Eells - The Princess Who Was Dumb - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Illustration by the Petershams

Words change!  Sometimes before telling a story, a bit of explanation is needed.  A perfect example is the way the word "lame" is now commonly used to mean "weak, unconvincing, or inadequate", but it originally meant a physical disability causing a limp or difficulty walking.  Today's story calls a princess "dumb."  Assuredly her mother-in-law would not only mean the princess is unable to speak -- the original meaning -- but also would consider the current use of it to mean "stupid."  

 Personally the older use of "dumb" bothers me because it has often been applied to the deaf who have difficulty speaking.  "Mute" might be slightly more accurate, but the difficulties involved in speech usually has nothing to do with creating sound.  Rather it's hearing and then reproducing the sound.  With American Sign Language as the third most used language in the United States, such terminology tends to get me started pulling out my soapbox for a rant.

Instead I've pulled out a delightful story from Tales of Enchantment from Spain by Elsie Eells.  As an adult I think the strained relationship with the mother-in-law adds to the enjoyment of this story beyond what a younger audience might miss.  It's rather like Queen Aggravain's dissatisfaction with Princess Dauntless in the musical, "Once Upon a Mattress."  The princess is certainly dauntless in this story, bringing it to a sly end.

Speaking as a storyteller, I daresay there are times my own husband might feel that way!

The last time I posted a story by Eells was in August of 2016.  There's more known about her now.  She's best known for her collections of South American, especially Brazilian folklore.  This book was her final book of half a dozen and the only reason I can safely post it from 1950 is she didn't renew it when the copyright law required.  According to Find A Grave, she died in 1963 at age 82, with her husband, Burr, dying two years later.  No children are listed, so we are able to enjoy her final three books before they might otherwise have been still under copyright.  Wikipedia mentions her travels as a researcher in the 1920s and 1930s  to various countries as a researcher at The Hispanic Society of America in New York, which was unusual then.  

¡Gracias!

Find a Grave mentions her Daughters of the American Revolution lineage and then goes on to give her passport application for those travels.  It's actually a wonderful look back at the then 40 year old writer and her husband.  I enjoyed it so much I'm going to give most of it.

Found a US Passport application for Elsie Spicer Eells giving her birth as Sept 21, 1880 in West Winfield NY, aage 40 on Nov 1, 1920 when they filed for this passport. Husband is Burr Gould Eells who was born in Walton, NY. They were living in Babylon, NY. She is listed as a writer.

She will be away for 6 month to do research in the following places:Portugal, Azores, Spain, Cuba in each of these places she wants to research Spanish _____ (can't read the last word). Aboard the Brittania, having never had a passport before. She is40, 5 foot 6 inches, medium forehead, green eyes, short nose, medium mouth, round chin, brown hair, fair complexion and oval face. Then Burr Gould Eells swears that they live in Babylon, NY and that he has known Elsie for 22 years. He is a teacher for what looks like Commerical High School, Brooklyn, NY. There address is Box 536 Babylon, NY. The picture is from her application. Then is attached a letter who wrote that her research is for literary work for which she has undertaken on behalf of the Hispanic Societyand that she should be granted the passport.

With the chaos of the Covid pandemic, passports are said to take 18 weeks currently (or "only" 12 weeks for a higher priced expedited application).  What storytelling and sharing of folklore might be currently waiting?

In the meantime, travel online through stories.

This is part of a series of postings of stories under the category, "Keeping the Public in Public Domain."  The idea behind Public Domain was to preserve our cultural heritage after the authors and their immediate heirs were compensated.  I feel strongly current copyright law delays this intent on works of the 20th century.  My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them.  I hope you enjoy discovering new stories.  

At the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an audience.  Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing of Public Domain stories will not occur that week.  This is a return to my regular posting of a research project here.  (Don't worry, this isn't dry research, my research is always geared towards future storytelling to an audience.)  Response has convinced me that "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my other postings as often as I can manage it.

