold center stage.

HAPTER 10 C Owner’s Manual When you buy a new car, you want to go for a drive. You don’t want to sit in the showroom study stud ying the owner’s manual. manual. You want to know what the car can do. But eventu eventually, ally, you’ll want to thumb through that manual man ual to see what those myste mysteri rious ous buttons, buttons, knobs, and dials dials are for. Same with story storytelling. telling. First tell some sto ries. Take your sto story rytelltelling around the block a time or two. Kick the tires. Peek u nder the hood, but once you’re well acquainted acquainted you may want to see what your story story-telling tell ing machine machine can do, how it can develop. develop. What are the ele el ements of your story storytell telling ing machine machine that you might want to explore? ex plore? Simple: Simple: you use your body, hands, face, and, of course, your voice. First, a real reality ity check. You employ employ these “toys” of yours each time you open your mouth, and you do so natu naturally, without without affec affecta tation. tion. Too much scrutiny scrutiny can damage damage that ease and sponta spontane neous ous style. We like to say it’s like trying trying to find the soul of a frog. It is a fruit fruitless less exer exercise, cise, and it kills the frog. So take the follow fol lowing ing sugges suggestions tions and exer exercises cises with a grain of salt and deal with them only on ly if you are getting getting restless restless and want to take on some refine refinements, ments, or if you are dis sat satis isfied fied with some aspect aspect of your telling. telling. Should you be inclined inclined toward toward endless endless perfect perfecting—that ing—that uncom un comfort fortable able state that makes us alter al ter who we are—then give the rest of this chapter chapter a big skip until until you find it helpful, not prescriptive.

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60 Chapter Chapter 10—Owner’s Manual Manual

You can find any number number of books that explore explore the use, devel develop op-ment, and control control of each of these story storytell telling ing “toys.” Most of them can be found under under story storytell telling, ing, but not always. always. The confu confusion sion about what story sto rytell telling ing really really IS extends extends to where one can find mate materi rials. als. Manu Manuals and advice advice about body and voice can also be found under under theater, theater, acting, acting, impro im provi visa sation, tion, and dance. Should you be partic particu ularly inter interested ested in one toy or another, another, you will have lots of resources resources to use. Here we offer offer only a brief survey, survey, with a few quick activ activiities to give you enough to go on in the meantime. In short, let’s play around.

AN OPENING GAME How you say a story (the vocal vocal tone, volume, volume, pitch and speed you use combined combined with gestures, gestures, facial facial expres expressions, sions, and physi physical movemovement) is impor important. Lis Listen teners ers gain lots of infor information mation from how you say WHAT.. it. In fact, HOW is a full and co-equal partner part ner of WHAT Community Commu nity story storytell tellers ers can consider consider this good news. You already already know how to tell an effec effective tive story. Remem Remember, ber, you do it every every time you present pres ent a book or enter entertain tain your family. family. You’ve been devel develop oping, ing, testtesting, and rehears rehearsing ing that skill all your life. You use and hone that skill evevery day in the library. Don’t believe believe that you are already al ready highly skilled in the arts of how to tell a story? Here’s a quick game to prove to yourself yourself just how good you are. Consider Consider either either of the follow following ing sentences/ques sentences/questions: tions: YOU WANT ME TO GO THERE.? I’LL HAVE HER DOG DESTROYED.? The inter interest esting ing thing about these is that you can place the empha emphasis sis on any of the words in either either sentence sentence and have it make sense. You can say them as either state statements ments or as ques tions and make them make sense. Try it. Say one out loud to another another person, person, placing placing the empha emphasis sis on the first word, say it as a statement, state ment, and make it sound real and natu nat ural. Then change the empha emphasis sis to the second sec ond word, and so forth. Awkward, isn’t it? Yet you do d o this ex expertly pertly every every time you open your mouth to talk. In fact, you al always ways do more than this. You also have h ave

Voice 61

an atti attitude, tude, or emotion, emotion, you effec effectively tively commu communi nicate cate along with sensentence emphasis. Try it. Say the sentence sentence again, and along with placing placing the empha emphasis sis on the chosen chosen word, adopt one of these five emotional emotional atti attitudes tudes to exexpress: sarcasm, sarcasm, joy, confu confusion, sion, fear, or relief. Difficult, Diffi cult, isn’t it? Yet you do this flawlessly flawlessly every every time you speak. In fact, you do more than this because because you also incor incorpo porate rate physi physical movement move ment and gestures gestures into your speech. That skill you naturally possess possess is more than suffi sufficient cient to meet the mandates man dates of your story storytell telling. ing. When you learn the sights, events, and emotions emo tions of a story, your natu natural oral skill will take over and express ex press the story as effec effectively tively as it does your normal normal daily commu communi nica cations. tions.

VOICE Your voice carries carries the story. Unless Unless you use sign language language exclu exclu-sively, or mime, you cannot cannot tell a story without without your voice. Most if us remem remember ber the first time or two that we heard our voices on tape. Memo Memora rable, ble, wasn’t wasn’t it? But WHO was it? What happened hap pened to that mellif mel liflu luous, ous, dulcet dulcet tone? Who put in the nasal nasal whine, that reedy little lit tle wheeze? We hear our voices through the bones in our faces and heads, not just through our ears. The taped voice is a startling startling revelation. Tough truth: your voice is your voice. It may not be the one you would have chosen chosen in The Cata Catalogue of Beauti Beautiful ful Voices, but it is the one you have. It takes a great deal of money and a good voice special specialist ist to change that with which you were born. Don’t waste your money, unless unless there is a diagnosable problem. problem. In story storytell telling, ing, the convic conviction tion and engage engage-ment with which you tell are impor important, tant, not the trained quality quality of your voice. Some would say that voices betray betraying ing theat theatri rical cal training training are an imimpediiment. It is said that Presi ped Pres ident Lincoln was a consis sistently tently effec fective tive speaker even though his voice was regu regularly described described as thin, high-pitched, and whiny. Having said that, it is still useful Having use ful to explore explore the vocal vocal toys you can use when you tell. Remem Remember: ber: the trick is to avoid any vocal vocal techniques techniques that make you feel self-conscious. self-conscious. All of us use these instinc instinctively tively bebecause the voice is a supple, supple, respon responsive sive instru instrument. ment. Taking Taking a moment moment to review re view them will allow allow you to fool around. It might be fun.


Here they are: rate, volume, volume, and pitch. Each can be used to develop de velop a charac character ter or to insert insert color and inter interest est into your voice as you tell the tale.

Rate We use rate each time we speak. Rate is how rapidly rap idly or slowly you speak. The rela relative speed of your deliv delivery ery can suggest suggest gender, gender, emoemotional state, age, and more. Here’s an exam example ple you can try. Repeat Repeat this line adapted from AlAlfred Noyes’s roman romantic tic old poem “The Highway Highwayman”: man”: “The highway highway-man came riding, riding, riding, riding, riding, riding, up to the old inn door.” Just say it in a conver con versa sational tional tone, not slow, not fast. Now we’re going going to treat it as a piece of choral choral music music and score it. The itali italicized words are to be said with speed, the regu regular text more slowly. Here we go: “The highway highwayman man came riding, riding, riding, riding, riding, riding, up to the old inn door. ” highwayman man came riding, rid ing, riding, riding, ridridNow try it in reverse: reverse: “The highway ing, up to the old inn door.”

Which one marries marries text to the rate? The second sec ond one, we think, but either ei ther way, the rate influ influences ences the words. You can also choose just one word to build up to and slow down from. In this exam example, ple, it would be “UP”. Try that. Rate suggests suggests age. We know that young children children tend to speak more rapidly rapidly when there is something some thing on their minds. Preschool Preschoolers’ ers’ words tumble tumble over each other in a contest con test to get out first. When adults speak rapidly, rapidly, it suggest suggest several several possi possible ble states: panic, alarm, argu ar gument, ment, or excite excitement. ment. Conversely, Conversely, very slow, delib deliber erate ate speech can be intim in timiidating, dat ing, suggest suggesting ing menace menace or danger. danger. It can also imply imply relax relaxation, ation, delib delib-eraation, or ambiv er ambivaalence, among other things. You can give a v ery subtle subtle reading read ing of a charac character ter in your story just by using rate.

Pitch Voices fall natu naturally into a wide range of pitch, from high to low. Very high voices are sugges suggestive tive of young children children (or a stereo stereotyp typic ic voice for the elderly). elderly). Middle Middle pitch implies implies a woman, and low pitches are often often perceived perceived as male. Hold on, though . . . women can have very

Voice 63

low voices and the oc ca casional sional man can have a natu natural falsetto. falsetto. You can play around against type to develop develop unusual unusual charac character teriza izations, tions, but the basic ba sic assump assumptions tions about pitch will usually usually serve you the best. Take our famous famous ursine ursine family family of plain speakers, speakers, the Three Bears. Each bear has a distinct distinct age and gender. gender. Although Although you could develop develop a distinc dis tinctive tive voice for each one, using using your favor favorite ite cartoon cartoon charac characters, ters, you might like to keep it simple simple by using using high, middle, middle, and low pitches for them. Pitch, like all vocal vocal toys, suggests suggests emotional emotional state. The squeaky voice of nervous nervousness, ness, the low growl that says “watch out”: these and many more can telegraph tele graph what a charac acter ter is feeling. feeling. Even though your small bear has a high voice, within that are ranges of high to low that can provide provide emotional coloration.

Volume Vol ume Volume is a big toy. It muscles Volume muscles into the charac character ter and the story and slings its weight around. It’s a grand and effec effective tive toy, but don’t overuse overuse it. Don’t let it run the show. What do we mean? Use your conver conversa sational tional voice as your norm, with the volume volume rising rising and falling falling accord according ing to the meaning mean ing and emotion emotion of the text to add texture tex ture and color. Volume Volume exextremes (shouts and bellows bellows that cause listen lis teners ers to wince and cover their ears, or whis w hispers that make them strain to hear), like a favor favorite ite pungent pungent spice, are best if used judi ju diciously ciously and sparingly. sparingly. Loud voices announce announce emotional emotional state right away. “Don’t you raise your voice to me!” we say with our own voices rising. ris ing. Anger, Anger, fear, aggres ag gression—all sion—all of these come with increased increased volume. volume. Big sounds can suggest sug gest distance distance as we shout into space. Low volume volume draws the listener listener closer, promotes promotes inti intimacy, macy, and sometimes sometimes suggests suggests suspense. suspense. Effective tell Effec tellers ers use this toy throughout throughout a telling, sometimes speak sp eaking very quietly quietly and sometimes sometimes loudly, depend depending ing on what’s happen happening. ing. The bold contrast contrast between between a whispered, whispered, low voice and a sudden sudden shout is the hallmark hallmark of the “jump” tale, like the old ghost story that begins begins “In a dark, dark . . . “. Try that story and watch with satis satisfac faction tion when your lislisteners ten ers “jump” at your loud moment. mo ment.


GESTURE AND MOVEMENT Gesture and movement Gesture movement encom encompass pass a wide range of motion, motion, from a simple hand movement up to a fully mimed tale. The former former is informal, often of ten uncon unconscious, scious, the latter latter planned and choreo choreographed. graphed. Here is the grim news: your body body always always comes comes with you when you tell. You can’t leave it behind be hind to wait patiently patiently for you to finish. finish. Even more than voice, our bodies bodies cause us no end of trouble. trouble. We are never satsatisfied is fied with the way we look. Too tall, too short, too thin, too wide, weak chins, beady eyes. It’s never right. It stands to reason reason then that we would become be come self-conscious self-conscious when we bring our imper imperfect fect bodies bodies out for scruscrutiny as we tell. Here’s the good news: your body body and face are not the impor important tant parts, the story is what counts. Your lis listen teners ers look at you, past you, and through you as they become become more absorbed absorbed in the story. Remind Remind youryourself of this before before you play with the gesture gesture toys. One step toward toward that end is to under understand stand the limits limits of gesture gesture and movement, movement, that is, to ununderstand der stand what types of infor informa mation tion can be effec effectively tively and easily easily comcommuni mu nicated cated through gesture gesture and movement and which cannot. Most of the moving moving and gestur gesturing ing you do is natu natural and unaf unaffected. fected. You raise a hand or shake a finger finger without without really really knowing knowing it. That is as it should be. The absence absence of movement, movement, sitting sitting stock still, whether out of nervous ner vousness ness or fear, is disqui disquiet eting ing to your listen listeners. ers. Bodies Bodies move when commu com muni nicat cating. ing. It’s just instinc instinctive. tive. So let yours off the leash and give it permis per mission sion to cut up. This is eas easier ier with young children children than with older kids or adults. Little Little ones are exu exuber berant ant listen listeners ers and will move and sway right along with you. Try to acquire acquire the same level of physi phys ical comfort com fort with adults and older kids that you have with small children. It may take awhile. One technique technique seems to help almost almost every everyone. one. In private, private, tell the story without without words. Use only your body to tell the story. Do it several several times. The next time you tell the story you may well find that you are physically ically more free than you were before. Movement and gesture Movement gesture are like just about anything anything else. They work as organic, organic, natu natural outcomes, outcomes, not as a planned attack. attack. You cannot cannot create create a movement movement or gesture gesture for a charac character ter as if it were a gar ment to shrug off later. When you first tell a story you may have very few gestures gestures or

Gesture Ges ture and Movement Movement 65

movements. It is only after movements. af ter repeated repeated tellings that these appear, ap pear, often often ununbidden, bid den, to help define define a charac character ter or moment moment in a story. Forcing Forcing a gesture gesture or movement movement into the tale almost almost always always appears appears contrived. contrived. That’s bebecause it is a contriv trivance. ance. Paying Paying atten attention tion is a more success successful ap approach. proach. As you notice notice how your gestures gestures and movements movements evolve, you can incorporate them into future tellings. Stories take place in a space. Gesture Stories Ges ture and movement allow al low you to explore ex plore the uses of that space. Walking Walking to another another part of the “stage,” crouching crouch ing or stooping, stooping, reaching reaching high—all these and dozens dozens more can ener en ergize gize your tale and telling. There are a few pitfalls pit falls to watch out for: • The roamer: Are constantly on the move? Aimlessly Aimlessly driftdriftroamer: Are you constantly ing around as if you could find the story somewhere? somewhere? Stop. Stand still, or sit. Place some part of your body against something, something, a tatable, for instance, instance, and ground yourself. yourself. tennis match: Do match: Do you walk to one side for one charac • The tennis character ter and march a few steps away for the other guy? No need. Use one of the vocal vocal toys to distin distinguish guish between between them and let your audi audience ence recover re cover from the whiplash. whiplash. • The concealer: Do comfort? Do concealer: Do your hands hold each other for comfort? they creep into your pockets pockets to hide? Are they behind behind your back? Let them out. o ut. Give them a life. Hand gestures are a nat ural way to commu com muni nicate. cate. • The creeper: Do you sidle sidle apolo apologet getiically into the story storytell telling ing space, talking talking all the while? Take physi physical command. command. Straighten those shoulders shoulders and walk purpose purposefully fully into the space. You’re on so let your body take over. A final final truth: the body never lies. Your voice may disguise disguise your inintentions, ten tions, but your body will reveal reveal them. We know this. We watch people people fiddle fid dle with their clothing, clothing, or tap their fingers, fingers, unable unable to control control their impa impa-tience. We see people people back away from what alarms them. Your body bod y will commu com muni nicate cate what you are feeling, feeling, so it is prudent prudent to pay atten attention. tion. If you are so self-conscious self-conscious that it impedes im pedes your telling, it is time to take action. action. Try a mime or impro improvi visa sation tion class; maybe an exer exercise cise class will do the trick. It doesn’t matter mat ter what you choose, but giving giving your body an oppor opportu tunity nity to work out and get crazy will be time and money well spent.


Here’s a simple exercise that lets you ex exper periiment with the look and feel of gestures. gestures. Remem Remember, ber, it’s just a game. Be extrav extravaagant with your gestures. Create a sim simple, ple, three- or four-sentence four-sentence story. Then create create a spespecific gesture gesture for every every word in that story. One word, one gesture. gesture. One gesture, one word. Some words—arti words—articles cles and prepo preposi sitions, tions, for exam example— ple— do not lend themselves themselves to clear gestures. ges tures. But you still must create create a gesgesture for each and every every word in the story. “Gestures,” “Gestures,” of course, are not limited lim ited to hand movement movement and may include include body movement movement and facial facial expres ex pression. sion. Practice saying Practice saying the story a time or two while perform per forming ing each of the gestures ges tures you have created. created. Now “tell” the story to an audi audience. ence. Let them know you will use gestures gestures only . You will not speak any words in this perfor per formances mances of the story. Just for fun. This is not a game of charades, charades, where a gesture gesture is repeated repeated until until ununderstood. der stood. Don’t encour encourage age the audi audience ence to blurt out what they do, or do not, under understand. stand. You’ll tell the story at normal normal story storytell telling ing cadence, cadence, just as if you were actu actually ally telling telling the story with words. The audi audience ence watches in silence un til the story is over. What do gestures gestures effec effectively tively commu communi nicate? cate? Action Action verbs (like jump), most emotions, emotions, direc direction, tion, posi position, tion, size, and shape. However, gestures ges tures often often are better at portray portraying ing phrases or concepts concepts than indi individ vid-ual words. Also notice notice the energy energy and delight delight gestures gestures carry. These stories stories are fun to watch even when you haven’t haven’t a clue what the story is about. It wasn’t was n’t the story that was so attrac at tractive; tive; it was the gestures ges tures through which it was told. Gesture Gesture is a compel com pelling ling toy.

