More Bookish Thoughts

If you like to hear stories read, here are some especially good opportunities.

Years ago, I went to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee which takes place over a weekend in October. The entire town is turned over to the festival and there are huge tents for the storytellers. It’s a feast for the ears; a wonderful variety of stories by professional tellers. Some were so funny that I entered that stage of laughing where high pitched squeaks comes out of your mouth and there’s nothing you can do to about it. That was a story by Donald Davis about mule trekking in the Grand Canyon. Some stories were so intense and heartfelt that I cried. A great weekend. I wasn’t able to find the Grand Canyon story online, but I did find this great Tedx talk that Davis gave titled “How the Story Changes the Storyteller.”  He talks about how his wise grandmother helped his father change his attitude toward the story of his life. Memoir writers and readers will enjoy this.

Symphony Space is offering stories from its popular Selected Shorts, so wander over (virtually) to Symphony Space, which is offering a new short story every Sunday. You can listen to the current one or others from the archive. Symphony Space always has the best readers. I listened to the hilarious story Yma Dream by Thomas Meehan and read by Christine Baranski, a wonderful reader of this clever tale.

If you are a devotee of the Moth, which empowers ordinary people to tell their interesting stories, their Story Library has lots to offer. If you’re not familiar with the Moth, this is a good time to investigate. Normally their performances are live, but so crowded that it’s hard to get in. I’ve been shut out of performances but was lucky to be invited to one with a friend who has a membership.