Other Public Domain story resources I recommend-

• There are many online resources for Public Domain stories, maybe none for folklore is as ambitious as fellow storyteller, Yoel Perez's database, Yashpeh, the International Folktales Collection.  I have long recommended it and continue to do so.  He has loaded Stith Thompson's Motif Index into his server as a database so you can search the whole 6 volumes for whatever word or expression you like by pressing one key. http://folkmasa.org/motiv/motif.htm

• You may have noticed I'm no longer certain Dr. Perez has the largest database, although his offering the Motif Index certainly qualifies for those of us seeking specific types of stories.  There's another site, FairyTalez claiming to be the largest, with "over 2000 fairy tales, folktales, and fables" and they are "fully optimized for phones, tablets, and PCs", free and presented without ads.
  
  Between those two sites, there is much for story-lovers, but as they say in infomercials, "Wait, there's more!"

The email list for storytellers, Storytell, discussed Online Story Sources and came up with these additional suggestions:            

         - David K. Brown - http://people.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/stories.html

         - Karen Chace - http://karenchace.blogspot.com/search?q=public+domain

         - Richard Martin - http://www.tellatale.eu/tales_page.html

         - Spirit of Trees - http://spiritoftrees.org/featured-folktales

         - Story-Lovers - http://www.story-lovers.com/ is now only accessible through the Wayback Machine, described below, but the late Jackie Baldwin's wonderful site lives on there, fully searchable manually (the Google search doesn't work), at https://archive.org/ .  It's not easy, but go to Story-lovers.com snapshot for October 22 2016  and you can click on SOS: Searching Out Stories to scroll down through the many story topics and click on the story topic that interests you.

       - Tim Sheppard - http://www.timsheppard.co.uk/story/storylinks.html

       - World of Tales - http://www.worldoftales.com/ 
           - Zalka Csenge Virag - http://multicoloreddiary.blogspot.com doesn't give the actual stories, but her recommendations, working her way through each country on a continent, give excellent ideas for finding new books and stories to love and tell.

     
You're going to find many of the links on these sites have gone down, BUT go to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine to find some of these old links.  Tim's site, for example, is so huge probably updating it would be a full-time job.  In the case of Story-Lovers, it's great that Jackie Baldwin set it up to stay online as long as it did after she could no longer maintain it.  Possibly searches maintained it.  Unfortunately Storytell list member, Papa Joe is on both Tim Sheppard's site and Story-Lovers, but he no longer maintains his old Papa Joe's Traveling Storytelling Show website and his Library (something you want to see!) is now only on the Wayback Machine.  It took some patience working back through claims of snapshots but finally in December of 2006 it appears!

Somebody as of this writing whose stories can still be found by his website is the late Chuck Larkin - http://chucklarkin.com/stories.html.  I prefer to list these sites by their complete address so they can be found by the Wayback Machine, a.k.a. Archive.org, when that becomes the only way to find them.

You can see why I recommend these to you. Have fun discovering even more stories!

 

 

Another Story (or Two) to Build a Better World

On June 17 I did an article about why I believe stories can make a difference.  Today I have another, but first look ahead to this Wednesday, July 12.

I hope you, too, realize the importance of supporting the laws for net neutrality passed in 2015 and now under attack.  I try to avoid controversy here.  It's not my purpose, so here's a Wikipedia article on Net Neutrality that's both international and gives both sides of the topic.  I'm sure you can easily find more by searching, using the term.  Some will date back to right before its passage when it was first explained, like this Business Insider/Tech Insider article about Net Neutrality for Dummies and How It Effects You.  We stuck together then like another famous story, David and Goliath, and surprised everyone by winning.  Goliath, in this case the big cable and cell phone companies, is trying to get back up.  LET'S WORK TOGETHER AGAIN!

The internet, with all it's flaws, still can help us Build a Better World and today I want to feature a story from Toledo...no, not the Toledo right below the Michigan mitten, but its namesake in Toledo, Spain.  It's a legend many discover as they enter this famous old city.  I've found photos and another retelling on the internet, but want to give you the story as I first discovered it told by Richard Marsh.  He's a former Michigander, now living in Ireland, who loves to winter in Spain, but wherever he goes he's always a Storyteller.  I've enjoyed hearing him -- never enough times! -- and he also writes books you can still obtain.  This is from Spanish and Basque Legends (that link also lets you click on a 15 minute Talk Radio Europe interview about the book.