HAPTER 11 C Story Sto rytell telling ing Extras Extras A story that is well told, by an engaged engaged story storyteller, teller, needs nothing nothing more. Addi Additions tions like props, partic particiipa pation, tion, and such speak more to style than to neces necessity. sity. We really really do think that anyone anyone can en joy telling telling stostoanyone one can ries, even just at an infor in formal mal level, but we do not think that any effec ef fectively tively use each of these add-on perfor performance toys. Tal Talent ent isn’t the decid de ciding ing factor. factor. Each of these add-ons requires requires some stage manage manage-ment, and it must fit with your natu natural style and in incli clina nations. tions. It’s a question of attraction. Consider the list below Consider be low as your own personal personal list of acces accesso sories. ries. Clothing Cloth ing allows allows us to define define our style, how we like to look, and these small addi additions tions to stories stories present present the same oppor opportu tuni nities ties for fun, for exextending tend ing the story. They also present present oppor opportu tuni nities ties for unsuit unsuitable able choices that can eclipse the story and the story sto ryteller. teller. To that end we have sugsug gested some bene benefits and some defi deficits of each “acces “accessory” sory” listed. The same questions questions and measures measures apply apply here that reign in the dress ing room: Is this comfort comfortable? Does it fit me? Does it upstage up stage me and what I’m wearing? wear ing? How much care will it take? Does the in invest vestment ment equal or exexceed the utility? Be Beyond yond this list of tit-for-tat questions, there may be times when it comes comes down to, “Oh, I just love it. That’s all.” And that’s fine too.

67

68 Chapter Chapter 11—Story 11—Storytell telling ing Extras Extras

FLANNELBOARDS The beloved, beloved, dark felt-covered felt-covered board that holds the little lit tle felt figures fig ures is more likely to take a star turn in the preschool preschool storytime where it is a reli re liable able staple—most staple—most often often used for children children under under six.

The Plusses 1.

An old story can become become a new one by telling it with the Little Red Hen” becomes a fresh fres h addi addition tion of the board. “The board. “The Little tale when wheat pops up for all to see.

2.

Young lis listen teners ers may be able to follow follow the narra narrative tive more easily eas ily with the visual visual cue of the felt pieces. As the pieces come and go and the story progresses, progresses, the watcher-listener watcher-listener can track the plot. For those struggling strug gling with language language and learning, learn ing, the little little figures figures and pieces can help a lot.

3.

It’s a good way for listen teners ers to connect connect words with im ages. ages. The porridge porridge from Goldilocks is easy to define de fine when the steaming steam ing pot is visi visible on the board.

4.

program of It pro provides vides a simple simple change of pace. pace. A program flannelboard stories stories would be like a dinner dinner of desserts: desserts: too vivisually rich and ulti ul timately mately unap unappeal pealing. ing. Slipping Slipping just one into an other otherwise wise conven conventional tional program program adds the needed spice.

5.

It may be a step for those those who are are uneasy about about “putting the book down.” At least that’s what seems logi log ical. We’re not sure. Sometimes Sometimes the best way to overcome overcome the fear of solo story sto rytell telling ing is to just do it. We do admit, admit, thought, that this might be a good transi transitional tional step. Try telling famil miliar iar stories stories with the flannelboard and then telling telling the same ones alone.

1.

Flannelboardin g is un Flannelboarding unavoid avoidably ably fussy. There is the putt ing pieces up and taking taking them down, smoothing smoothing them onto the board, picking picking them up, putting putting them aside. It seems fidgety fidgety and busy.

The Minuses Minuses

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2.

The pieces pieces al always ways fall fall off. Well, off. Well, almost al most always. always. That’s just the way it is.

3.

Traffic manage Traffic management ment is diffi difficult. cult. It is diffi difficult cult to tell, arrange ar range the pieces, watch the listen teners, ers, etc. The teller unin uninten tention tionally ally tends to direct direct listen listeners’ ers’ atten attention tion to the board more than one would like.

4.

Kids may watch the board, not you. you. And And that’s partic particu ularly regret re gretta table ble because because you’re the one in posses possession sion of the story.

5.

Felt fig figures ures and objects are, by defi def ini nition, tion, static. Un Unlike like puppets, pup pets, they don’t move, and they aren’t three-dimen three-di mensional sional like props. (This argues argues for simple, simple, bold designs designs that are eye catching catch ing and colorful.)

PROPS Props are ob jects used in the course of telling telling the story. This large class of ob jects includes includes folk toys, paper-fold paper-folding, ing, musi musical cal instru instruments, ments, string tricks, arti tifacts, facts, scarves, etc. It’s deci decision sion time. You’re going going to tell “Little “Little Red Riding Riding Hood.” But should you carry a cloth-covered cloth-covered basket basket to dangle dangle over your arm when you tell about Red? Should you take an ax and hold it when you tell about the woodsman? woodsman? Why not take a painting of a cottage cottage in a forest forest clearing? clear ing? Should you really really drag this walk ing garage ga rage sale to the library library just to tell this one story? Should you duti dutifully fully pull out each item at the appro appropri pri-ate times during during the story? Won’t they make the story seem more real? The answer answer is a skepti skeptical cal “possi “possibly.” bly.” Consider Consider the plusses and minuses. mi nuses.

The Plusses 1.

The prop may be es essen sential tial or inte integral gral to the story. This story. This is espe es pecially cially true if you are adapting adapt ing a children’s children’s picture picture book. Crictor , Tomi Ungerer’s delight delightful ful book, can be retold, retold, but not without without the Big Guy. Many story storytell tellers ers have used the reqrequisite ui site six-foot snake puppet puppet to good effect. effect. Folding-pa Folding-paper per


tales obvi obviously ously require, require, well, paper-fold paper-folding. ing. The same is true of stories stories featur featuring ing a musi musical cal instru instrument. ment. Hard to do a good job without without them. 2.

The prop pro provides vides cultural cultural expo exposure sure through appro ap propri priate ate We know two fine Cali Califor fornia nia story storytell tellers, ers, Pam Brown ob jects. jects. We and Martha Martha Shogren, who are adept adept at using using ob jects that are cultur cul turally ally rele relevant to the stories stories they choose. We partic particu ularly enjoy Pam’s use of origami origami and small puppets. puppets. Martha Martha doesn’t use props prop s dur ing the tales, but after afterward ward brings out a beauti beautiful ful ob ject from from the cul culture ture to show the lis ten teners. ers.

3.

The prop pro provides vides a visual clue or enhance en hancement. ment. A A prop may also be impor important, tant, if not precisely precisely neces necessary, sary, if an unfa unfa-miliar mil iar ob ject is used in the tale. This is most likely when the tale refers refers to a tool or activ ac tivity ity like spinning. spinning. Showing Showing the obob ject can can employ employ an effi efficient cient visual visual shorthand shorthand when the expla expla-nation na tion might weigh down the narra narrative. tive.

4.

It’s true. Beauti Beautiful, ful, unusual unusual Props can be sim simply ply magi magical. cal. It’s and evoca evocative tive ob jects cast their own spell. We all like to see cool stuff. As long as it contrib contributes utes to the story and doesn’t upstage up stage it, go ahead. Have some fun.

5.

A mu musi sical cal instru instrument ment can add another an other artis artistic tic dimen dimension. sion. An instru instrument ment can provide provide background, background, sound effects, effects, melmelody or accom accompa pani niment ment for a song that appears appears in the story.

6.

Props add some mod modest est raz zle-daz zle-daz zle. zle. Noth Nothing ing wrong with a little little glitz on occasion. Make that on rare oc occa casions. sions.

7. 7.

Sometimes, props are just fun. The right props They’re fun fun.. Sometimes, woven wo ven into the right story can be an ex extra tra delight delight for your lislisteners. ten ers. Just make sure the story can toler tol erate ate the disrup disruption tion of the props and that the props you use will have the desired desired effect.

1.

Who’s running this story anyway? Us Using ing anything anything except except your voice and body can be a juggling juggling act. Will your manip manipu ulation la tion of the stuff be a distraction that will distance dis tance you and the listen listeners ers from the telling? Are they wor ried that you’ll y ou’ll drop one of the balls?

The Minuses Minuses

Props 71

2.

Does the prop en enhance hance or detract detract from the story? Is this a better story with the prop? Do you really really need it? Creat Creating ing stories sto ries for use in paper-fold paper-folding, ing, paper-cut paper-cutting, ting, string tricks, and other simple simple crafts is a busy little little indus industry. try. The problem problem is that the stories can take a back seat to the activ ac tivity. ity. A story created cre ated just to be a showcase showcase for the skill or hand icraft lacks the depth and timeless timelessness ness of a tradi ditional tional tale. Be sure the story you choose is sturdy enough to be wor th telling, telling, not just an afterthought.

3.

Props can be a distrac traction, tion, and inter terfere fere with listen listeners. ers. This is an oral art form. Enough said. Alright, Alright, not quite enough. As you brandish brandish a new prop, listen listeners ers are pulled out of the story’s images images to stare at this thing you hold. Where’d you get it? How’d you make it? Is that really really what you want?

4.

Listeners Listen ers do not need props very often. of ten. The The whole idea of storytelling telling is that listen listeners ers imagine imagine the story inside inside their heads. The more props you pull out, the more you keep them from their appointed appointed task.

5.

The time you may spend in the local local This stuff takes time. time. The import im port store, or in sewing, sewing, polish polishing, ing, repair repairing, ing, and cutting, cutting, could be spent working working on the story.

Make It Work for You 1.

anything missmissTry tell telling ing the story without without the prop. Was anything ing? Yes? Okay, add it to the tale.

2.

If it is nec es essary sary to the au di di-Decide where the prop belongs. Decide be longs. If ence’s under understand standing ing of the story, then show it in the begin begin-ning, with a bit of intro introduc duction. tion. Don’t rush. Give listen listeners ers a chance to look it over. If it isn’t essen essential tial to the tale, consider con sider showing show ing it after after the story is finished. finished.

3.

to mini minimize the price that the lis Rehearse Re hearse using the prop prop to teners ten ers pay for its inclu inclusion sion..

4.

If you will use a prop peri pe riod odiiLeave it out, or put it away? away? If cally (like a musi musical cal in strument) leave it out. If it is one time only, well then . . . decide. decide. But decide decide in advance. advance. Do you want listen listeners ers to focus focus on the prop after after you’ve used it? Will it be awkward awkward or time-consum time-consuming ing to stuff it away? Will it get in


your way as you tell the rest of the story? Use the p rop during during a practice practice telling tell ing and see what will be best for you and your listen lis teners. ers. 5.

Don’t oversell the prop. prop. It It doesn’t matter matter that you bartered bartered for it on your fabu fabulous trip to the Falklands, or that you spent twenty-five hours making making it from crushed egg cartons. cartons. While you tell a story, the story must be the central central focus. focus.

6.

Answer: only Less is more. How many props is too many? Answer: you know. We think that, as is true for so many other aspects aspects of story storytell telling, ing, less is defi definitely more.

COSTUMES A costume costume is clothing clothing that is in contrast contrast to your regu regular garments. garments. Costumes Costumes can be period period pieces or a collec collection tion of garments and accesso cesso-ries that are eye catching and festive.

The Plusses 1.

The histor historiical coscosCostumes reveal Costumes reveal charac character ter and period. period. The tume can do some of the telling telling for you. By looking looking at you, the audi audience ence sees the period pe riod and the class the clothing clothing imimplies. When you dress as a commoner, commoner, no one will mistake mistake you for the king, for instance. instance.

2.

Costumes Cos tumes make for a fancy occa occasion. sion. Cos Costumes tumes are crowd pleasers. pleas ers. Those who tell stories stories outside outside often often dress to attract attract an audi audience. ence. Festive, Festive, eye-catching eye-catching clothing clothing can set a mood and theme for your presen presenta tation. tion.

3.

Costumes set the Costumes t he stage for stories told in the first person. person. The most obvi obvious ous appli applica cation tion is for histor historiical stories, stories, where the eyewit eyewitness ness teller recounts his or her expe peri rience. ence. Places like Colo Colonial nial Williamsburg have known this for decades. decades. Fantasy Fan tasy has a place also, since the requi req uisite site prin cess can dress for success, success, too.

4.

under sixty have rarely, if ever, Costumes Cos tumes teach. Most teach. Most folks under seen spats. Wearing Wearing a pair can edu educate as well as delight the audi au dience. ence.

Costumes Cos tumes 73

The Minuses Minuses 1.

Costumes tumes are simply simply props you don’t have the You’re stuck. Cos luxury lux ury of setting setting aside. You cannot cannot change your charac character ter easily, eas ily, and cannot cannot change the period period at all.

2.

Glad rags may mis mislead lead your audi audience. ence. If If you dress in some get-up that features features eye-catching, eye-catching, buffoonish fabrics fabrics and jewjewelry, you risk becom becoming ing “Carbun “Carbuncle cle the Clown” or some other generic generic children’s children’s performer—but performer—but without without the clown act or magic tricks.

3.

You can’t switch gears. You are tied to the period pe riod of the coscostume. The allur alluring ing princess princess dress you donned for the first story means you’re stuck in the realm. The alter alterna native tive is one we have both seen: the story storyteller teller races to a hastily hast ily arranged arranged sheet to perform perform a genteel genteel version version of “take it all off” to get to that next story. Not a pretty picture.

4.

Library brary staff is prone to costum costum-It seemed like a good idea. idea. Li ing during during programs programs for holi holidays like Hallow Halloween. een. Depend Depending ing upon the site, one will find every everyone one on the staff in full ghoulghoulish garb. It can be fun. f un. It can also be full of ef effort fort and uncom uncom-fortable. fort able.

5.

historiical, or You’ll fo focus cus on the cos tume tume.. If you wear a rare, histor valuable valu able costume, costume, you’ll be worried worried about getting getting it dirty, mucked up with sticky finger fingerprints, prints, or torn during during a dramatic dramatic gesture. ges ture. Your focus focus on protect protecting ing and present presenting ing the costume costume pulls you away from your primary primary mission: mission: telling the story.


Don’t fight the coscosTake the most rea reason sonable able approach. approach. Don’t tume. Choose a story that matches the costume cos tume and vice versa: a first person per son story from the period. period.

2.

Charac acter ter costumes costumes are almost almost as Don’t ac actu tually ally wear it. Char dramatic dra matic and effec effective tive if you bring them in on a hanger. hang er. Then they become become props.

3.

cosCreate Cre ate a “story “storytell telling ing costume.” costume.” Use the strengths of costuming tum ing and develop develop your own garment garment or accessory that sigsig-


nals, “It’s me! The Story Storyteller!” Many li librar brarian- and teachertellers tell ers have a hat, a vest, a coat, an apron, or a shawl that they wear whenever whenever they tell stories sto ries and only when they tell. It’s quite useful useful if you are usually usually dressed in the “Librar “Li brarian ian UniUniform” that says you’re all business. business. Use it to give a visual visual cue to your listen listeners: ers: This is it; we’re tell ing stories sto ries now.

PUPPETS Puppets Puppets include include finger finger puppets, puppets, hand puppets, puppets, mari marionettes, and dolls used as talking, talking, moving, moving, acting acting charac characters ters during during a story.

The Plusses 1.

They are more real Puppets Pup pets are REAL for young listen lis teners. ers. They than you are during during the story. Children Children will inter interact act with the puppet pup pet completely. completely.

2.

extrav travaagantly during during a story withwithPuppets Pup pets can misbe misbehave have ex out causing causing mayhem mayhem among listen listeners. ers.

3.

You can have a conver versa sation tion with your puppet. pet. This This afaffords you an oppor opportu tunity nity to talk to the puppet puppet and thus have two partic particiipants telling the story. s tory. That’s fun f un for lit little tle kids.

4.

Puppets Pup pets can act as the court fool. Our fool. Our friend Willy Claflin, a brilliant brilliant puppe puppeteer teer and very witty fellow, fel low, has as many folfollowers low ers among adults as he has among chil children. dren. The antics antics of Maynard Moose, his puppet puppet alter alter ego, make small ones giggiggle, and his comments comments on the body poli politic make adults laugh as well. The court fool could speak the truth to the king with wit and tomfool tomfoolery. ery. A puppet puppet can do the same, with you as straight man.

5.

Mister ter Rogers Rogers was You can re reveal veal another another side of yourself. your self. Mis a famously famously shy man who could become become someone someone else with a puppet pup pet compan companion. ion. So can you.

6.

Puppets Pup pets can be just a delight. de light. When used well and made into an inte integral gral part of story storytell telling, ing, puppets puppets can be a crowd-pleasing crowd-pleas ing joy. Puppets Puppets cross simple simple story storytell telling ing with

Puppets Pup pets 75

scripted play making, making, but if that appeals, appeals, puppets puppets can be an efeffective fec tive addi addition. tion.

The Minuses Minuses 1.

Puppets pets are Puppets Pup pets always always upstage the han handler. dler. Always. Always. Pup the ulti ultimate mate prop. They always always take the audi audience. ence. Always. Always. Extract Ex tract a skuzzy, feature featureless less finger finger puppet puppet of inde indeter termi minate nate age, genus, genus, and phylum, phylum, push it onto your finger, finger, and that puppet pup pet instantly instantly becomes becomes real and impor im portant. The pup puppet pet IS the story.

2.

Your hand is no longer longer yours. It You lose one of your hands. hands. Your belongs be longs to the puppet. puppet.

3.

Puppets Pup pets are REAL for young lis ten teners. ers. Al Although though puppets puppets are irre irresist sistible ible to many small children, chil dren, conversely, conversely, some are at best puzzled, puzzled, at worst genu genuinely frightened, frightened, of the bewitch bewitch-ing little little charac characters. ters.

4.

Some dex dexter terity ity is required. required. Not much, but some. If you choose a simple simple hand puppet puppet whose movements movements are limited, limited, you can get away with not doing doing very much. Complex Complex puppuppets require require complex complex movements. movements.

5.

You have to make pup puppets pets to fit your story. Not story. Not just any puppet pup pet will do for a story. The puppet puppet has to match the charcharacter ac ter it repre represents. sents. That means that you’ll have to ei ther cuscustom make (or buy) your puppets, puppets, or revise revise the story so that puppet pup pet and story match.

6.

Puppets Pup pets mandate mandate extra extra practice. practice. Puppets Puppets intro introduce duce two new aspects aspects of your story that need practice: practice: your general general puppet pup pet skills and the chore choreog ogra raphy phy for what your puppet puppet is going go ing to do while you tell the story. This means lots of extra extra practice prac tice with this upstart upstart atten attention tion grabber grabber after after you have learned the story. The puppet puppet is depend depending ing on you to make it move and act as it should—every should—every moment, moment, start to finish finish of the story. But those who have watched good puppet puppet shows know the effort effort can be well worth it.



Above all, keep it sim simple. ple. Let the puppet puppet do the work and you take a bemused bemused back seat.

2.

Consider sider puppets puppets only if you like them Make it a good fit. Con enough to shoulder shoulder the extra extra work, if they fit with your natu natural story storytell telling ing style, and if they fit well with your yo ur story.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Audience Audi ence partic particiipa pation tion uses the audi audience ence to contrib contribute ute to the story. That inclu inclusion sion may be either either planned or impro improvised vised on your part. You may rehearse rehearse the audi audience ence on their part(s) or not. It may include include vocal vocal or physiical responses phys responses or both both.. These responses responses can include include chants, rerepeated phrases, songs, gestures, gestures, movements, movements, and, sometimes, sometimes, guesses and opinions. Audience Audi ence partic particiipa pation tion runs the gamut from the subtle subtle to the outra outra-geous. Some tellers place spe specific cific activ tiviities along this contin tinuum uum acaccording cord ing to the size and complex complexity ity of the audi audience’s ence’s partic particiipa pation, tion, some by the amount of mana manage gerial rial control control effort effort the teller must expend. expend. We have broken broken our discus discussion sion of audi audience ence partic particiipa pation tion in half, using using as the divid di viding ing line whether you physically bring audi audience ence members members up on stage with you (a “Cast of Thousands” Thou sands” story), or do not. This first part covers cov ers audi audience ence partic particiipa pation tion when you keep them out in the audience.

The Plusses 1.

Particiipa Partic pation tion works. It works. It is built into scores of stories. stories. That’s because be cause it works. It works to as sist listen listeners ers in remem remember bering the story through chants, songs, rhymes, and move movements. ments. Just as we all make up mnemonics to re remem member ber a parking parking place, a grocery gro cery list, Henry VIII’s wives, so partic particiipa pation tion helps listen listen-ers keep the story.

2.

Partic Par ticiipa pation tion is an unri unrivaled valed way to engage engage young children. children. As all story storytell tellers ers know, when you ask a child to “help” with a story, you don’t have to ask twice. Kids are ready. With parparticiipa tic pation, tion, the story storyteller teller gathers gathers the energy energy and high spirits spirits of young listen listeners ers and directs directs it toward to ward telling telling the story together. together.

Audi Au dience ence Partic Particiipa pation tion 77

3.

It is an equal op oppor portu tunity nity device. device. Par Partic ticiipa pation tion does not rerequire anything anything extra. extra. Anyone Anyone can do it.

4.

particiipa pation tion story can vary It’s a good change of pace. One partic the offer offerings, ings, giving giving a nice change of pace in a longer longer program. program.

5.

It’s fun.

6.

Many peo people ple are kines esthetic thetic learners. Vo Vocal cal and physi physical roles help them re tain the story.

1.

particiipa pation tion It’s easy to over overuse use this technique. technique. One or two partic stories sto ries give a pleasing pleas ing texture texture to a program, program, but more amp up the audi audience ence and feed the cultural cultural assump assumption tion that children, children, in partic par ticu ular, always, always, always always need those colored colored lights.

2.

Assigned, As signed, rehearsed rehearsed partic particiipa pation tion can pull listen lis teners ers out of the story. The story. The excite excitement ment of being being a contrib contribut uting ing “cast memmember” can upstage upstage story content. content. Kendall Kendall conducted conducted a study that showed that children children tend to remem remember ber their partic particiipation and not the story . (See “Note” “No te” at the end of the chap ter for a descrip de scription tion of the study.)

3.

Traffic Traf fic manage management ment is a neces necessary sary compo component. nent. A roomful roomful of children children can quickly get out of control control when asked to parparticiipate. This technique tic technique requires requires some forethought. forethought. How will you signal signal the begin beginning ning of the partic particiipa pation? tion? How will you ensure en sure that it will end?

4.

You can over oversell sell the idea. idea. Your instruc instructions tions for how and when to partic particiipate should be brief, simple, simple, and fast. There is no need to rehearse, rehearse, to review review crowd control, control, and to conduct. conduct. Simply Sim ply repeat repeat what you wish listen listeners’ ers’ to do, and then move on. Children, Children, espe especially, cially, are very good contex contextual tual learners learners and will catch on. If you teach the movement movement or vocals vocals until until every ev eryone one is well rehearsed rehearsed and compli compliant, ant, your perfor performance mance will be over and the kids will be at re cess. Re lax.

5.

Partic Par ticiipa pation tion engages engages the listener, listener, but nothing nothing replaces replaces a quiet, compel compelling ling story from the story storyteller teller alone.

The Minuses Minuses



We think it’s best to Differ Dif ferent ent levels, levels, differ different ent guidelines. guidelines. We split the way you think of audi audience ence partic particiipa pation tion into three sepaarate situ sep situations and approach approach each differ differently. ently. • Situ Situation 1: Encour Encourage age seemingly seemingly sponta spontane neous ous partic particii When audi audience ence members members sponta spontane neously, ously, verbally verbally pation. pa tion. When inter in teract act with story situ sit uations or call out to story charac characters, ters, they partic particiipate in the story without without being being pulled out of their story images. images. Even pre-teens will sponta spontane neously ously chime in with repeated repeated lines in a story—if the teller sets it up and encour encourages ages that partic particiipa pation. tion. Set it up by how you say key repeated repeated lines. Add fixed gestures ges tures and body movements movements to rein reinforce force the pattern pattern of those lines. Say the lines slowly and rhythmi rhyth mically cally while smiling smil ing and nodding nodding at the audi audience. ence. By the second second or third appear ap pearance ance of these lines, the audi au dience ence will jump in all on their own. You can also tell stories stories the audi audience ence knows and have a charac character ter stumble stumble over well-known lines. Younger Younger audi audi-ences will always sponta tane neously ously dive in to make sure the charac char acters ters get it right. What does that look like? Consider Consider the wolf’s huffing, huffing, puffing, puff ing, and blowing blowing line. You know the one. Say it with a slow, rhythmic rhythmic head nod and rolls of your hands to encour encour-age partic particiipa pation. tion. “I’ll huff . . . and I’ll Puff . . . and I’ll . . .” (pause, pause). As you expec pectantly tantly arch your brows, ev ery child in the room will sponta spontane neously ously join in to finish finish the line. Alter Alternately, nately, you could have your wolf forget forget or stumble stumble over the line. “And I’ll, uhh . . . blow your house up. . . In? . . . Over? . . . ” Again, every every child will leap to the rescue rescue to ververbally straighten out you, the momen momentarily tarily befud befuddled dled wolf. You may also pause during during the story and, as either either a story charac character ter or the story narra narrator, tor, ask some story-related story-related question ques tion of the audi audience. ence. It’s best if the question ques tion is really really rhetor rhe toriical and your contin continu uation of o f the story doesn’t de d epend on their answer. answer. This unre unrehearsed hearsed inter interac action tion as part of the story is delight delightful ful for younger younger audi audiences, ences, and—as is true at classic clas sic melodrama melodrama theater—fun theater—fun even for adults.

Audi Au dience ence Partic Particiipa pation tion 79

Situation 2: Assigned, Assigned, prerehearsed partic par ticiipa pation. tion. At • Situ this level, you will assign assign roles to part or all of the audi audience, ence, but roles that keep them in their seats. Assign Assign and rehearse rehearse audi au dience ence lines only when you want the expe experi rience ence of parparticiipa tic pation tion to be the focus. focus. Make sure that the lines (or gesgestures) you force them to repeat repeatedly edly say will be fun, memo mem ora rable, ble, and worth their while. Be sure the time and efeffort to teach them their lines and the ex extra tra work to manage manage and control control their partic ticiipa pation tion will be worth it. This activ ac tivity ity is best for preschool preschool and primary primary ages. But keep their lines and gestures gestures short. While telling tell ing the Jewish folktale folktale “It Could Al ways Be Worse,” (see the excel excellent lent version version by Harve Zemach and Margot Zemach), you could assign assign differ different ent sections sections of the audi au dience ence to cluck, moo, or grunt to repre represent sent the vari various groups of ani animals that are, one by one, stuffed into the house. Questions Questions to consider: consider: How will you cue them to start? More impor important, tant, how will you cue them to stop? ReRehearse your control control plan as much as you do their assigned as signed lines. • Situ movements ments Situation 3: Take the seat belts off. Adding move to the audi audience’s ence’s assigned assigned partic participa ipation tion lets them rise up out of their seats (or up off the floor) and flop about the room like beached mackerel. mackerel. It’s chaotic chaotic fun for them, but a poten po tential tial nightmare nightmare for you. It is easy to lose control control of the audi au dience, ence, and diffi difficult cult (at best) to regain regain it. Don’t tread into these mine-filled waters waters unless unless you are sure your manage manage-ment plan will keep you in control. control. Our advice advice is to use this type of partic particiipa pation tion sparingly sparingly and only with young chilchildren. 2.

encourage, age, even plan for, this kind of Make it easy. You can encour partic par ticiipa pation. tion. You can repeat repeat the desired desired phrase or movement movement slowly, smiling smiling all the while, slowing slow ing down your deliv delivery. ery. By the second second or third try the audi audience ence mem bers jump right in all on their own.

3.

Sometimes times during during the story an Watch for a good op oppor portu tunity. nity. Some oppor op portu tunity nity for partic particiipa pation tion just jumps right out. The audi audience ence usually usu ally leads the way, and you can take advan ad vantage tage of it. This technique tech nique is tailor-made tailor-made for sponta spontane neity ity and impro improvi visa sation. tion.


“CAST OF THOUSANDS” STORIES These are stories stories in which you bring audi audience ence members members up on stage to help you tell the story. “Cast of Thousands” Thousands” stories stories combine combine partic particiipa pa-tion with theater. theater. Audi Audience ence members members are recruited recruited on the spot to take part in the story that is “performed” “performed” before before the rest of the listen listeners. ers. Not exten exten-sively rehearsed, rehearsed, this technique technique takes advan advantage tage of the moment moment and uses a well-prepared story with several charac acters ters and a simple simple plot line.

The Plusses 1.

This is cha chaotic otic fun. fun. A natu natural for family family programs, programs, this is wild. Kids and adults can be recruited re cruited willy-nilly and pressed into service. service. There is fun in the transfor transforma mation tion and in the “on“onstage” nego negoti tiaations and arrange arrangements. ments. Best for a large crowd.

2.

auThis can show showcase an an old old story and make it new. new. With audience di ence members members transformed transformed into pigs, elves, or the Bremen Bremen Town Musi Musicians, cians, the story becomes becomes new.

3.

This cre creates ates oppor opportu tuni nities ties for sponta spontane neous ous story making. making. The very act of hauling hauling folks out of the audi audience ence signals signals that this isn’t going going to be rehearsed. rehearsed. Give folks permis permission sion to ad lib a bit and add to their charac characters. ters. Part of the pleasure pleasure is seeseeing what the cast can come up with.

1.

It’s a mine minefield. field. So be fully prepared prepared before before attempt attempting ing this one. It might not work or that it will be dif fi ficult cult to control. control. Some library sto story rytellers tellers are more comfort comfortable with this nono tion than are others. others. Let your temper temperaament be your guide.

2.

You are going going to recruit, recruit, It’s all about traf traffic fic manage management. ment. You manage, man age, and coax the sponta tane neous ous cast. You’re not really really the story sto ryteller teller this time.

3.

cannot choose every everyone, one, Re jec jection tion is hard to take. You cannot right? If you do no one o ne will be watching. watching. It is hard on the kids who don’t make the cut.

4.

There’s a fair amount of ad advance vance work. work. You will need to make a script of the story for yourself, yourself, create create simple simple lines for

The Minuses Minuses

Note 81

the charac characters, ters, and quickly rehearse rehearse them. Adapting Adapting this way can take time.


chosen a very simsimDo your home homework. work. Make sure you have chosen ple story with lots of possi possible ble parts.

2.

extra staff person, person, or an adult from the Ask for help. Grab an extra crowd to help line folks up, get them off, or whisper whisper the missmissing line.

3.

Braying ing donkeys donkeys and clucking clucking chickens chickens Use sound effects. Bray make it possi possible ble for even the youngest youngest to shine. And the flock can be as large or as small as is u se seful. ful.

4.

unless it is an all-kid Be sure to re recruit cruit adults. That is, unless group. If so, then look around carefully carefully to be sure you choose coop co oper eraative volun volunteers teers from all ages and all cultures cul tures repre repre-sented. This can mean fast footwork, foot work, but a group of kids in the library li brary usually usually means a visit from a class. A school visit means staff are pres ent. Good. Let the teacher help you select. select.

5.

Go crazy. Might as well use some small props for the charac charac-ters. Try some little little half-masks for each an imal.

NOTE In an unpub unpublished lished study done in 2000 in six Las Vegas Ve gas schools, Kendall Kend all told one partic particiipa pation tion story and one nonparticipation story to six in-school, primary primary grade audi audiences ences (total (total audi audience ence just over 1,400). All stories sto ries were origi original stories. stories. None were famil familiar iar to the vari various audi audi-ences. He varied varied both the stories stories and the order order in which they were told. He asked the teachers teach ers not to discuss discuss the stories stories with their students, stu dents, to wait one day, and to then ask students, students, without without discus discussion, sion, to draw one picture pic ture from one of the two stories stories (nomi (nominally as part of a thank-you letter).


Over one-third of the teachers teachers followed followed through as asked. Of the 420 pictures pictures Kendall Kendall received, received, three-quarters three-quarters were from the story in which students students did not have have assigned assigned partic particiipa pation tion lines. A third of the pictures pic tures from the partic particiipa pation tion stories stories were of the children children saying saying their lines. When they were given assigned assigned partic particiipa pation tion lines, their memory memory of their partic particiipa pation tion overshad overshadowed owed their memory of the story.

HAPTER 12 C Let the Stories Roll! Now that you are on the way to becom becoming ing a seasoned seasoned story storyteller, teller, it is time to develop de velop more ways to incor incorpo porate rate stories stories into your work and into the library’s library’s programs. Do Doing ing so will keep you fresh and your enenthusi thu siasm asm intact. intact. The sugges suggestions tions below below are just that, sug ges gestions. tions. We know you’ll develop develop better ones because because you know your system system and its available avail able resources. resources. That includes includes the level of inter interest est and support support you may antic anticiipate from your admin adminis istra tration. tion. If you are fortu fortunate nate enough to have an admin adminis istra trator tor who nudged YOU into story storytell telling—great, ing—great, thank your lucky stars. The next best thing is someone someone who is neither neither for nor against, someone someone who allows allows you to make a persua persuasive sive case for your plans. Let’s hope one of these two situ situations reflects reflects yours. If not, let’s hope no one will discour discourage age you, since changing negative attitudes always adds a layer of work. Choose what pleases you; ignore ignore what doesn’t apply. apply.

83

84 Chapter Chapter 12—Let the Stories Sto ries Roll!

WHERE TO START Start with simple, low-cost ac activ tiviities within your own system, system, or single sin gle library. library. Host a monthly story-sharing story-sharing meeting meeting for inter interested ested staff. Encour Encour-age folks to tell, but don’t make it manda mandatory, tory, so that they can come and listen lis ten until until they are embold em boldened ened to try. This kind of thing should sh ould be open to every everyone, one, not just librar librariians. It is wise to have a ro rotat tating ing host, so that you’re not always always the one ripping ripping open the bags of cookies cookies and heating heating the water water for the chaste herbal teas. If your own library li brary is too small to support sup port such an under undertak taking, ing, then seek out staff in neighbor neighboring ing libraries to join you. Set up a simple simple listserv to encour encourage age story swapping, swapping, reviews reviews of stories sto ries told, and collec collections tions used. It is partic particu ularly useful useful to get war stostories, that is, accounts accounts of what worked and what didn’t. This should be ananecdotal ec dotal and easygo easygoing, ing, with the empha emphasis sis on begin beginners. ners. No lecturing allowed. Expand the story-swapping Expand story-swapping group if yours works well. w ell. You can put a notice notice in the usual outlets outlets and invite invite the public public in. Since it will be ongo on go-ing, say every every month, then a modest modest success success suffices suffices in the begin beginning. ning. This is differ different ent from a library library program program of themed story collect collecting ing such as remi reminis niscences cences from World War II (see below). below). This is simply a story-sharing story-shar ing group for listen listeners ers and tellers tellers alike. You will likely enen counter coun ter the usual re sponse: “What ex exactly actly is this?” Be pre pared to an an-swer that question question by having having some stories stories of your own to share and thus demonstrate “what it is.”