The story comes with Richard's permission (but please remember it is his copyrighted version and contact him first if you wish to use it).  You may do that using this email address: Richard at RichardMarsh dot ie -- that address omits the @ symbol and the final ".ie" for Ireland to end his address.  You certainly may use that also to buy his books or CDs. Here's his website: http://www.richardmarsh.ie/ .

The Bridge of San Martín

(Toledo)

The figure of a woman can be seen carved in stone in a niche over the keystone of the central arch of the Bridge of San Martín at Toledo. This story tells why she is so honoured.

A bridge near this spot was destroyed by flood in 1203 and immediately replaced. That bridge in turn was deliberately destroyed in the 1360s for strategic reasons during a battle for the kingship between the half-brothers Pedro I the Cruel and Don Enrique de Trastámara. The present bridge, a jewel of medieval architecture restored in the 17th and 18th centuries, was built in 1390 at the order of the Archbishop of Toledo, Don Pedro Tenorio.

The archbishop hired one of the most renowned architect-engineers of that time, whose name is not recorded. The work commenced, and the people of Toledo and the archbishop watched the progress of the bridge with satisfaction. Soon, the magnificent central arch, rising to 27 metres with a 40-metre span, was completed, and it was obvious that it would be only a matter of days before the scaffolding that supported the stonework could be removed.

One night, however, the engineer seemed unusually quiet and preoccupied when he came home from the day’s work. He refused to answer his wife’s questions, and after his supper he left the house without telling her where he was going. He went to the bridge, where he descended a ladder and inspected the foundations of the central arch. He arrived back home pale and disturbed. His wife pressed him again for an explanation, and he hesitantly told her what the problem was.

He had unaccountably made a serious error in his calculations. He could see now that as soon as the scaffolding was taken down, the central arch would collapse, killing any workmen in the vicinity. He would be responsible for the deaths of the workers if he said nothing. If he admitted his error and dismantled the bridge, his reputation would be destroyed, and no one would ever employ him as an engineer again.

What was he to do? Of course, he couldn’t let the men die, but what would he say to the archbishop? How could he explain why the bridge had to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch, when the archbishop had been impatiently urging him to complete the work as soon as possible? No matter what he did he would be ruined. He covered his face with his hands and wept bitterly.

His wife was a brave and clever woman, and she immediately saw that there was only one solution. She also knew that she had little time to do what had to be done. She waited only a moment until she could see that her husband had fallen into a troubled sleep, exhausted by his worries. Then she took a torch and went out.

The night was dark and stormy, and she passed through the deserted streets unnoticed. As the rain began to fall more heavily, she was afraid that her torch might be extinguished, and that would be fatal to her plans. She arrived at the bridge and walked trembling to the central arch, then she threw the burning torch into the complex arrangement of wooden posts and poles and ropes that made up the scaffolding. The torch sputtered briefly in the rain, but soon the flames took hold and, fanned by the wind, rose quickly. Her task accomplished, the engineer’s wife ran home.

As the engineer had rightly calculated, as soon as the scaffolding burned away there was a tremendous crash of what the Toledans naturally took to be thunder. But it was the falling of the central arch of the bridge. The following morning, the archbishop and the people of Toledo surveyed the damage. Seeing the burnt scaffolding, they quite understandably attributed the disaster to a bolt of lightning during the storm. The archbishop ordered the engineer to recommence the construction of the bridge, which he did with a contented mind and a heart full of gratitude to his wife.

However, the woman was troubled with feelings of guilt. On the day the bridge was dedicated and officially opened, she requested an audience with the archbishop. Fully expecting to be punished or at least scolded, she admitted that she had destroyed the bridge and explained her reason. But the archbishop, instead of castigating her, praised her cleverness and courage in saving countless lives and the reputation of her husband. And he ordered a stone carved with the figure of a woman to be placed on the bridge to commemorate her deed.

*** 

Richard years ago, when discussing the story among fellow storytellers said:

You can't see the carving from the bridge itself, and from a distance it appears very worn and indistinct. Some skeptics say it is not of a woman at all, but of the archbishop who commissioned the bridge.