SPECIAL PROGRAMS You can formal formalize ize the idea of story sharing sharing by hosting hosting a program program for the public public (include (include staff) that is orga organized nized around a single single sort of story or idea (theme). Here are some simple sim ple ones: stories from vet veter erans ans of wars, collec collection tion of local local history history tales, grandchil grandchildren dren solic solicit iting ing stories stories from grandpar grandparents, ents, reci recipes and the stories stories behind behind them (with the possi possi-bility bil ity of publish publishing ing the findings.) findings.) You can rein reinforce force the impor importance of tradi tra ditional tional tales by devel de velop oping ing a theme and then present presenting ing some related folktales that you tell.

More Ambi Ambitious tious Ideas 85

This is a little little more diffi difficult cult than elicit iting ing personal or family tales, but worth doing. doing. Your commu community’s nity’s culture culture and identity identity will suggest suggest possi pos sibil biliities. Most of these programs programs are tailor-made tailor-made for collab collabo ora ration tion with other orga organi niza zations. tions. The local local quilting quilting group can partner partner with neeneedle tales or reminis niscences; cences; the local his histo torian rian or cura curator tor can help with stories sto ries about your commu community nity or region. region. You’ll think of others. others. Story Story-telling tell ing festi festival val orga organiz nizers ers are often often inter interested ested in these partner partnerships. ships. Jim May, a fine story storyteller teller from Illi Illinois, nois, encour encouraged aged stories stories from local local seniors by presenting the opportunity at his local library.

MORE AMBITIOUS IDEAS 1.

designed to get your colcolBegin Be gin with a bang. bang. This one is designed leagues to buy in at the begin be ginning. ning. Hire a really really good story story-telling tell ing edu educa cator tor for a one-time-only workshop workshop for staff. (You could invite invite the public public as well, of course.) We have found that it is more effective to al allot lot a long morning morning at least. We know this idea presents presents all sorts of issues, issues, chief among them a schedul sched uling ing challenge. challenge. Still, we think the effort effort is worth it. AdAdminis min istra trative tive support support and encour encourage agement ment are essen essential tial here. The library library direc director tor needs to get behind this and attend. The bene benefits are consid consider erable. able. The whole staff sees firstfirst hand what story storytell telling ing is, how much fun it can be, and how affect af fecting ing the tales are for everyone. Staff mem members bers get to practice prac tice in a safe envi en viron ronment, and ev every eryone one is an equal partpartner. Librar Libraries ies are, as we librar li brariians know all too well, hier hierar ar-chical chi cal by nature. nature. For instance, instance, a young, inex inexpe peri rienced enced librar li brarian can find herself in charge of a staff with years of exexperi pe rience. ence. In this workshop workshop every everyone one has stories stories to tell.

2.

Story Sto rytell telling ing kickoff. kickoff. While a day of learning learning is inher inherently ently valuable, valu able, you can extend extend the value by using using the workshop workshop day as a kickoff kickoff for story storytell telling ing in your library. library. This requires requires work, coor coordi dina nation, tion, brainstorm brainstorming, ing, cross-depart cross-departmen mental tal coop coop-eraation, and good PR. That’s lots of work. Mount er Mounting ing this kind of program programmatic matic machine machine suggests suggests that you might as well ofof fer a lot of oppor opportu tuni nities ties for telling telling and listen listening, ing, since the work will be no more if you do. Here are some ideas:

86 Chapter Chapter 12—Let the Stories Sto ries Roll!

• Invite groups to tell their partic ticu ular sorts of tales. The Tejas Story Sto rytell telling ing Festi Festival val decided decided to invite invite local local lawyers lawyers from Denton, Texas, to the fes ti tival val to tell their stories. sto ries. It was a rousing rous ing success, success, and certainly certainly one of the best-attended best-attended events of the weekend. weekend. Lawyers use u se stories all the time, so it wasn’t wasn’t diffi ficult cult to find some to step up. • Send Send li library-sto brary-story rytell tellers ers out into the commu community nity to offer offer short programs programs of tales. The tradi traditional tional clubs and service service orga or gani niza zations tions are always always looking looking for speakers, speakers, so contact contact the Rotary, Rotary, the Chamber Chamber of Commerce, Commerce, etc. Use these or simi similar ideas as orga organiz nizing ing themes during during your story storytell telling ing month, or week . . . or even day. 3.

Produce Pro duce your own library library story storytell telling ing festi festival. val. There There are several sev eral models, models, includ including ing the King County Library Library System System Storyfest Inter Interna national. tional. That one presents presents profes professional sional story story-tellers, tell ers, but you can also use staff and commu community nity story storytell tellers ers to good effect. effect. The renais renaissance sance of story storytell telling ing has produced produced festi fes tivals vals and events and a related re lated wealth of infor informa mation tion about planning plan ning story storytell telling ing events. You can also ring up the nearest nearest story sto rytell telling ing festi festival’s val’s direc director tor and get some good advice. advice. This pro ject re requires quires lots of work, make no mistake. mistake. It also requires a budget and administrative support. You can combine combine an invited invited teller or two with commu commu-nity story storytell telling ing and workshops. workshops. Librar Libraries ies have partnered partnered with arts orga organi niza zations tions to produce produce many story storytell telling ing events. A quick Web search or a call to the National National Story Storytell telling ing NetNetwork (NSN) will yield lots of ideas, refer referrals, rals, infor information, mation, and exam examples. ples. If you decide decide to hire a profes professional sional teller, then get your money’s worth. Hustle Hustle these folks out into the commu com munity, nity, and offer offer them as moti motiva vational tional speakers speakers to city councils, councils, clubs, and groups. Of course, cou rse, once you’ve got a trained, moti moti-vated, confi confident dent group of staff story storytell tellers, ers, they can do it as well.

Keep on Keeping Keeping On 87

KEEP ON KEEPING ON Consider treating Consider treating the nearest nearest story storytell telling ing festi festival val as an oppor opportu tunity nity for an in-service in-service training training for your staff. It requires requires a budget budget for regis registra tra-tion, but that is money well spent if staff members mem bers come back revved up and ready to tell. Set up a profes professional col collec lection tion of tales, sourcebooks, and guides for staff to use. Yes, this will create a small dent in the collec col lection tion devel devel-opment op ment budget, budget, but an enter enterprise prise is only as good as its tools. The most impor important tant invest investment ment is a philosoph philosophiical one. If you can reach system system consen consensus sus about the impor importance tance of story storytell telling ing as a part of library li brary service, service, then it is easier eas ier to create create oppor opportu tuni nities ties for profes professional sional devel de velop opment, ment, program programmatic matic appli applica cations, tions, and a broad, flexible definition. Do what librar libraries ies are already already good at doing: doing: finding finding the answer answer or the resource. resource. Librar Librariians who are knowledge knowledgeable able about story storytell telling ing and stories—or sto ries—or inter terested ested in becom becoming ing so—can act as a very effec ef fective re re-source. Biblio Bibliographic graphic support support for story storytell telling ing can be a make-or-break activ ac tivity. ity. When a staff story storyteller teller can quickly put her finger finger on a brief list of stories stories to choose from, the chances are that she will find a good one, learn it, and an d tell it with dis patch. Inter In terested staff can collab col labo orate on lists of stories stories that work for holi holidays, outreach outreach presen presenta tations, tions, partic particu ular ages or themes, really really any sort of occa occasion. sion. Of course, there are books that have antic anticiipated this need, but we have a less for f ormal mal approach approach in mind. Just a quick list of, say, fifteen fifteen to twenty stories stories at the ready that are easy to get to and easy to use. Remem Re member ber to include include several several very short stories (one to three minutes long). A REALLY big idea is to commit commit to story rytell telling ing as an essen essential tial lilibrary service service by identi identify fying ing a staff person person as the primary primary resource. resource. This means formal formaliz izing ing your inten intention tion by putting putting story storytell telling ing activ activiities, supsupport, edu educa cation, tion, and training training in the job descrip description. tion. This is a bold, even presump pre sumptu tuous ous idea, we know, since librar libraries ies are chroni chronically underfunded and under understaffed. staffed. However, However, when one person person is charged with a profes professional sional story storytell telling ing concen concentra tration, tion, the commit commitment ment to story story-telling tell ing is made mani manifest in his or her work. He or she can train, of course, but also provide provide stories stories to tell, create create programs programs for telling telling them, and, best of all, estab establish lish a contin continu uous kind of encour encourage agement ment that miti mitigates against “The Predictable Disappearance of the Really Good, WellMeaning Mean ing Idea.”

p pendix pen dix 1 A The Structure of Sto Stories ries Most of the time you’ll tell tested, proven stories. sto ries. You’ll get them out of published published books. You won’t have to evalu evaluate the effec effective tiveness ness of the story’s structure. structure. Collec Collectors, tors, authors, authors, edi editors, and past tellers tellers have done that for you. You’ll focus focus on learning learning and telling. However, it’s good to consider However, consider the essen essential tial ele elements of a story that you’ll need to get across to your audi audience. ence. Over the past fifteen fifteen years, cogni cog nitive tive research research has confirmed confirmed what tellers tellers and writers writers have known intu in tuitively itively for centu turies: ries: the human mind is liter lit erally ally hardwired hardwired to inter inter-pret infor informa mation tion and expe experi rience ence in a specific specific story form, and in accor accor-dance with a specific specific story structure. structure. Humans Humans make sense out of what they see and hear by using using story structure structure to create meaning and understanding. This is certainly certainly our belief belief and our obser observa vation tion from, collec collectively, tively, fifty years of story storytell telling ing expe experi rience. ence. It is also the consis con sistent tent conclu conclusion sion of recent recent science science re search. (See the endnote endno te for a list of some of these studies.) stud ies.) These, and thirty other research research studies, studies, have all confirmed confirmed that the human human brain receives, receives, inter interprets, prets, processes, processes, under understands, stands, relates relates to, creates cre ates meaning meaning from, remem remembers, bers, and recalls recalls expe experi rience ence and infor informa ma-tion by using using specific internal mental story maps.

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90 Appen Appendix dix 1—The Structure Structure of Stories

The studies studies have shown that the power and allure al lure of stories stories ema emanates from five ele elements of infor informa mation tion around which stories stories are conconstructed. These five ele elements form the infor informa mational tional core of a story. Three reasons reasons why it’s worth your while to under understand stand these ele elements: 1.

Some as aspects of a story are more cru crucial cial to listen teners ers than othothers. Know ing the anat anatomy omy of stories stories saves you time.

2.

The more you un under derstand stand the core ele elements of a story, the easeasier it is to learn the story and the more comfort comfortably you’ll you’ ll tell it.

3.

Recogniz Recog nizing ing these ele elements will help you identify identify stories stories that will be easy for you to learn and tell.

WHAT IS A STORY? WHAT IS We find that story structural analysis using using these five ele elements is useful. use ful. It is a valuable valuable way to look at stories, stories, to assess assess why they work—or don’t work—for you, to deepen your under understand standing ing of narra narra-tive, and to facil ciliitate your storytelling. So what are ar e these five es sen sential tial ele elements of stories? stories? A story is a unique and specific specific narra narrative tive structure structure that includes includes a sense of complete complete-ness. Stories Stories have a begin beginning ning point and a defined defined ending ending point. They come to resolution. Stories pass on wisdom, Stories wisdom, expe experi rience, ence, infor informa mation, tion, and facts. Stories Stories shape beliefs beliefs and values. values. They are the building building blocks of knowledge, knowledge, the founda foun dation tion of memory memory and learning. learning. Stories Stories model effec effective tive use of lanlanguage. They create create empa empathy, thy, provide provide perspec perspectives tives though which we can view other times and other worlds, and connect connect us with the deepest deep est asaspects of our human humanity. ity. Stories Stories link past, present, present, and future future by teaching teaching us to use past expe experi rience ence to antic anticiipate the possi possible ble future future consequences of our present actions. charac acter teris istics tics of a story. What is a story? But these are char

Charac Char acter ter charac acters ters. Story events happen All stories stories are about char happen to charac characters. ters.


Character Charac ter and plot are con joined twins, really, really, for we can’t have a story without without them. Here, the word charac character ter includes includes both the exis existence tence of the physi physical entity entity and the descrip descriptive tive detail detail provided provided in the story so that listen listeners ers will be able to see, identify, iden tify, and under understand stand the character. Beginning Begin ning tellers tellers may be misled misled or confused confused when compar comparing ing the abundant abun dant charac character ter detail detail lavished lavished on charac characters ters popu populat lating ing modern modern litliterary er ary stories stories to the rela relative paucity paucity of charac character ter detail detail explic explicitly itly proprovided in tradi traditional tional tales. The frugal frugality of char charac acter ter detail detail in folktales is not an oversight, but a clever de design sign charac character teris istic. tic. The charac acters ters are often of ten predict predictable, able, even stereo stereotyp typiical, so that the listener lis tener can quickly identify iden tify the charac character’s ter’s place and purpose purpose in the story. No time is wasted. Rather than breaking breaking the norm with unex unexpected, pected, quirky, even unique combi combina nations tions of charac character ter traits, the charac char acters ters in folktales folktales are the norm. That, in large part, is their value and appeal. Coyote is the trick trickster ster from the Southwestern United States and Mexico. Mex ico. There isn’t a lot of subtlety subtlety and nuance. nuance. He is who he is: a tricktrickster who lives by his wits and gets in and out of trouble trouble with deli delicious cious regu reg ular larity. ity. He is complex, complex, but not presented presented with compli complicated cated charac character ter descrip de scription tion and devel develop opment. ment. For that, we need to schedule schedule a visit with the fictional giants. The large number of tra tradi ditional char charac acters ters who are neither neither admi admira rable nor appeal appealing ing sometimes sometimes surprises surprises fledgling fledgling story storytell tellers. ers. They’re useful, useful, though, for they often often embody embody an unde undesir sirable able trait: greed, ava avarice, cruelty, cruelty, and presump presumption, tion, among many others. others. Thus, the main charac character ter may be the very one who teaches by nega negative exam example ple or by transfor transforma mation. tion. A caution. caution. These charac characters, ters, like their stories, stories, come from, and reprepresent, re sent, specific specific cultures. cultures. For the most part, we are not members members of those cultures, cul tures, and certainly certainly are not from the period period when the story was colcollected. That means we have to work a bit to discover discover the charac character’s ter’s sigsignifiicance. It won’t always nif always be obvi obvious ous from the story’s text without without a basic ba sic under understand standing ing of the culture. culture.

Intent In tent Interest Inter esting ing charac characters ters don’t ramble ramble through stories stories for no reason. reason. They are always always after after something. What a charac acter ter is after after in a story is called a goal a goal . Goals can shift during during a story. Charac Characters ters can be stuck bebetween two oppos opposing ing goals. But charac characters, ters, like real people, people, always always have a reason reason for what they do.


Every story is about the goal of the main charac Every character. ter. An exam example: ple: Once there was a girl named Mary who wanted some ice cream . That one sentence presents a char charac acter ter and a goal. We al ready know how the story will end: we’ll find out if Mary gets her ice cream or not. (Stories (Stories end when the main charac character’s ter’s goal is resolved.) resolved.) We will also use that goal to estab establish lish the point and purpose purpose to every every action action and event in the story. In or der for this goal to propel propel a charac character ter through a story’s dangers, dangers, trials, tri als, and tribu tribula lations tions (the plot), the goal must be im portant to that charcharmotive tive. The more imacter. ac ter. What makes the goal impor important is called a mo important por tant the goal (the bigger bigger the motive), motive), the more suspense suspenseful ful and intrigu in triguing ing the story. Together, Together, goal and motive motive create create a character’s intent.

Conflicts Con flicts and Problems Problems Conflicts and prob problems lems are the ob sta stacles cles that a charac char acter ter must concontend with to reach a goal. Obsta Ob stacles cles can be inter ternal nal (fears, conflict flicting ing wants, igno ignorance, rance, beliefs, beliefs, etc.) or exter ex ternal. nal. Exter External nal obsta obstacles cles can either ei ther be problems problems (It’s too hot. It’s too far. There’s a mountain mountain to cross.) or conflicts con flicts (a troll, an evil wizard, a dragon, etc.). The antag antago onist is of great impor im portance tance to a story, as that being be ing repre repre-sents the greatest greatest single single conflict conflict a main charac acter ter will have to face. EvEv eryone ery one loves to hate a good antag antago onist. The more power powerful ful and ruthless ruthless the antag antago onist, the more listen listeners ers root for the main charac character. ter. Certainly Certainly a charac char acter ter can be his or her own worst enemy—one’s own an antag tago onist. The best fighting fighting is often against oneself. Conflicts and problems Conflicts problems create create two things listen listeners ers care about a lot: risk represents sents the likeli likelihood hood that something something will go wrong. and danger danger . Ris Risk k repre Danger Dan ger is is the conse consequence quence (what happens) happens) to a story charac character ter when somesomething does go wrong. Excite Excitement ment does not come from what happens happens in a story (the action). action). It comes comes from knowing knowing what could happen—the happen—the risk and danger cre created ated by the conflicts conflicts that the main charac character ter must face.

Struggles Strug gles (Plot) Struggles are what a charac Struggles character ter does (the action, action, the plot) to overovercome obsta obstacles cles and reach a goal. Charac Char acters ters must do something. something. Listen Listen-ers don’t want it to be easy for story charac characters. ters. The more charac characters ters


struggle—in struggle —inter ternally nally and exter externally—the nally—the more gripping gripping the story is. Plot sequences must follow fol low some logic, some under un derstand standable able pattern— tempo tem poral ral sequenc sequencing, ing, cause-and-effect cause-and-effect sequenc sequencing, ing, etc. Listen Listeners ers rely on the plot to guide them through events that unfold unfold around charac characters ters in a story.

Details De tails A few key sensory sensory details details about the charac characters, ters, settings, settings, actions, actions, and ob jects make a story seem real and vivid to listen listeners. ers. Story details details make it possi possible ble for listen listeners to vi visu sualize alize a story in their minds. These five ele elements form the under underpin pinning ning of success successful ful stories. stories. If you see them clearly as you read a story, it will make it easier eas ier for you to learn the story and will save you precious precious time. An exam example ple will help clarify clar ify these ele elements and their role in a story: Once there was an emperor em peror (charac (character) ter) who loved clothes so much that he spent all his money on them (charac (character ter trait). He was vain and obobsessed with having having the finest finest clothes in the land. (Another (An other charac character ter trait—in this case an inter in ternal nal charac character ter flaw. We assume assume that signif signifiicant flaws will eventu eventually ally get story characters in trouble.) When the emperor emperor heard of a new and wondrous—in wondrous—indeed, deed, magic—mate magic—ma terial rial he insisted insisted on having having a robe made from it (goal). This robe would be the finest finest robe in the land (motive) (motive) and would—because would—because of its magic proper erties—al ties—allow the king to tell which w hich of his minis isters ters were fools (motive). (motive). But the weavers weav ers were liars liars and cheats (conflict), (conflict), and the emperor’s emperor’s minis isters ters lacked the courage courage to tell him the truth (problem). How will the story end? We must resolve re solve the goal of the main charcharacter. ac ter. So we need the sequence sequence of events that leads to our discov discovery ery of whether or not the emperor emperor gets his new clothes. (He does.) We also want to know how he feels about his new robes and are quite pleased when the truth creates creates great conster consterna nation tion for the emperor emperor and his ministers. Stories end when the main charac Stories character ter resolves—one resolves—one way or the resolves solves. Yes, a charac other—his or her primary primary goal. Not reaches, but re charac-ter can have multi multiple ple goals, some physi physical and tangi tangible, ble, others others inter internal; nal; some will be well known to the charac character ter and listen listeners, ers, some may be


hidden un til late in the story. Still, the story will reach hidden r each its end when the charac char acter’s ter’s pri mary goal is resolved. What’s still missing? miss ing? • Charac abbre brevi viated ated summary summary of the story, Character ter traits. After this ab we need a bit more infor informa mation tion about the two thieving thieving weavers weavers and a dash more about abou t the emperor emperor in order order to ensure ensure that listen listeners ers will care whether the emperor em peror gets his comeup comeuppance pance or the weavweavers get away with their das d astardly scheme. We can’t picture picture these charac char acters ters as indi individ vidu uals in our minds yet. While it is true that many folktales folktales inten intention tionally ally contain contain few charac character ter details details so that readers read ers can overlay overlay their own images images on those unspec unspeciified forms, even these tales must contain contain just enou charac acter ter detail detail to allow allow enough gh char readers read ers to both visu visual alize ize and care about the story’s charac characters. ters. Struggles. We • Struggles. We don’t know yet what wh at the emperor, emperor, his minis ministers, ters, or the weavers weavers actu actually ally do in the story. • Details. We can’t see the char ac acter, ter, settings, settings, events, and objects Details. We of the story yet because because we have added no details. details. Those are the five essen es sential el eleements in action. action. Knowing Knowing these esessential sen tial ele elements will always always bring you back on track and make sure that you deliver deliver the essen essential tial story to your listeners.

NOTE We have collected collected more than 100 books, arti articles, cles, and papers papers report report-ing on research research that confirm confirm both the concept concept that humans humans inter interpret pret and create cre ate meaning meaning through mental mental story mapping mapping and the story structure structure presented pre sented in this chapter. chapter. A few of the more promi prominent in this presti ti-gious list are: Ambruseter et al. (1987), Bransford and Brown (2000), Bransford and Stein (1993), Bruner (1990 and 1987), Denning Denning (2001), Egan (1997), Gopnik, et al (1999), Kotulak (1999), Mallan Mallan (1997), Pinker (2000 and 1997), Ricoeur (1984), Schank (1990), Tannen (1999), and Turner (1996). (1996) . See the Bibli Bibliog ogra raphy phy for full listings listings of these publications.

p pendix pen dix 2 A Who Says Story Storytell telling ing Is Worth while? Some story storytell telling ing research research has been mentioned mentioned in the vari various chapchapters of this book. Addi Additional tional selected selected studies studies and their central central themes are presented pre sented here. We do not intend intend this discus discussion sion to be an exhaus exhaustive tive rereview of the available available quanti quantita tative tive and quali qualita tative tive research research liter literaature. That would fill its own book. View this appen appendix dix not as a balanced balanced meal, but as a sample sample of tanta tantaliz lizing ing morsels morsels that hint at the bounty of research research that awaits the hungry traveler.

DOES STORYTELLING WORK? Many studies studies have exam examined ined the effects effects of story storytell telling. ing. As far back as 1988, Cliatt and Shaw concluded concluded that, “the rela relation tionship ship of story storytell telling ing and success successful ful children’s children’s liter literacy acy devel develop opment ment is well estab established.” lished.” Their study showed that “Children “Children learn and inter internal nalize ize story structure structure from a diet of told and read sto stories” ries” and that this process process enhanced enhanced chilchildren’s devel develop opment ment of language and logic skills. sk ills.

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96 Appen Appendix dix 2—Who Says Story Storytell telling ing Is Worthwhile? Worthwhile?

Kendall has collected Kendall collected more than 1,850 anec anecdotal dotal reports reports of the use of stories stories and story storytell telling ing (mostly from teachers, teachers, librar librariians, and other story sto rytell tellers). ers). While he solic solicited ited any and all expe experi riences ences with the use of stories sto ries and story storytell telling, ing, 100 percent—that’s percent—that’s each and every every one—of these 1,850 anec anecdotal dotal reports reports claim that stories stories and story storytell telling ing were an effec ef fective tive and engag engaging ing addi addition tion to their programs programs that enthused enthused and enengaged listen listeners ers and effi efficiently ciently taught essential story content. Storytelling works. Haven has also collected Haven collected more than 150 research-based research-based studies studies (both quanti quantita tative tive and quali qualita tative) tive) that assessed assessed the effec effective tiveness ness of stostories and story storytelling. telling. Since many of these studies studies were themselves themselves rereviews of a collec collection tion of other studies, studies, these 150 studies studies contain contain the results re sults of more than 600 sepa separate research ef efforts. forts. None re reported ported that stories sto ries or story storytell telling ing were inef ineffec fective, tive, or even that stories stories and story storytell tell-ing were less effec effective tive than available alter al terna natives tives in cluded in the studies. studies. Again, 100 percent percent of the available available studies studies supported supported the value of stories stories and storytelling. That result is, in itself, amazing. Snow and Burns (1998) (1998 ) con cluded their exam examiina nation tion of a number number of previ previous ous studies studies by saying: saying: “Recently “Recently the effi efficacy cacy of early reading reading and story storytell telling ing expo exposure sure has been scien scientif tifiically vali validated. It has been shown to work (to develop develop language language skills).” .Simi .Similarly, Schank (1990) used his research research to show that, “Story “Storytell telling ing has demon demonstra strable, ble, measur measur-able, posi positive, and irreplaceable value in teaching.” In a more recent recent study, Mello (2001) reported reported on ten studies studies of ele elementary men tary students students includ including ing pre- and post-inter post-interviews views and writing writing sample sample analy anal ysis. Each of the research research reports reports she studied studied docu documented that story story-telling tell ing enhanced enhanced liter literacy. acy. She concluded concluded that, “story “storytell telling ing was an effec effec-tive learning learning tool that linked liter literaature to content and experience.” O’Neill, Peare, and Pick (2004) studied studied the story storytell telling ing ability ability of preschool pre school students students in Ontario, Ontario, Canada, Canada, and found good corre correla lation tion bebetween early storytell telling ing skills and later math abili abil ities. O’Neill suggests suggests that time spent on early story sto rytell telling ing skill devel develop opment ment in preschool preschool years improves im proves math skill upon enter entering ing school. More impor important, tant, this study estab es tablishes lishes story storytell telling ing skill as both predat predating, ing, and as precur precursor sor for, logical thinking development. As a small section section of his unpub unpublished lished doctoral doctoral work, Janner (1997) conducted con ducted an inter interest esting ing study with four fourth-grade classrooms. classrooms. He deliv de livered ered the same story to each class. To one, he read the story. He gave copies cop ies of the story to one class and had students students read it. He showed a

Does Story Storytell telling ing Work? 97

video of the story to one class, and he told the story to the final final class. One month later he inter terviewed viewed selected selected students students from each class to see how the media media of deliv delivery ery affected affected their retained retained images of the story. The students students who most accu accurately rately recalled recalled the story and its images images came from the class that had seen the video. However, However, the students students who were the most enthu enthusi sias astic tic and excited excited about their recol recollec lection tion of the story, who held the most vivid and expan expansive sive images images of the story, and who were best able to verbal verbalize ize their memory memory (and version) version) of the story were those from the class to whom he told the the story. Clearly, this was a small study that contained contained many uncon uncontrolled trolled variables. vari ables. Still, its conclu conclusion sion are ines inescap capable able and dramatic. dramatic. Story Storytell telling ing creates cre ates excite excitement, ment, enthu enthusi siasm, asm, and more detailed detailed and expan expansive sive imimages in the mind of the listener listener than does the same story deliv delivered ered in other ways. Chang (2006), a regional regional direc director tor of edu educa cation tion for Taiwan, Taiwan, stated, “Living “Liv ing in a highly compet competiitive envi environ ronment ment places great pressure pressure on the effi efficiency ciency and effec effective tiveness ness of every every moment moment spent at school. I am convinced con vinced that stories stories hold a solu solution. tion. They teach valuable valuable language language skills, effec effectively tively teach facts and concepts, concepts, and are finally finally something something fun for our students to do.” Schank (1990), and later Dalkir and Wiseman Wiseman (2004), concluded concluded that story storytell telling ing is not only effec effective tive at convey conveying ing factual factual and concep concep-tual infor informa mation, tion, but is also most effec ef fective tive at commu communi nicat cating ing tacit knowledge, knowl edge, “that which is diffi difficult cult to artic articu ulate, to render render tangi tangible ble in some form.” They included included in this cate category values, values, beliefs, beliefs, attitudes, cultural norms, etc. In his 1989 study, Coles showed that stories stories connect connect charac character ter truth with scien scientific tific truth. The domi dominance of charac characters ters in stories stories and story story-telling tell ing provides provides context, context, empa empathy, thy, and rele relevance for the scien scientific tific mate mate-rial by using using charac characters ters to explain explain inten intention, tion, action, action, struggles, struggles, and reac re action tion around factual factual infor informa mation. tion. Charac Characters ters repre represent sent surro surrogate gate models mod els for the reader and allow allow the reader to inter interpret pret and under understand stand content con tent and, thus, to create create meaning. meaning. Simi Similarly, Howard (1991) conconcluded that “science “sci ence is a form of story storytell telling. ing. Science Science meaning meaning is conconstructed and conveyed conveyed through story storytell telling.” ing.” He proposed proposed that story eleements create con el context text and relevance that provide provide a way for the reader to understand and to create meaning from the content material they read.

98 Appen Appendix dix 2—Who Says Story Storytell telling ing Is Worthwhile? Worthwhile?

The success success of story storytell telling ing is not limited limited to edu educa cational tional and science science venues. ven ues. The same results results were found in studies studies of orga organi niza zations. tions. Indus Indus-try surveys surveys conducted conducted by Cooper Cooper (1997) concluded concluded that, “In fact, reresearchers search ers have found that poten potential tial employ employers ers want their employ employees ees to have mastered mastered two aspects aspects of liter literacy acy often often omitted omitted from school curric curric-ula: listening and speaking.” Boyce (1996) and Kahan (2001) conducted conducted an exten extensive sive reviews reviews of research research on orga organi niza zational tional story and story storytell telling. ing. All of these studies viewed stories stories as an effec ef fec tive and valu valuable—even able—even essen es sen tial and unavoid unavoidable—part able—part of every every orga organi niza zation. tion. Kahan stated, “Story “Sto ry-telling tell ing is increas increasingly ingly seen as an impor important tant tool for commu communi nicat cating ing exexplicit and espe es pecially cially tacit knowledge—not just infor in forma mation, tion, but know-how.” Denning (2001) reported Denning reported that, “Time after after time, when faced with the task of persuad persuading ing a group of manages manages or front-line staff in a large orga or gani niza zation tion to get enthu enthusi sias astic tic about a ma jor change, story sto rytell telling ing was the only thing that worked.”

WHY AND HOW DOES STORYTELLING WORK? Medical techno Medi technolog logiical advance advancements ments over the past decade decade have reresulted in vast amounts of new infor informa mation tion ema emanat nating ing from the fields of neurolinguistics, neurobiology, cogni cognitive tive research, research, and devel develop opmen mental tal psychol psy chology. ogy. A tiny mound of that mountain mountain is mentioned here. Mallan (1997) concluded Mallan concluded that, “Stories “Stories differ differ from other narra narratives tives (argu (ar guments, ments, scien scientific reports, ar arti ticles) cles) in that they orient ori ent our feelings feelings and atti attitudes tudes about the story content.” content.” His research research showed that this emotional emo tional engage engagement ment is why infor informa mation tion presented presented in the structure structure of a story is more easily easily remem remembered. bered. He added that, “Told stories stories have the advan ad vantage tage of making making the story acces accessi sible ble to all levels of reading proficience.” Mello (2001) suggested suggested that story storytell telling ing creates creates empa empathy thy for tellers tellers and for a story’s main charac characters ters and that this empa empathy thy signif signifiicantly concontributed trib uted to the power and effec effective tiveness ness of storytelling. In report reporting ing research research conducted conducted with infants infants and very young chilchildren, Bransford and Brown (2000) stated that, “Young infants infants learn to

Why and How Does Story Storytell telling ing Work? 99

pay atten attention tion to the features features of speech and story storytell telling, ing, such as into intona na-tion and rhythm, that help them obtain obtain criti critical infor informa mation tion about lanlanguage and meaning.” meaning.” They also reported reported that, “There appear appear to be sepaarate brain areas that special sep cialize ize in subtasks such as hearing hearing words (spoken (spo ken language language recog recogni nition), tion), seeing seeing words (reading), (reading), speaking speaking words (speech), and gener generat ating ing words (thinking (thinking with language).” language).” Bransford suspected sus pected that early oral language lan guage activ activity ity (story (storytell telling ing and story listen listen-ing) was partic particu ularly important for the development of these various centers. In her 1995 study, stud y, Engle asked, “How is it that children, children, born with no language, language, can develop develop the rudi rudiments ments of story storytell telling ing in the first three years of life?” She concluded con cluded that “children “chil dren learn story storytell telling ing many years before before they master master logic, persua persuasion, sion, writing, writing, and other forms of infor in forma mation tion delivery.” Egan (1997) pointed out that every every devel develop oping ing civi civili liza zation tion knew and relied relied on story and story storytell telling ing long before before logic, long before before writwriting. “There have been no preliterate groups who did not develop develop oral myth and folk story. Why should these partic particu ular stories stories be cultur culturally ally univer uni versal?” sal?” He and many others oth ers concluded concluded that human human reli reliance ance on oral story sto rytell telling ing and on the tradi traditional tional forms of myth and folktale folktale relate relate to what neurobiologists have recently recently confirmed confirmed about brain structure. structure. HuHuman minds are hardwired hardwired to inter interpret pret and under understand stand information and experience in story form. Humans are predis Humans predisposed posed to favor favor and to rely on the form of story and the process process of story storytell telling. ing. Remember, Remem ber, this is just a small sampling, sam pling, a mere taste. Indulge. Indulge. ReResearch delights delights are available available to bolster bolster your posi position tion that story storytell telling ing is an impor important tant offer offering ing for your library!

p pendix pen dix 3 A Copyright Copy right and You A copyright copyright is a bundle bundle of five rights granted by U.S. U .S. law to the crecreator of any intel intellec lectual tual mate material—such rial—such as a story. Under Under current current U.S. law, the creator creator does not have to do anything anything to obtain obtain these exclu exclusive sive rights. Creators Creators get them auto automat matiically when they create create and fix their creations cre ations in any tangi tangible ble form (write it down; say it into a tape recorder, recorder, etc.). The copyright copyright holder no longer longer even needs to place a copyright copyright nonotifi ti fica cation tion (© Kendall Kendall Haven, Haven, 2005) on a copy of the work to protect the copyright. There are five specific specific rights that we grant exclu exclusively sively to an author author in this bundle bundle of rights. These are the exclu ex clusive sive right to publish publish the work, to copy the work, to create create deriv derivaative copies copies of the work (to change it), to promote promote the work, and to perform perform it. That last one is where story sto rytell tellers ers can run afoul of the copyright laws. What can authors authors copyright? copyright? Anything origi original in a book they publish—but only what is origi original to them. You will never know what is (and is not) protected protected by copyright copyright by looking looking at the copyright copyright noti notifi fica ca-tion on a book. There are many collec collections tions of folk tales that display display a general gen eral copyright copyright protec protection tion notice notice in which the only thing ac actu tually ally bebeing copyrighted copyrighted is the specific specific typeface typeface and layout layout being being used to present present the stories—not the sto stories ries themselves. themselves.