If you think about it, this story fits the idea perfectly about Building a Better World in thinking about Character Education or Values through storytelling.  Yes, it's a legend, but it makes the ideas of Honesty, Responsibility, Respect, and Courage memorable.  I consider it among three tales covering the basics to Build A Better World.  It not only covers the idea of building, it goes well with the story of "The Gift of Insults" given in my June 17 article (and correctly attributed as a gift of story by Brazilian novelist, Paulo Coelho, and so it should never be given anonymously).  I like to follow "The Gift of Insults" with an interesting practice followed by the Babemba tribe in Africa to reestablish within their community someone who has acted irresponsibly or unjustly.  In the case of the bridge builder for San Martín the legend finds an unusual way of coping with the need for Honesty, Responsibility, Respect, and Courage, but doesn't escape its need to act with those attributes.

Going back to his book, Spanish and Basque Legends, Richard includes 16 pages of color inserts to accompany the many stories, but admits he still didn't have enough space for all the pictures he wanted to include.  In a "Rest of the Story", I want to say the bridge crosses the Tagus River, is definitely medieval -- some say the 14th century, while others attribute it to the reign of Alfonso X the Wise (the towers at each end came later were part of later renovations), and in 1921 was declared a National Monument.

Here are some pictures of the bridge you may enjoy.

When Richard was contemplating how he wanted to tell the story he tried to stay faithful to the legendary sources.  While I was looking further, I found on Tony and Helen Page's TravelSignposts she fleshed out the story.  Helen adds a wonderful and appropriate subtitle "The Legend of Puente de San Martin – How One Woman Saved Her Husband from Disgrace."

She points out precisely the miscalculation the engineer realized...
Once all the scaffolding were removed, the central arch of the bridge would not be strong enough to support the weight of the cartloads of stone being brought in for the construction of the Toledo Cathedral.

Wikipedia omits the legend, but does mention its five arches, with the largest in the middle reaching an impressive span length of 40 meters -- that's slightly over 131 feet for those of us who are metrically impaired -- and very few bridges in the world had reached that mark until then.

Yes, I know that's only two of the three stories I mentioned earlier are the foundation for my program to Build a Better World.  I like to involve the audience and, since many of my audiences are mixed ages, I often tell in voice and sign, especially to open a program, teaching some signs along the way.  A Haitian tale about a girl with the melodious name of Tippingee (I mention the concept of Name Signs as there's no time to fingerspell such a name) is perfect and one of many exceptional stories found in the book, The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales.  I stay true to the story's folk roots, but YouTube has a delightful video of the late folklorist and author of the book, Diane Wolkstein, telling the story to fifth graders at PS242 in Harlem along with a mention of her website, DianeWolkstein.com still maintained by her sister, Megan.  The story brings in the "building blocks" of Cooperation, Creative Thinking, and yet again Courage.

Whether you are able to cross that bridge in Toledo, Spain, or one in Toledo, Ohio, or some other bridge near you, may it be safe and help you Build a Better World.
 

Out with 2016 and in with 2017!

Now is the perfect time to look back and see how the year went and what might need to be done differently in the coming year.

The folks at Clipart Library have some great images for looking back at 2016.  I've chosen them for this post, but they have other topics worth checking.

For my part I want to stick to Storytelling here (although I promise I'm also looking at other parts of my life, too!)

• There have been weekly posts here, including 31 segments of the popular Keeping the Public in Public Domain stories, although I've also sometimes told other stories, too.  I've noticed it has become popular reading for our U.S. service members.  I'm happy to give them something to read during those times when some entertainment is needed.
• I love the research and time travel of Historical Storytelling Programs - my program as Liberetta Lerich Green and the topic of abolition, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War has been popular for many years, but this year I particularly remember the small town of Mecosta packed the hall and were very enthusiastic.  
• Another of my historical programs, this one about World War I had preview programs and a debut.  I'm excited to tell about the "Hello Girls" as Marine City bilingual telephone operator, Oleda Joure Christides.  This is as much a story of Women's History as it is for the coming centennial of the U.S. in this often overlooked war which moved our country into playing a role on the international scene.
• I'd heard about the Jesuits for years, but this past year let me tell to them as both Liberetta and Oleda.  There was nothing retired about the intellect and good wit of these "Jebbies" and I hope to have even more opportunities to bring my storytelling to them.
• Other adult programs included a two hour spooky storytelling around a campfire.  It let me try out some of the Lafcadio Hearn stories I've posted here.  After two hours I found myself realizing how many spooky stories I know, but didn't get to tell!
• An aunt died in 2015 and I had the opportunity to do memorial presentations both in Las Vegas and at the ancestral burial plot in Bloomington, Illinois.
• Yes, I enjoy telling for adults, but worked for a great many years with children, so there was plenty of that, too.  Some of my favorite programs were return engagements, including the many schools for the Jackson Storyfest.  Jackson is a truly diverse county, with urban, suburban, and rural communities.  Definitely urban is Detroit and it was wonderful to have a Detroit Public Librarian bring me back.  She had a library with no air conditioning but fans on a meltingly hot summer day, yet those families stayed right with me and my puppet sidekick!