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102 Appen Appendix dix 3—Copyright 3—Copyright and You

How can you tell if a story (or ( or even parts of a story) you want to tell is covered covered by a copyright? copyright? Unfor Unfortu tunately, nately, it’s often often extremely extremely diffi difficult cult to tell. The story you pull from your library library shelves might look like like an origiinal picture orig picture book with a current current author, author, and yet the copyright copyright may only cover the illus illustra trations. tions. The copyright copyright notice notice does not have to spell out what exactly exactly is (and is not) being be ing protected. protected. As a story sto ryteller’s teller’s rule of thumb, if you can find three versions versions of the same story in differ different ent source books, you are free and clear to tell it without with out seeking anyone’s permission. How long do copyrights copyrights last? Well, it depends. de pends. The U.S. copyright copyright laws have changed several several times, and the length of a copyright copyright depends depends on the year of publi publica cation. tion. In general, general, most recently recently published published books come with a copy right that lasts a maxi maximum of the life of the author author plus fifty years. How does copyright copyright law affect affect you and your story storytell telling? ing? If you tell folk tales, fairy tales, tradi tra ditional tional tales, myths or legends leg ends (as well as many tall tales), it doesn’t. Those Tho se are the sto ries that, with rare excep cep-tion, are in the public public domain domain and are fair for all of us to use and tell to our heart’s content. content. If, however, however, you choose to tell liter literary ary tales, you will bump against copyright copyright infringement. Most authors authors are thrilled to have librar li brariians use their books during during booktalks and story storytell telling ing sessions. sessions. Most. But not all. Techni Tech nically, cally, you may not even read a copyrighted copyrighted story storybook book to your weekly story time crowd without without expressed expressed permis permission sion from the copyright copyright holder. HowHowever, librarians do it all the time. Reading Reading an entire entire story is not covered covered by the “fair use” exclu ex clusion sion to the copyright copyright laws that allows allows you to exextract and present present a small portion portion of a copyrighted copyrighted work during during scholarly scholarly review, re view, critique, critique, or parody parody or to make one copy of a copyright-pro copyright-protected tected story for your own use. Neither of us can conceive Neither conceive of an author author trying trying to claim that your telling tell ing his or her story harmed that author’s author’s mone monetary inter interest est in the work or reduced reduced in any way his or her income in come from it. (The crite criteria ria by which authors authors can bring mone monetary suit against you for telling telling it.) Neither Neither of us can imagine imagine an author author trying trying to stop you from reading reading or telling telling his or her published published story in your library. library. We can’t possi possibly bly imagine imagine it. It would make no sense since librar librariians are doing doing the author author an honor and are provid providing ing valuable valuable market marketing ing by present presenting ing the tale. Still, it could happen.

Copyright Copy right and You 103

How can you protect protect yourself? yourself? Simple. Simple. Tell stories stories from the wealth of public public domain domain stories stories and stories stories you know other librar librarian ian tellers tellers have success successfully fully told without without author author retri retribu bution. tion. If they didn’t get in trouble, trou ble, neither neither will you. When you stretch beyond beyond that cover, we feel obli ob ligated gated to say that the safest safest thing to do is to write (or e-mail) the auau thor and ask permis permission sion to tell the story in your library. library. Every Every sensi sensible ble author au thor will gladly say, “Yes.” If he or she says, “no,” then spread the word. As we said, we can’t imagine imagine any author author refusing such permission. We don’t think you need to stay up nights fretting fretting over copyright. copyright. However, How ever, it is good to be aware of it. Further, Further, it’s a good policy policy for you to support support these rights since they are what make it possi possible ble for authors authors to create cre ate and share their wonder won derful ful works.

p pendix pen dix 4 A Defiini Def nitions tions of Tradi Traditional tional Tales The follow following ing defi defini nitions tions of the types of tradi traditional tional tales are taken from Web Webster’s ster’s Third New Inter Interna national tional Dictio Dictionary nary of the English Eng lish LanLanguage, Unabridged Unabridged (Phillip Babcock Babcock Gove, ed. Springfield, Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Web ster, Inc., 1981). narrative tive of inter interest esting, ing, amusing, amusing, or curi curious ous inci incidents dents Anecdote: Anec dote: A short narra often of ten biograph biographiical and gener generally ally charac character terized ized by human human inter interest. est. Epic: A long narra Epic: A narrative tive poem recount recounting ing the deeds of a legend legendary ary or hishistoriical hero. tor narration tion intended intended to enforce enforce some univer universal sal truth or precept, precept, Fable: A narra Fable: espe es pecially cially one in which ani an imals and even in an aniimate ob jects talk talk and act act as human human beings. beings. Fairy tale: A narra narrative tive contain containing ing super supernat natu ural or improb improbaable events, scenes, or person personages ages and often often having having a whimsi whimsical, cal, satir satiriical, or moral moral-istic is tic charac character. ter. Folktale: A tale circu Folktale: circulated lated by word of mouth among the common common peopeople, espe especially cially a tale charac char acter teris isti tically cally anony anonymous and timeless. timeless. A story coming coming down from the past popu popularly regarded regarded as hishisLegend: A Legend: toriical, although tor although not entirely entirely veri verifi fiable. able.

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106 Appen Appendix dix 4—Defi 4—Defini nitions tions of Tradi Tra ditional tional Tales

Myth: A story that is usually usually of unknown unknown ori origin, and at least partly tra tra-ditional, di tional, that osten ostensi sibly bly relates relates histor historiical events, usually usually of such a charcharacter ac ter as to explain explain some practice, practice, belief, belief, insti institu tution, tion, or natu natural phenom phe nomeenon that is espe especially cially asso associ ciated ated with reli religious gious rites and beliefs. beliefs.

Bibli Bib liog ogra raphy phy We offer offer this bibli bibliog ogra raphy phy with special special thanks to Infopeople, a company company that provides provides training training and instruc instruction tion for library library staffs across Cali Califor fornia. nia. Their inven invention, tion, respon responsive siveness, ness, and orga organi niza zation tion make them an unri unrivaled valed model. They have graciously graciously allowed allowed us to include include many of the sections sections of this bibli bibliog ogra raphy. phy.

REFERENCES: WORKS CITED IN THIS BOOK Ambruster, B., et al. (1987). “Does Text Structure/Sum Structure/Summa mari riza zation tion Instruc Instruction tion Facil Faciliitate Learning Learning from Expos Ex posiitory Text?” Read Reading ing Research Research Quarterly Quarterly 22: 331–346. Journal nal of Orga Organi ni za zaBoyce, M. (1996). “Orga “Organi niza zational tional Story and Story Storytell telling: ing: A Criti Critical Review.” Review.” Jour tional Change Manage Management ment 9 9 (5): 5–26.

Bransford, J., and A. Brown, eds. ( 2000). How Peo ple Learn. Wash Washing ington, ton, DC: National National Academy Academy Press. Bransford, J., and B. Stein. (1993). The Ideal Problem Freeman. Problem Solver., 2d ed. New York: Freeman. Actual tual Minds, Possi Possible ble Worlds. Cambridge, Bruner, J. (1986). Ac Cambridge, MA: Harvard Harvard Univer University sity Press. Social cial Research Research 54: 11–32. ———. (1987). “Life as Narra Narrative.” tive.” So

———. (1990). Acts of Meaning Cambridge, MA: Harvard Harvard Univer University sity Press. Meaning. Cambridge, ———. (1992). “The Narra Narrative tive Construc Construction tion of Real Reality.” ity.” In Piaget’s Theory: Theory: Pros pects and Possi Possibil biliities, ed edited ited by H Beilin and P. Pufall, 229–248. ’ Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Lawrence Erlbaum. Childhood hood Edu Educa cation tion 6 Cliatt, M., and J. Shaw. (1988). “The Storytime Exchange: Exchange: Ways to Enhance Enhance It.” Child 64 4 (5): 293–298.

Coles, Robert. Robert. (1989). The Call of Stories. Houghton-Mifflin. Stories. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Cooper, Coo per, J. (1997). Lit Houghton Mifflin. Liter eracy acy: Help Helping ing Children Children Construct Construct Meaning. Meaning. Boston: Houghton Dalkir, K., and E. Wiseman. Wiseman. (2004). “Orga “Organi niza zational tional Story Storytell telling ing and Knowledge Knowledge Manage Management: ment: A SurSurStory Sto rytell telling, ing, Self, So Soci ciety ety vey.” 1 (1, Fall): 57–73. Denning, Den ning, S. (2001). The Springboard: Springboard: How Story Storytell telling ing Ignites Ignites Action Action in Knowledge-Era Knowledge-Era Orga Organi ni zations zations. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann Butterworth-Heinemann.. Educated Mind: How Cogni Cognitive tive Tools Shape Our Under Un derstand standing. ing. Chi Egan, K. (1997). The Edu Chicago: cago: Univer Univer-sity of Chicago Chicago Press. Stories Children Children Tell: Making Making Sense of the Narra Nar ratives tives of Childhood Childhood . New York: Engle, S. (1995). The Stories Freeman. Free man.

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Human man Commu Communi nica cations tions as Narra Narration: tion: Toward Toward a Philos Philoso o phy of Reason, Reason, Value, and Fisher, W. (1987). Hu Action Ac tion. Colum Columbia: bia: Univer University sity of South Carolina Press.

———. (1994). “Narra “Narrative tive as a Human Human Commu Communi nica cations tions Para Paradigm: The Case of Public Pub lic Moral Argu Argu-ment.” Com Commu muni nica cations tions Monograph Monograph 51: 1–20. Scientist tist in the Crib . New York: HarperPerennial. Gopnik, A., et al. (1999). The Scien

Haven, Ha ven, K. (2004) Get It Write!. Portsmouth, NH: Teacher Ideas Pr ess. Howard, G. (1991). “Culture “Culture Takes: A Narra Narrative tive Approach Approach to Thinking, Thinking, Cross-Cultural Cross-Cultural Psychol Psychology, ogy, and Psycho Psy chother therapy.” apy.” Amer 47 (3, March): 187–197. Ameriican Psychol Psycholo ogist 47 Psycholog logiical Ef fects fects of Al Alter ternate nate Means of Mass Commu Com muni nica cation tion. Ph.D. disser Janner, B. (1997). The Psycho disserta ta-tion, Ann Arbor, Arbor, Univer University sity of Michigan. forma mation tion Kahan, S. (2001). “Bringing “Bringing Us Back to Life: Story Sto rytell telling ing and the Modern Mod ern Orga Organi niza zation.” tion.” In for 5 (5): 26–29. Outlook Out look 5

Kotulak, R. (1999). In Inside side the Brain: Revo Revolu lution tionary ary Discov Discover eries ies of How the Mind Works. Kansas City: Andrews An drews McNeal. Edu uca cational tional Practice Practice & Theory Theory 19 (1): Mallan, Mal lan, Kerry. (1997). “Story “Storytell telling ing in the School Curric Curricu ulum.” Ed 75–82.

Mello, R. (2001). “Building “Building Bridges: How Story Storytell telling ing Influ Influences ences Teacher/Student Teacher/Student Rela Relation tionships.” ships.” In Proceed Pro ceedings, ings, Story Storytell telling ing in the Ameri Americas Con fer ference. ence. St Catherine, ON: Brooks University Press. O’Neill, D., M. Pearce, and J. Pick. (2004). “Predic “Pre dictive tive Rela Relations tions Between Between Aspects Aspects of Preschool Preschool ChilChildren’s Narra Narratives tives and Perfor Performance mance on the Peabody Peabody Indi Individ vidu ual alized ized Achievement Achievement Test—Revised: Test—Revised: Eviidence of a Rela Ev Relation tion Between Between Early Narra Narrative tive and Later Mathe Mathemat matiical Ability.” Ability.” First Language Language 24 (June): 149–183. Pinker, S. (1997). How the Mind Works. New York: W. W. Norton. Language Instinct Instinct . New York: Perennial Clas ———. (2000). The Language Classic. sic.

Ricoeur, Paul. (1984). Time and Narra Chicago: Univer University sity of Chicago Chicago Press. Narrative tive. Chicago: Schank, R. (1990). Tell Me a Story. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Knowledge edge and MemMemShank, R., and R. Abelson. 91995). “Knowledge “Knowledge and Memory: Memory: The Real Story.” In Knowl ory: The Real Story, ed edited ited by R. Wyer Jr., 1–85. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Prevent venting ing Reading Reading Dif ficul ficulties ties in Young Children. Chil dren. Wash Snow, C., and M. Burns, eds. (1998). Pre Washing ington, ton, DC: National National Research Research Council Council and National National Academy Academy Press. Talking ing Voices: Repe Repeti tition, tion, Dia Dialogue, and Imag Imagery ery in Conver Conversa sational tional Discourse Discourse. Tannen, D. (1999). Talk New York: Cambridge Cambridge Univer University sity Press. Literary ary Mind: The Ori Origins of Thought and Language Language. New York: Oxford Turner, M. (1996). The Liter Oxford UniUniversity ver sity Press.

Story Sto rytell telling ing Advice, Advice, Approaches, Approaches, Theory, Theory, and Stories. Stories. 109

STORYTELLING ADVICE, APPROACHES, THEORY, AND STORIES These titles titles contain contain both tales and commen commentary tary on story storytell telling. ing. Sugges Suggestions tions include include how to work with a partic particu ular group; specific specific genres; genres; and general general advice advice about choosing, choosing, learning, learning, and telling telling stories. stories. Baker, Agusta, and Ellin Greene. “Story “Storytell telling: ing: Prepa Prepara ration tion and Presen Presenta tation,” tion,” School Library Library Journal Journal (March 1978): 93–97. Another. New York: Heinemann, 1986. Barton, Bob. Tell Me Another. Essays on Pivotal Pivotal Issues Issues in Contem Contem po porary rary Story Storytell tell-Birch, Carol, and Melissa Melissa Heckler, Heckler, eds. Who Says: Essays Little Rock, AR: August August House Publish Publishers, ers, 1998. ing. Little

Breneman, Lucille, Lucille, and Bren Breneman. Once Upon a Time: A Story Chicago: cago: NelNelSto rytell telling ing Handbook. Handbook. Chi son-Hall, 1983. Asking ing the Right Questions. Questions. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Browne, M. Neil, and Stuart Stuart Keeley. Ask Inc., 1981.

Burrell, Bur rell, Arthur. Arthur. A Guide to Story Telling. London: don: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, 1946. Telling. Lon Listen! ten! And Help Tell the Story. Nashville, Carlson, Bernice Wells. Lis Nashville, TN: Abington, 1965. Stories: Teaching Teaching and the Moral Imagi Imagina nation. tion. Boston: Houghton Coles, Robert. Robert. The Call to Stories: Hought on Mifflin, 1989.

Collins, Col lins, Rives, and Pamela Cooper. Cooper. Look What Cambridge, bridge, What Hap pened to Frog: Sto Story rytell telling ing in Edu Educa cation. tion. Cam England: Eng land: Gorsuch Scarisbrick, 1992. Story rytell telling ing. London: Colwell, Eileen. Sto London: Bodley Head, 1983. Umbrella and other Stories Sto ries for Telling: Telling: With Notes on How to Tell Them. Phil ———. The Magic Umbrella Philaadel del-phia: McKay, 1976.

Cook, Eliza Elizabeth. The Ordi addendum. dum. Cambridge, Cambridge, England: England: CamCamOrdinary nary and the Fabu Fabulous. 2d ed. with adden bridge Univer University sity Press, 1978. Putting ing the World in a Nutshell: Nutshell: The Art of the Formula Formula Tale. New York: H. W. Wilson, Dailey, Shiela. Putt Wilson, 1994.

De Vos, Gail. Sto Libraries ies UnUnStory rytell telling ing for Young Adults: Techniques Tech niques and Treasury Treasury. Englewood, CO: Librar limited, lim ited, 1991. Folklore lore and Folklife. Chi Dorson, Richard. Richard. M., ed. Folk Chicago: cago: Univer University sity of Chicago Chicago Press, 1972. Teaching ing as Story Storytell telling ing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989. Egan, Kieran. Teach Story rytell telling: ing: Art and Technique Technique. New York: Bowker, 1996. Greene, Ellin. Sto

Hamil Ham ilton, ton, Martha, Martha, and Mitch Weiss. Chil Richard Children dren Tell Stories: Stories: A Teaching Teaching Guide. Katonah, NY: Richard Owen Publi Publica cations, tions, 1990.