Now is the time for thinking ahead to 2017 with new projects and room for self-improvement.

• Publicizing programs is a never ending job, especially as I look at my Hello Girls program, both because of its limitations for the time of the historical centennial celebration, but I see it as so much more because their 70 year battle for recognition makes it a perfect example of Women's History, although it's already been enjoyed by men, too.
• That program left me unhappy with its debut on audio-visual problems in a room with too much light for our equipment.  Help came from Dennis Skupinski, who has the YouTube channel, WW1 Centenary Michigan, which urges you to Give the First World War a Second Look.  His flash drive of WWI scenes and music lets program sites have an option for larger rooms.
• I also need to contact libraries in small towns for an unusual project that can come to them at very low cost to the library.
• Summer Reading Programs in libraries value literacy, but variety performers like puppeteers and magicians draw larger audiences.  This is why this blog has had several (13 so far) articles on puppets, including puppet sidekicks.  This year Priscilla Gorilla will once again accompany me.  It also permits audience participation.  
• American Sign Language is the third most used language in the U.S. and students say they learn even more from my storytelling in voice and sign.  I need to promote more my introductory programs in it.  The program is very flexible and can be for children or adults, from a one-time program or a series.
• I am the Michigan state liaison for the National Storytelling Network, but always find myself feeling as if I should do more to spread the word and also work with our state's members.
• One of the things I love about my work is its variety and creativity and how I never know what's next.
• Of course, I plan to continue offering stories in my Keeping the Public in Public Domain segments.  With 52 weeks to the year, this past year's 31 segments seems just about right to me.

With all of this I plan to keep my storytelling always moving from Good Enough to Better and even Best.

Keithahn - Boy Who Ate Too Much - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Do you know what is the third most used language in the U.S.?  (No fair peeking!)  Oh the answers I get when I ask kids that question!

It's American Sign Language.  Such a useful, beautiful language and fun to use with storytelling.  I often start a program with a story told in voice and sign as it's a great way to get an audience of all ages participating.  Yes, for ASL purists, telling in voice and sign tends toward the Pidgin English part of the signing continuum because English word order is used.  It's also a great way to expose people to sign language.

I often find people interested in learning more about signing, whether for Baby Sign which fosters language and communication waaaay earlier than waiting for oral communication, or to help communicate with the hearing impaired. 

As a result I offer everything from one-time programs up through a series such as I've been doing for two years now at the Warren Civic Center Library.  This past week I ended our session with today's fun tall tale that is Public Domain in a different way.

Usually I feature stories dating before 1923, but this comes from a different category.  I like to point out the U.S.Government Printing Office is paid for by our taxes.  Edward L. Keithahn was the curator and librarian for the Alaska Historical Museum and Library who collected these stories from the Shishmaref school children for the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs.  His volume, Igloo Tales, was dedicated as "a slight remembrance of the happy years spent among them."  As might be expected there is a lot of "porquoi" stories telling how things came to be, but my favorites are the ones closer to their roots on the playground, today's story and another called "The Story of a Head."  Definitely tall tales.

The book includes many illustrations by Shishmaref native artist, George Aden Ahgupuk, whose own story of how he became an artist is in the book, too, and quite interesting.  Here's the story with illustration and then I'll say a bit more following it.