Storytell telling ing. Englewood, CO: Librar Haven, Ha ven, Kendall. Kendall. Super Sim ple Story Libraries ies Unlim Unlimited, ited, 2001. Stories ries from America’s America’s Favor Favorite ite Story Story-Holt, David, David, and Bill Mooney, Mooney, eds. Ready-To-Tell Tales: Sure fire Sto Little tle Rock, AR: August August House Publish Publishers, ers, 1994. tellers. tell ers. Lit

Lane, Marcia. Marcia. Pic Wilson, 1994. Pictur turing ing the Rose :A Way of Looking Looking at Fairy Tales. New York: H. W. Wilson, Storytell telling: ing: Process Process and Practice Practice. Littleton, Livo, Norma, and Sandra Sandra A. Rietz. Story Littleton, CO: Librar Libraries ies Unlim Unlim-ited, 1986.

Luthi, Max. Once Upon a Time: On the Nature In diana ana Univer University sity Press, Nature of Fairy Tales. Bloomington: Indi 1976. Storyteller’s teller’s Start-Up Book: Finding, Finding, Learning, Learning, Per form forming ing and Using Using MacDon Mac Donald, ald, Marga Margaret ret Read. The Story Folktales Folk tales. Little Little Rock, AR: August August House, 1993. Tradi ditional tional Story Storytell telling ing Today: Today: An Inter Interna national tional Sourcebook. New York: Fitzroy ———. Tra Fitzroy Dearborn, Dearborn, 1999.

Miller, Teresa. Join Joining ing In: An Anthol Anthology ogy of Audi Audience ence Partic Particii pation pation Tales and How to Tell Them. Sommerville, MA: Yel Yellow low Moon, 1988. Mooney, Moo ney, Bill, and David David Holt. More Ready-to-Tell Tales from Around the World. Little Rock, AR: August House Publishers,2002. ———. The Story Little tle Rock, AR: August August House Publish Publishers, ers, 1997. Storyteller’s teller’s Guide. Lit Mooney, Bill, and David Mooney, David Holt, eds. The Story Storyteller’s teller’s Guide: Story Storytell tellers ers Share Advice Advice for the Classroom, Classroom, Boardroom, Board room, Showroom, Showroom, Podium, Podium, Pul pit, pit, and and Cen Center ter Stage. Little Little Rock, AR: August August House Publish Publish-ers, 1996. Folktales for Charac Char acter ter Devel Develop opment. ment. Lit Norfolk, Nor folk, Bobby, and Sherry Norfolk Norfolk . The Moral of the Story: Folktales Lit-tle Rock, AR: August August House Publish Publishers, ers, 1999.

Pellowski, Anne. The Family Little Rock, AR: August August House, 1995. Family Story Storytell telling ing Handbook Handbook . Little Beginner’s ner’s Guide to Story Storytell telling. ing. Jonesborough, TN: National Rydell, Katy, ed. A Begin Na tional Story Storytell telling ing Network, Network, 2002.

Sawyer, Saw yer, Ruth. The Way of the Story Viking, 1942. Storyteller teller . New York: Viking, Schimmel, Nancy. Just Enough to Make a Story: Berkeley, CA: SisSisStory: A Sourcebook for Sto Story rytell telling ing. 3d ed. Berkeley, ters Choice Press, 1992. Storytell telling. ing. Mineola, NY: Dover, Shedlock, Maria L. The Art of Story Dover, 1951.

Stotter, Ruth. About Story: Writings Writings on Stories Stories and Story Storytell telling ing 1980–1994. San Rafael, CA: Stotter Press, 1994. Listen; Stories Stories of Story Storytell telling ing in School. Trousdale, Ann, Sue Woestehoff, and Marni Schwartz. Give a Listen; Urbana, Ur bana, IL: NCTE, 1994. panion ion to Fairy Tales. New York: Oxford Zipes, Jack. The Ox ford Com pan Oxford Univer University sity Press, 2000.

Reli Re liable able Collec Collections tions of Tradi Traditional tional Tales 111

STORYTELLING RESEARCH GUIDES AND COMMENTARY Aarne, Antti The Types of the Folk-tale: A Classi Translated lated and enlarged enlarged by Classi fica fication tion and Bibli Bibliog ogra ra phy. Trans Stith Thompson. Thompson. Folklore Folklore Commu Communi nica cations, tions, no. 184. Helsinki: Helsinki: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, 1973. Folktales in the English English Language Language. Westport, CT: Greenwood Ashliman, D. L. A Guide to Folktales Greenwood Press, 1987.

Eastman, Mary Huse, ed . Index Index to Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends. Legends. Boston: Boston Book Co., 1915. (See 1926 edition.) edition.) Index dex to Fairy Tales 1949–1972: Includ In cluding ing Folklore, Folklore, Legends Legends and Myths in Collec Collec-Ireland, Ire land, Norma Olin. In tions. Westport, CT: Greenwood Greenwood Press, 1973. (Contin (Continued ued Eastman’s Eastman’s efforts. efforts. See later editions.) editions.) Stan dard Dicionary of Folklore, Folk lore, MyMyLeach, Maria, ed., and Jerome Fried, associ ciate ate ed. Funk & Wagnalls Standard s. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1972. (See earlier earlier and later editions.) editions.) thology thol ogy and Legend Legend s.

MacDon Mac Donald, ald, Marga Margaret ret Read. The Story Storyteller’s teller’s Sourcebook: A Sub ject, title title and Motif Motif Index Index to Folklore Folklore Collec Col lections tions for Children Children. New York: Neal-Schuman in asso associ ciaation with Gale Research, Research, 1982. Storyteller’s teller’s Sourcebook: A Sub ject, Title, Title, and Motif Motif MacDonald, MacDon ald, Marga Margaret ret Read, and Brian W. Sturm. Story Index In dex to Folklore Folklore Collec Collections tions for Children, Children, 1983–1999. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, Research, 2001.

Sierra, Si erra, Judy. Sto Nashville, TN: Folkprint, Story rytell tellers’ ers’ Research Research Guide: Folktales, Folktales, Myths and Legends Legends. Nashville, 1996.

RELIABLE COLLECTIONS OF TRADITIONAL TALES Many of the authors authors listed below below have published published several several works. The two aster asterisks isks that follow follow some of the entries entries indi indicate cate authors authors with more than one title title of interest. Some of the books are out of print. Afri rican can Folktales. Folktales. Lon Abrahams, Roger. Af London: don: Pantheon, Pantheon, 1983. (From the reli reliable able Pantheon Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folktale Folktale Library. Library. See other exam examples ples below.)

Abrahams, Roger D. Afro-Amer London: Pantheon, Pantheon, 1985. Afro-Ameriican Folktales Folktales. London: Afanasev, Aleksandr. Rus London: don: Pantheon, Pantheon, 1945. Russian sian Fairy Tales. Lon Popu ular Tales from the Norse. Trans Asbjornsen, Peter Peter Christian, Christian, and Jorgen Moe. Pop Translated lated by Sir George O’ the Webb Nasent. Edin Edinburgh: burgh: David David Douglas, 1888. (See later version version by Asbjornsen, titled ti tled East O’ Sun and West O’ the Moon.)

Asubel, Nathan. Nathan. A Treasury Treasury of Jewish Jewish Folklore Folklore. New York: Crown, 1948. Aesop and Com pany: With Scenes Scenes from His His Legend Legendary ary Life. Boston: Houghton Bader, Barbara. Aesop Houghton Mifflin, 1991.

Belpre, Pura. Once in Puerto Rico. London: London: Warne, 1973.


Rainbow: Legends Legends of the Incas Incas & Myths of Ancient Ancient Peru. New York: Farrar, Bierhorst, John. ed. Black Rainbow: Straus & Giroux, 1976.**

———. Latin Ameri Pantheon, American Folktales: Folktales: Stories Stories from His panic and Indian Indian Tradi Traditions. tions. New York: Pantheon, 2000. Oranges and Other Spanish Span ish Tales. Mineola, NY: Longmans, 1936. (Do Boggs, Ralph. Three Golden Oranges ( Dover ver reis re issue.) sue.) Dictio tionary nary of British British Folk-Tales. Bloomington: Indi Briggs, Kathar Katharine ine M. A Dic In diana ana Univer University sity Press, 1970.

Bryan, Ashley. Beat the Story Drum, Pum, Pum. New York: Atheneum, 1980. Bushnaq, Inea. Arab Folktales Pantheon, 1986. Folktales. Pantheon, Italian Tales. New York: Harcourt Calvino, Italo. Italian Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980.

Chase, Richard Richard. The Jack Tales. Boston: Houghton Hought on Mifflin, 1943** Folktales of the World. New York: Doubleday, 1982. Cole, Joanna. Best-Loved Folktales

Courlander, Harold. Harold. The Hat-Shaking Harcourt, Hat-Shaking Dance and Other Ashanti Tales from Ghana. New York: Harcourt, 1957. ** Married a Ghost and Other Tales from North Ameri Amer ican Indi Indians. ans. Ed Curtis, Edward. Edward. S. The Girl Who Married Edited ited by John Bierhorst. Colum Columbus, bus, OH: Four Winds Press, 1978.

Dalal, Anita. Myths of Oceania. New York: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 2002. De Vos, Gail. Story Libraries ies UnUnStorytell telling ing for Young Adults: Techniques Tech niques and Treasury. Treasury. Englewood, CO: Librar limited, lim ited, 1991. Folktales tales Told Around the World . Chicago: Dorson, Richard. Richard. Folk Chicago: Univer University sity of Chicago Chicago Press, 1975. Latvian Folk Tales. New York: Harcourt, Durham, Dur ham, Mae. Tit for Tat and Other Latvian Harcourt, Brace and World, 1967.

Erdoes, Richard, Richard, and Alphonso Ortiz. Amer London: don: Pantheon, Pantheon, 1984. Ameriican Indian Indian Myths and Legends. Legends. Lon Shepherd’s Nosegay Nosegay. New York: Harcourt, Fillmore, Fill more, Parker. The Shepherd’s Harcourt, Brace, 1958.

Glassie, Glas sie, Henry. Irish Folk Tales. London: London: Pantheon, Pantheon, 1985. Southwest : Based on stoGriego y Maestas, Jose, and Rudolfo Anaya. Cuentos: Tales from the His panic Southwest sto ries origi originally collected collected by Juan B. Rael. Albu Albuquer querque: que: Museum Museum of New Mexico Mexico Press, 1980. (Bilin (Bilin-gual collec collection: tion: Griego selected selected and adapted in Spanish, Spanish, Anaya retold retold in English.)

Grimm, Jacob, Jacob, and Wilhelm Wilhelm Grimm. Grimm’s Fairy Tales for Young and Old. Translated Translated by Ralph Manheim. Doubleday, 1977. (See also transla translations tions by both Jack Zipes and Maria Tatar.) Ta tar.) Hamil Ham ilton, ton, Virginia. Virginia. The Peo ple Could Fly: Ameri American Black Folktales Folktales. New York: Knopf, 1985. ** Hearn, Lafcadio. Jap Japa anese Fairy Tales. New York: Liveright, 1953. Howard, Norman. Norman. The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese, and Other Tales of the Far North. New York: Harcourt, Har court, Brace, 1997.

Reli Re liable able Collec Collections tions of Tradi Traditional tional Tales 113

Favor vorite ite Children’s Children’s Stories Stories from China and Tibet. Tibet. North Claren Hume, Lotta Carswell. Fa Clarendon, don, VT: Tuttle, 2000.

Hyde-Chambers, Hyde-Cham bers, Freder Frederick, ick, and Audrey Audrey Hyde Chambers Chambers. Tibetan Tibetan Folktales. Folktales. Boston: Shambhala, 1981. Jacobs, Joseph. Joseph. Eng English lish Folk and Fairy Tales. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, c. 1898. ** Seasons sons of Splendor: Splendor: Tales, Myths & Legends Legends of India. India. New York: Atheneum, 1985. Jaffrey, Madhur. Sea Jataka Tales. Edited Edited by Nancy DeRoin. Boston: Houghton Houghton Mifflin, 1975. Ko rea. New York: Viking, Jewett, Elea Eleanor nor Myers. Which Was Witch: Tales of Ghosts and Magic from Korea. Viking, 1953.

Kendall, Kend all, Carol. Sweet and Sour: Tales from China . New York: Seabury Press, 1979. Kelsey, Alice Alice Geer. Once the Hodja. Phil Philaadel delphia: phia: McKay, 1943. Inland Whale. Berkeley: Kroeber, Theodora. The Inland Berkeley: Univer University sity of Cali Califor fornia nia Press, 1970.

Lang, Andrew. Andrew. The Rainbow Rainbow Fairy Book: Selec Selections tions of Outstand Outstanding ing Tales from the Color Fairy Books. New York: Viking, Viking, 1977. (See others: others: The Red Fairy Book, etc.)** Lester, Julius. Julius. The Knee-High Man and Other Tales. New York: Dial, 1972.** Stories of the Hmong: Peo ples of Laos, Thai Thailand land and Vietnam Vietnam. Livo, Norma, and Dia Cha. Folk Stories Englewood, CO: Librar Libraries ies Unlim Unlimited, ited, 1992.

MacDon Mac Donald, ald, Marga Margaret ret Read. Three-Min Three-Minute ute Tales: Stories Stories from Around the World to Tell or Read When Time Is Short. Lit Little tle Rock, AR: August August House, 2004. Women en folk and Fairy Tales. Boston: Houghton Minard, Rosemary. Rosemary. Wom Houghton Mifflin, 1975. Scottish Highlands Highlands. New York: Holt, 1960. ** Nic Leodhas, Sorche. Heather and Broom: Tales from the Scottish

Perrault, Charles. Perrault’s Com plete Fairy Tales. Translated Translated by A. E. Johnson. Johnson. New York: Dover, Dover, 1969. Eastern Europe Europe. New York: Clarion Phillip, Neil. Fairy Tales of Eastern Clarion Books, 1991. Ancient Persia Persia. New York: Knopf, 1965. Picard, Barbara Leoni. Tales of Ancient

Riorden, James. Tales from Tartary. Lon London: don: Kestrel, Kestrel, 1978. (Volume (Volume 2 of Russian Russian Tales series.) series.) ** Sanfield, Steve. The Feather Merchants London: don: Orchard, Orchard, 1991. Merchants and Other Tales of the Fools of Chelm. Lon Shah, Idries. World Tales. New York: Harcourt, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1979. Multicultural tural Folktale Folktale Series: Series: Cinderella. Phoenix: Sierra, Si erra, Judy. The Oryx Multicul Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1992. **

Singer, Isaac Bashevis. When Schlemiel Schlemiel Went to Warsaw Warsaw and Other Stories. Sto ries. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1986.** Tashjian, Virginia. Virginia. Juba This and Juba That . Boston: Little, Little, Brown, 1969. Tatterhood and Other Tales: Sto Stories ries of Magic and Adven Ad venture ture. Ethel Johnston Phelps, Ed. Femi Fem inist Press, 1978.**


Dancing Teaket Teakettle tle and Other Japa Japanese Folktales Folktales. New York: Scribner, 1965. Uchida, Yoshiko. The Dancing Untrue and Other Norse Tales . New York: Knopf, 1945. Undset, Sigrid. True and Untrue

Vuong, Lynette Dyer. The Golden Slip per and other Viet Addison-Wes son-Wesley, ley, 1982. Vietnam namese ese Tales. Boston: Addi Walker, Barbara K. Once There Was and Twice There Wasn’t. Wasn’t. Rover Grove, IL: Follett, 1968. Fairies: Trav Travel elers’ ers’ Tales of the Other World. Lon William Wil liamson, son, Duncan. The Broonies, Silkies and Fairies London: don: Harmony, Har mony, 1985. Orange Tree and Other Haitian Hai tian Folktales Folktales. New York: Schocken Books, Wolkstein, Diane. The Magic Orange 1980. ** Stories and Fairy Tales. Edited Yeats, William William Butler. Butler. Irish Folk Stories Edited by William Butler But ler Yeats. New York: Grossett & Dunlap, 1972.

Yolen, Jane. Fa London: Pantheon, Pantheon, 1986.** Favor vorite ite Folktales Folktales from Around the World . London:

FAMILY AND PERSONAL STORIES Alessi, Jean, and Jan Miller. Once Upon a Memory: Memory: Your Family Family Tales and Treasures. Treasures. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway,1987. Bands, Ann, ed. First Person Amer Random House, 1980. America ica. New York: Random Straw berry Wine: Reci Reci pes pes and Rem Remiinis niscences cences Darden, Norma Jean, and Carole Darden. Spoonbread and Strawberry Norwell, well, MA: Anchor Anchor Press, 1978. of a Family. Family. Nor Telling ing Your Own Stories Stories. Little Davis, Da vis, Donald. Donald. Tell Little Rock, AR: August August House Publish Publishers, ers, 1997.

Dixon, Janice, and Dora Flack. Pre Preserv serving ing Your Past: A Painless Painless Guide to Writing Writing Your Auto Autobi biog ogra ra phy and Family Family History History. New York: Doubleday, 1977. Frazier, Ian. Fam Family ily. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1994. Parents ents Guide to Story Storytell telling: ing: How to Make Up New Stories Sto ries and Retell Retell Old MacDon Mac Donald, ald, Marga Margaret ret Read. Par Favor Fa vorites. ites. 2d ed. Little Little Rock, AR: August August House, 2001.