I've been telling this story in voice and sign for so long I also ought to credit its shaping to two other storytellers whose books I own and enjoy.  In her wonderful book for audience participation, Twenty Tellable Tales, Margaret Read MacDonald titles the story "A Whale of a Tale" and credits several sources including Keithahn and also the version by Jean Cothran in The Magic Calabash: Folk Tales from America's Islands and Alaska.  She also mentions another version by Maggie Lind of Bethel, Alaska that I've not heard nor use, along with Lind's statement that "the tale is widely known."

So as you do your taxes, maybe the USGPO  will make you a bit happier when it offers stories.  Storyteller Donald Davis as a young man earning his first paycheck was told to choose something he wanted to think about his taxes going towards and supporting.  He chose the National Parks and visits them as he travels with storytelling.  If you're not ready to go to any of Alaska's many national parks, monuments, or historic sites -- even though Denali is currently warmer than here in southeast Michigan -- then travel in a story.
****************
This is part of a series of postings of stories under the category, "Keeping the Public in Public Domain."  The idea behind Public Domain was to preserve our cultural heritage after the authors and their immediate heirs were compensated.  I feel strongly current copyright law delays this intent on works of the 20th century.  My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them.  I hope you enjoy discovering new stories. 

At the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an audience.  Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing of Public Domain stories will not occur that week.  This is a return to my normal monthly posting of a research project here.  Response has convinced me that "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my monthly postings as often as I can manage it.    

There are many online resources for Public Domain stories, none for folklore is as ambitious as fellow storyteller, Yoel Perez's database, Yashpeh, the International Folktales Collection.  I recommended it earlier and want to continue to do so.  Have fun discovering even more stories!

Signing and Storytelling

Over the years I've often written on the topic of sign language.

My ASL (American Sign Language) background dates waaaaay back to when my older daughter was in grade school. She's a very oral hard of hearing adult at the severely hard of hearing range. Because she's too deaf for the hearing, she finds it's easier to say she's deaf. She and her sister grew up using it thanks to my taking what classes I could + her eventually going to a school with what is called Total Communication.  That same older daughter loves to collect the many ways sign changes internationally, so I've also become somewhat aware of how signing differs in other countries.

Because the language is so totally different from other languages, I really can't say how long it will take you to feel comfortable in it. Also, like any secondary language, if you don't use it, you will start to lose it. Since this will never be your primary language, it would be a good idea to make it a practice to run any story or song you sign past either an interpreter or somebody who uses it as their primary language. Even then, like any language, there may be more than one way to say/sign it.

Why use sign language with your storytelling?

• It's a great way to involve an audience. 
• It's now the 3d most used language in our country and there's a LOT of interest in it. 
• "Baby sign" programs have also shown its value with more than those who have a language or hearing problem.  It encourages communication at an early age, helping infants and toddlers express their feelings and what they want.  This can reduce frustration and misunderstanding for both adult and child.
• I often have taught such programs, including programs for interested young audiences to introduce them to it.
• Because of this I often tell a story in voice and sign, teaching first the signs basic to the story. 
• Often these signs are simple concepts like colors, animal names, that type of thing. When I was doing weekly preschool programs as a librarian, I used signs as an added way to learn basic concepts.
• It also is a great way to involve more than one learning style.  Research shows the more learning styles used, the better something is learned.

Sign language has several variations even within the United States.  By telling in voice and sign it tends to move my signing from the American Sign Language end of the spectrum more towards Pidgen Sign, which is signing in English word order. It also tends to streamline my spoken words to coincide with what I'm signing. While I don't usually do an entire program in sign, I have enough stories to put one together. I also have done entire programs in voice and sign when the audience included deaf classes with hearing classes. To do that, you need to get to a fairly conversational level with a lot of vocabulary.

This book originated in paperback, which is now out of print, but Amazon offers a Kindle edition.

There's a lot more I could say, but you might find it worth reading a chapter in Margaret Read MacDonald's book, Tell the World; Storytelling Across Language Barriers. I wrote the first half of the chapter on Translation into a Signed Language; then a licensed interpreter wrote the second half. Whatever you decide, I'd strongly recommend a class in A.S.L., preferably from somebody with strong ties in the deaf community to help you understand more.

• One last thought, I've found signing also helps when telling with people whose native language is not English, but they're trying to learn it. Many signs are called "natural signs" as they use a sign that matches "natural" gestures.  As mentioned in my list of reasons above, the more senses you can bring into learning is always worthwhile. Signing uses both your visual and kinesthetic abilities.