Moore, Robin. Awak Little tle Rock, Awaken ening ing the Hidden Hidden Story Storyteller: teller: Creat Creating ing a Family Family Story Storytell telling ing Tradi Tradition. tion. Lit AR: August August House, 1999. Meaning and Magic of Family Fam ily Photo Photographs. graphs. New York: Norden, Catherine. The Way We Looked: The Meaning Lodestar/Dutton, Lode star/Dutton, 1983. Family Story Storytell telling ing Book . New York: Macmillan, 1987. Pellowski, Anne. The Family

Stone, Eliza Elizabeth. Black Sheep and Kissing RanKissing Cousins: Cousins: How Our Family Family Stories Stories Shape Us. New York: Random House, 1988.

Partic Par ticiipa pation tion Stories Stories 115

Keepsakes: sakes: Using Using Family Family Stories Stories in Ele Elemen mentary tary Classrooms. Classrooms. Portsmouth, NH: Winston, Linda. Keep Heinemann, 1997.

Zeitlin, Steven Steven J., Any J. Kotlin, and a nd Holly Cutting Cutting Baker. A Cele Celebra bration tion of Ameri American Family Family Folklore: Folklore: Tales and Tradi Traditions tions from the Smithso Smith sonian nian Collec Collection tion.. London: Pantheon, 1982.

PARTICIPATION STORIES Traditional tales that appear in many collec Tradi lections tions are listed by title title only. We include include full cita citations tions for liter erary ary stories stories and for retellings of tradi tra ditional tional tales that we prefer. prefer. Ask Mr. Bear . Marjory Flack. New York: Macmillan, 1958.

The Banza. Dianne Wolkstein. New York: Dial, 1981. Big Pumpkin Pumpkin. Erica Silverman. Gilroy, CA: Aladdin, Aladdin, 1995.

Addison-Wes son-Wesley, ley, 1947. Caps for Sale . Esphyr Slobodkina. Addi A Dark, Dark Tale. Ruth Brown. New York: Dial, 1981. The Fat Cat. Jack Kent. New York: Scholas Scholastic, tic, 1972.

“The Ginger Gingerbread bread Man.” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Good Night Owl. Pat Hutchins. New York: Macmillan, 1972 “Henny Penny.” Orange Tree and Other Haitian Hai tian “I’m Tipingee, She’s Tipingee, We’re Tipingee Too.” In The Magic Orange Folktale. Folk tale. Di Diane ane Wolkstein. Knopf, 1978. It Could Always Always Be Worse. Margo Zemach. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1977. The Judge: An Untrue Untrue Tale. Harve Zemach. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1969.

“Lazy Jack.” (See also “Idle Jack.”) The Little Little Red Hen. Paul Galdone. New York: Seabury, 1973.

Shannon. New York: Greenwillow, 1981. Lizard’s Liz ard’s Song. George Shannon. Diane Wolkstein. Boston: Little, Lit tle, Brown, 1983 Magic Wings. Diane Mama Don’t Allow Allow. Thatcher Hurd. Harper, 1985. The Mitten. Mitten.

Pierre. Pi erre. Maurice Sendak. Harper, 1962. Shannon. New York: Greenwillow, 1981. Piney Woods Peddler Peddler . George Shannon.


father ther Tales. Rich “Sody Saleratus”. Saleratus”. Grand fa Richard ard Chase. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, Houghton-Mifflin, 1948. Tailypo: A Ghost Story. Joanna Galdone. New York: Seabury, 1977.

Houghton Mifflin, 1982. The Teeny, Tiny Woman: A Ghost Story. Paul Galdone. Boston: Houghton “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” “The Three Little Little Pigs.” The Turnip. Turnip. Janina Domanska. New York: Macmillan, 1959. Where the Wild Things Are .Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper, 1963. Who’s in Rabbit’s Rabbit’s House?

“Why Dogs Hate Cats.” In The Knee-High Man. Jul Julius ius Lester. New York: Dial, 1972. “The Yellow Yellow Ribbon.” Ribbon.” In Juba This and Juba That . Virginia Virginia Tashjian. Boston: Little, Brown, 1995.

SONG, MOVEMENT, AND PROPS STORIES Treasury of Flannel Flannel Board Stories. Stories. Up Bay, Jeanette Graham Graham. Treasury Upstart start Library Library Promotionals, 1995.

Faurot, Kimberly K. Books in Bloom: Creative Chicago: cago: Creative Patterns Patterns and Props that Bring Stories Sto ries to Life. Chi ALA Editions, Editions, 2003. Fugita, Hiroko, and Fran Stallings, adapt. and ed. Kids’ Tales: Told with Pup pets, pa per, Toys and Imagi Imagination. na tion. Au August gust House, 1999. Gryski, Camilla. Cat’s Cradle, Scholastic tic , 1995. Cradle, Owl’s Eyes: A Book of String Games. Scholas Washboard, Hambone Hambone and the Pa per Bag. Holt, David. David. Folk Rhythms: Learn to Play Spoons, Bones, Washboard, Homespun Video, 1995. Drummers. Publish Jaffe, Nina. Patakin! World Tales of Drums and Drummers Publishers ers Group West, 2001. (Reis (Reissued sued in paper pa perback back with CD.)

Kallevig, Christine. Christine. Fold Interna national, tional, Folding ing Stories: Stories: Story Storytell telling ing and Origami Origami as One. Storytime Inc. Inter 1991. MacDon Mac Donald, ald, Marga Margaret ret Read. Shake It Up Tales: Stories August gust House, Stories to Sing, Dance Drum and Act Out. Au 2000. Storytell telling ing with Music, Music, Pup pets, and Arts for Li Librar braries ies and Classrooms Classrooms. Linnet, Painter, William William H. Story Linnet, 1982. Family Story Storytell telling ing Handbook: Handbook: How to Use Stories, Stories, Anec Anecdotes, dotes, Rhymes, Handker Handker-Pellowski, Anne. The Family chiefs, pa per and Other Ob jects to Enrich Enrich Your Family Family Tradi Traditions. tions. New York: Macmillan, 1987.

Webliography for Story Storytell telling, ing, Story Storytell tellers, ers, and Stories Stories 117

WEBLIOGRAPHY FOR STORYTELLING, STORYTELLERS, AND STORIES www.storyarts.org

Heather Forest, Forest, story storyteller and mu musi sician, cre ated this site. It is at attrac tractive, tive, easy to navi navigate, and useful useful for teachers teachers and librarianss. www.twu.edu/cope/slis/storytell.htm

The origi original, and still the best, online online story storytell telling ing chat and infor informa mation-shar tion-sharing ing site. MainMaintained by Texas Women’s Univer University sity library library school. Opinion Opinionated, ated, sometimes sometimes shrill, and wise. Be forewarned: forewarned: there are dozens dozens of postings. postings. www.storytellingcenter.net

The site for Story Storytell telling ing Founda Foundation tion Inter Interna national tional that sponsors sponsors the annual annual National National Story Story-telling tell ing Festi Festival. val. www.storynet.org

The home site for the National Na tional Story Storytell telling ing Network. Network. The mem member bership ship orga organi niza zation tion for stostorytell ry tellers ers nation nationally. ally. Offers Offers the National National Story Storytell telling ing Confer Conference ence each year. www.snopes.com

A deli delicious cious survey survey and debunk debunking ing of urban urban legends. legends. Easy to pick up good stories, stories, and irre irre-sistible sist ible to surf through. www.AesopFables.com/

A really really good site, with access access to hundreds hundreds of Aesop’s Aesop’s fables. fables. www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html

D. L. Ashliman’s essen essential tial site provides provides folk texts, Germanic tra ditional ma terial, links, and a terrific terrific sub ject index index to tales. www.pantheon.org

An Internet ency encyclo clope pedia dia of myth and folklore; folklore; new arti articles cles added frequently. frequently. www.afsnet.org/sectio www.afsnet.org/sec tions/nar ns/narra rative/ tive/

The site for the Folk Narra Nar rative tive Section Section of the Ameri American Folklore Folklore Soci Society. ety. Includes Includes a bibli bib liog ogra raphy. phy.

Index In dex Acces Ac cesso sories ries to story storytell telling, ing, 67 audi au dience ence partic particiipa pation, tion, 76–81 costumes, cos tumes, 72–74 flannelboards, 68–69 props, 69–72 puppets, pup pets, 74–76 Audi Au dience ence partic particiipa pation tion making mak ing it work, 78–79, 81 pros and cons of using, us ing, 76–77, 80 “Cast of thousands”. thousands”. See Au Audi dience ence partic particiipa pation tion Choosing Choos ing stories stories aspects/is as pects/issues sues to consider, consider, 24–25, 27–28 personal per sonal prefer preferences, ences, 23 sources, 25 starting start ing with personal personal stores, 24 Collab Col labo ora rations, tions, 85 Commu Com munity nity story storytell telling, ing, 6 Copyright Copy right and story storytell telling, ing, 101–3 Costumes Cos tumes making mak ing them work, 73–74 pros and cons of using, using, 72–73 Flannelboards pros and cons of using, using, 68–69 Gestures and movement Gestures movement in story sto rytell telling ing 64–66 pitfalls, pit falls, 65 Hitt, Jack ( Harper’s mag magaazine), 22 Incor In corpo porat rating ing stories stories into library li brary work/programs, work/programs, 83 collab col labo ora rations, tions, 85 dediicated staff person, ded person, 87 in-service in-ser vice training, training, 87 story-sharing story-shar ing meetings, meetings, 84 story swapping, swapping, 84 story sto rytell telling ing festi festival, val, 86, 87 theme programs, programs, 84–85 workshops, work shops, 85–86 Infor In formal mal story storytell telling, ing, 5–6

Learning stories Learning stories advanced ad vanced steps, 32–33 approaches ap proaches to, 30–32 basic ba sic ten ets of, 42 consid con sider erations ations to ignore, ig nore, 31 by doing, doing, 29–30 liter lit erary ary tales, 38 Levels Lev els of story storytell telling, ing, 4–5 commu com munity, nity, 6 infor in formal, mal, 5–6 profes pro fessional, sional, 6–7 Librar Li braries ies as repos reposiito tories ries of discourse, discourse, 1–2 oppor op portu tuni nities ties for story storytell telling ing in, 7 story sto rytell telling ing in, history history of, 2 Library Li brary staff and story storytell telling, ing, 1–7, 87 Listener Lis tener needs, 19–21 Liter Lit erary ary tales and ballads, ballads, 37 consid con sider eration ation when telling, telling, 36–37 memo mem ori riza zation tion of, 35, 38 reading read ing versus versus telling, telling, 36 and tradi traditional tional tales, 37 Liter Lit eraature. See also Lit Liter erary ary tales and story storytell telling, ing, 3 Memo Mem ori riza zation, tion, 35, 38, 52–53 Pace in story storytell telling, ing, 62 Pitch in story storytell telling, ing, 62–63 Practic Prac ticing ing telling, telling, 39–40 basic ba sic ten ets of, 42 exper ex periiment menting, ing, 40–41 Prepaara Prep ration tion for story storytell telling, ing, 43 assis as sistance, tance, 45 final, fi nal, 46 setting set ting the scene, 45–46 space, 44–45 stage arrange arrangements, ments, 45 Problems, Prob lems, aids for dealing dealing with, 51 memo mem oriz rizing, ing, pros and cons of, 52–53 safety net, 53–57

119

120 Index Index

Professional Profes sional story storytell tellers, ers, 6–7 reli re liance ance on, 4–5, 6 Props making mak ing them work, 71–72 pros and cons of using, us ing, 69–71 Puppets Pup pets making mak ing them work, 76 pros and cons of using, us ing, 74–75 Rate. See Pace in story storytell telling ing Reading Read ing versus versus telling, telling, 21–22, 36 Reasons Rea sons for story storytell telling ing ability/tal abil ity/talent, ent, 9–10 patron pa tron needs, 10 to connect connect with patrons, 14 to enhance enhance under understand standing ing of the story, 13–14 to engage engage patrons, patrons, 11–12 to gener erate ate details details in listen lis teners’ ers’ minds, 13 to make events/topics events/topics acces accessi sible, ble, 12 vari va riety, ety, 10–11 Research Re search on story storytell telling, ing, 11, 13, 14, 18, 81, 95–99 Safety net for telling telling dealing deal ing with forget forgetting, ting, 53 devel de velop oping, ing, 53 remem re member bering, ing, 55–56 telling tell ing about the story, 54–55 treading tread ing water, water, 56–57 using us ing the smile, 53–54 Space for story storytell telling, ing, 44–45 Special Spe cial programs programs for story storytell telling, ing, 84–85 Stages of telling telling ad just justing ing pace, 47 celeebrat cel brating, ing, 49 finale, fi nale, 48 gauging gaug ing reac reactions, tions, 47–48 intro in troduc duction tion , 46–47 letting let ting audi audience ence absorb absorb the story, 48 review, re view, 49–50 Story. See also Choos Choosing ing stories; stories; Story Storytell telling; ing; Structure of stories defined, de fined, 25 eleements of, 26 el structure struc ture of, 89–94

Story swapping, swapping, 84 Story-sharing Story-shar ing meetings, meetings, 84 Story Sto rytell telling. ing. See also Choos Choosing ing stories; stories; Learning Learning stories; sto ries; Levels Levels of story storytell telling; ing; Practic Practicing ing telling; tell ing; Prepa Prepara ration tion for story storytell telling; ing; Problems, Prob lems, aids for dealing dealing with; Reasons Reasons for story storytell telling; ing; Research Research on story storytell telling; ing; Stages of telling; telling; Story; Story Storytell telling ing enhancements/tools beneefits of, for librar ben librariians, 3–4 and copyright copyright issues, issues, 101–3 as edu educa cational tional tool, 2 effi ef ficacy cacy of, 95–98 history his tory of, in public pub lic librar libraries, ies, 2 how it works, 98–99 learning learn ing to do, 17–19 and library library staff, 1–7 and listener listener needs, 19–21 and liter literaature, 3 as natu natural process, process, 15–19 oppor op portu tuni nities ties for, in librar libraries, ies, 7 record re cord keeping, keeping, 49 Story Sto rytell telling ing enhance enhancements/tools, ments/tools, 33–34, 59–60. See also Ac Acces cesso sories ries to story storytell telling ing gestures/move ges tures/movement, ment, 64–66 pace (rate), 62 pitch, 62–63 voice, 61–62 volume, vol ume, 63 Story Sto rytell telling ing festi festivals, vals, 86, 87 Story Sto rytell telling ing workshops, workshops, 85–86 Structure Struc ture of stories, stories, 89 charac char acter, ter, 90–91 conflicts, con flicts, 92 details, de tails, 93–94 intent, in tent, 91–92 plot, 92–93 Tale types, defined, defined, 105–6 “Toys”. See Sto Story rytell telling ing enhance enhancements/tools ments/tools Voice in story storytell telling, ing, 61–62 Volume Vol ume in story storytell telling, ing, 63

About the Authors Authors Kendall Haven. Kendall Haven. The The only West Point gradu graduate and only senior senior oceanog oceanogra rapher pher to become become a proprofessional fes sional story storyteller, teller, Haven Haven has performed performed for four million. million. He has won numer numerous ous awards for his story writing writing and his story storytell telling ing and has conducted conducted story writing writing and story storytell telling ing workshops workshops for 40,000 teachers teachers and librar librariians and 200,000 students. students. Haven Haven has published published five audio audiotapes tapes and twenty-five books, includ including ing three award-winning award-winning books on story: Write Right and Get It Write on writing, writ ing, and Super Sim ple Sto doing, using, using, and teaching teaching story storytell telling. ing. Through this work Story rytell telling ing, on doing, he has become become a nation nationally ally recog recognized nized expert expert on the archi architec tecture ture of narra narratives tives and on teaching teaching crecreative and expos exposiitory writing. writing. Haven served on the National Haven National Story Storytell telling ing Asso Associ ciaation’s Board of Direc Directors tors and founded the InInterna ter national tional Whole Language Language Umbrella’s Umbrella’s Story Storytell telling ing Inter Interest est Group. He served as co-direc co-director tor of the Sonoma and Bay Area Story Storytell telling ing Festi Festivals, vals, was an advi advisor sor to the Mariposa Story Storytell telling ing Festi Festival, val, and is founder of Story Storytell telling ing Festi Festivals vals in Las Vegas, Vegas, Nevada, Nevada, and Boise, Idaho. He lives with his wife in the rolling rolling Sonoma County grape vineyards vineyards in rural rural Northern Northern Cali Califor fornia. nia. Orleans, with its parade pa rade of ritual ritual and play, and has been traffick traffick-Gay Ducey was Ducey was raised in New Orleans, ing in stories stories from the time she was born. She has been a children’s children’s librar librarian ian for Oakland Oakland Public Public LiLibrary for twenty-four years and is the staff trainer for Books for Wider Hori Horizons, zons, a program program that sends volun vol unteers teers into local local Head Start centers centers to present present story times. times. A cele celebrated story storytell telling ing edu educa cator, tor, she has taught story storytell telling ing in UC Berkeley’s Berkeley’s gradu graduate divi division sion and Domin Dominiican Univer University, sity, among others, others, and has traveled traveled the United States and to Canada Can ada and Ireland, Ireland, telling telling stories stories to every every age. She has been a commis commissioned sioned artist artist at the Smithso Smithsonian’s nian’s Museum Museum of Ameri American History History and was named an “Outstand “Out standing ing Woman of Berkeley.” Berkeley.” Ducey is the artis ar tistic tic direc director tor of the Bay Area Story Storytell telling ing Festi Festi-val. She and her family family live in Berkeley. Berkeley.

Storytelling

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