I even have a large puppet that lets me sign. 

Ivan signs "friend"

***********
The following comments came after I wrote the above article, which I've expanded and edited here for this blog.  The heart of my comments were part of a forum discussion on Professional Storyteller, an international network of storytellers.

Reply by Denis Gessing 

Lois: I could not have advised any better than you have. I have a background in ASL and use it when telling stories from my young readers book: "MIDNIGHT AND THE MAGICAL PRAIRIE SCHOONER." The only other ting I would add, Daniel, is the importance of respect for ASL as it is also the culture of the Deaf. I find using "pidgin" used with sim-com (speaking simultaneously) useful with an all hearing audience. I also feel a strong sense of responsibility in educating children in ASL. So, when Lois says take a class in ASL, she's spot on. But also know that the best way to both show your respect for ASL and the Daf community and the best way to learn ASL is to socialize with the Deaf. They are not only the best teachers, you will also find them to patient and eager to teach. Best of Luck, Daniel and Lois in bringing us closer together through sign story. Oh, one last thing. Daniel, check out a series of tapes called - I think this right- "STORIES FROM THE ATTIC" with Billy.. forget his last name. Very basic kids stories.
Peace and Grace, Deins

Reply by Lois Sprengnether Keel (LoiS) 

Thank you, Denis.
This is precisely why I say "The deaf community is a true community and American Sign Language is a true language." Hopefully anyone taking a class in ASL also gets an introduction to this. Getting out and associating with deaf individuals and groups helps you discover just how much you don't know, while feeling the support that comes from having a relationship. CODAs (Children Of Deaf Adults) and interpreters can also help you, but the goal is communication, so the more that comes directly to you from anyone who is deaf, the better.

Reply by Kat Quatermass 

at ETSU we have two amazing interpreters, Libby Tipton and Tracy who I am afraid I don't know the second name of, who do a lot of storytelling interpretation both for us and at the National Festival and other NSN and ISC events. Libby is also a speaking storyteller.
Recently ETSU organisation Silent BUCS hosted Peter Cook - internationally reknown deaf storyteller - and he teaches narrative development for interpreters - and anyone else who wants to tell in sign. http://professionalstoryteller.ning.com/events/narrative-development-in-asl I can't find a direct link to Peter's own website via google at present - just lots of his gigs - but I'll ask then post it.


Daniel's initial post made me a bit wary as I read it (probably not how it was intended) as seeing ASL as an easy way to extend a repertoire and get more bookings - something I think we speaking storytellers need to be very careful of.

Any language switch will change someone's telling, but ASL more so than most, because it functions differently to a verbal language. So my thought is that speaking storytellers with no previous ASL experience should either plan a long ASL learning period followed by developing their art form in ASL, or hook up with ASL interpreters and work together - otherwise I think we risk offering the deaf community a substandard storytelling experience, thinking we can just learn a bit of sign language and use it with our telling. Learning a bit and using a little if we have deaf audience members is a polite and good thing that we can do to involve a deaf audience and interpreters for them, but that is somewhat different. All this is purely my opinion, not anything I've discussed with the ASL interpreters at ETSU - but I'll try and point them here to add to the discussion

Reply by Daniel Bishop, the Storyteller on November 2, 2009 at 4:11pm

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Kat
I looked at my Post and can see where you might be a bit wary. I assure you that my thoughts were not on money, only on making my self a better storyteller. If I get a couple of payed gigs out of it all the better. And as far as easy... learning a new language is not easy. I would not use it as a game, I would use it as a learning tool for hearing students and audiences, and to tell stories to the ASL community who, as I see, don’t get a lot of storytelling exposure. I’m also looking into learning Spanish for the same reasons. (Though there are more Spanish speaking storytellers)

Back to Storytelling + Research:

More recently those classes for parents and other caregivers have been something I offer in addition to my storytelling.  

Warren Public Library offered it last winter and spring and will again offer it starting Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.with follow-up sessions on the last Tuesday of each month.
To register or find out more go to: Warren Public Library or call the Civic Center Library at 586-574-4564.

Held in the Conference room next to 

Warren Civic Center.

  

Yes, sessions tend to end with me telling a story in voice and sign language.

Annual Foolishness 2014 Farewell

Today is a personal look and yet it relates to storytelling since that's so much a part of me.

Canadian storytelling friend, Elinor Benjamin calls her holiday year's end review her Annual Foolishness.  Mine is a return to my theatre roots.  Yes, that's with an "re" as my undergraduate degree is in Theatre Arts.  Back then we were taught "Your body is your instrument."  That training hurt when Larry Linville died.

I learned his lung disease could be traced back to years of smoking.  He was one of the professional actors at Webster College (now University) and the Loretto Hilton Repertory Theatre who trained me so long ago.  Not many know he was one of the first American actors studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and was a fine Shakespearian actor.  After his success as Frank Burns in M*A*S*H, that was all Hollywood could see him playing.

While working as a librarian, theatre rehearsal schedules were impossible, although I did bring a bit of it into some of my library work whenever possible.  It certainly influences my storytelling style.  When I switched to full-time storytelling I knew theatre needed to return to my life for its mental challenges, creativity, and a balance to my personal life.  I included dance for physical fitness as it's my favorite exercise.  Experimenting showed me that, while I love directing, it's too consuming to coexist with my storytelling, but I can manage to perform in roughly a show per year.

Two years ago, as summer was ending, I auditioned for Chicago, the musical, figuring it would give me dancing at a time when classes had stopped and, even when they returned, for free.  Didn't realize those warm-ups that were always the beginning of class weren't a part of rehearsals but my own responsibility.  Developed a foot injury so bad I thought I would have to drop out!  My foot doctor and later physical therapy got me through it, although it remains as a mild reminder: Your body is your instrument.  I also discovered in this first return to a musical that I loved and missed the dancing and singing even though it takes way more effort than a standard play. 

My Annual Foolishness 2014 has just closed.  It was again with Lakeland Players and a musical, Sweet Charity, which is a great '60s period piece.  Lots of dancing and this time I religiously did a warm-up before each rehearsal and show.  Well, one time I was backstage right before opening and remembered!  Did the most important stuff, since the opening didn't need me dancing until Big Spender and, especially, the 3 in 1 dance later on...the Frug!, a real workout of a number that made the hippie dancing for Rhythm of Life seem like a piece of cake.  Hmmmm, rather like the $17 cake given to Charity in the "I Love to Cry at Weddings" number where we danced as Charity planned to leave her life we all announced in "Big Spender."  Both Chicago and Sweet Charity were Bob Fosse musicals and you may notice I'm still in Withdrawal symptoms.

There's an extra reason I treasure my 2014 Annual Foolishness as it came after a year of serious health problems in 2013.  There were times it was a stretch I wondered if I could manage, but it's great to look back and know I did and still can! 

2013 meant canceling nearly half my storytelling gigs while I looked after myself.  Even in the midst of it I accepted a "small role" -- yes, I agree with Stanislavski "There are no small roles, only small actors."  I took the part when an actor stepped out of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.  Mrs. Boyle is killed by the end of Act One and I was determined to make the audience cheer when they find the old Bat's been murdered.  I got it! 

Looking back at 2013, however, brought some interesting changes to my storytelling life besides The Mousetrap's Annual Foolishness.  I  took time off for some sabbatical time developing my storytelling work with Alzheimer's and dementia patients in what I call Elder Stories, which keeps their creativity and communication skills active.  Here I also branched out to share stories too good to forget in my Keeping the Public in Public Domain portions of this site.  Additionally I've long told some stories in voice and sign language and have increased my sharing the love of this visual way of communicating. 

2014's Sweet Charity was worth all the effort of my Annual Foolishness focus.  It also included a chance to work with a great bunch of people.

We can all celebrate a show that wasn't foolish to produce and I'd gladly work again with any of them.  (I say this even as I recuperate from getting "The Company Cold.")

Yes, "Your body is your instrument", that includes both mind and body, so I also want to turn to the philosophical wisdom of Charles Schulz's irrepressible Snoopy who wisely said,

"To live is to dance, to dance is to live!"

So, just as I tell many stories that dance, I'm delighted to keep on dancing even as give my farewell to Annual Foolishness 2014.