Mark Wilson's home

Mark enjoyed Jackson, California, up in the mountains where he lived.  It's what made him my "WP" or Western Pal.  The package he sent had his wonderful sun-dried tomatoes, coffee, and so much more packed with the love he freely dispensed to his storytelling friends.  Enjoy the view!

Ye olde clothesline (LSK: Yes, that's Mark's description and the first view of his place other than the one  of him standing next to his beloved and fabulous tomato plants which opened this series)

Pond I put in last year (LSK: That would be 2005)

Another shot of the pond with 'orchard site of the future' beyond it

Box o' maters

More termaters

Start of drying process

Tomato plants

View off the back porch

Flowers and cactus

Close up

Another back porch photo

My truck

A store in town (one I like)

Me at the gallery tour in Bellingham

Your storytelling family will miss you, Mark!

National Storytelling Network parades

I know some of these photos are from the Providence, Rhode Island conference.  Because Mark also sent photos from the Denver, Colorado and Bellingham, Washington conferences, some of these may also be from there.  As before, any further information is appreciated.

The final photos by Mark will be the next post.  It will show his home and what he loved in that area.

Storytellers as Viewed by Mark

Mark sent me 45 photos.  Many were of his storytelling friends and acquaintances.  Look out!  If you were ever at a National Storytelling Conference with Mark, you may be here!

These "family photos" are posted in no particular order except as they came in the envelope to me.  The identification also was made by Mark.  There are a few mysteries here, so feel free to tell me if you know of identifications missing or incorrect.  (Spacing is due to the quirks of Blogger working with the different size pictures.)

Jack McGuire and Mike Myers

Margie MacDonald and Jeff Gere

Marnie Gillard
UPDATE: Mary Hamilton has confirmed she's the other person in this photo.

Kevin Cordi and ?

Pleasant DeSpain

Leeny Del Seamonds

Granny Sue and Doug Elliott

Margie MacDonald

L to R Granny Sue, Angela Clark, Vickie Dworkin (and Bufo the day she got him?), ??, Batsy, and Jane Crouse

Linda King Pruitt, Priscilla Howe, Angela Klingler

Denver Storytell Swap

Denver Storytell Swap

Dr. DeLight

Andre Roche (LSK: ? Antonio Roche with wig?)

Liz Weir

Karen Chace and Dianne de Las Casas in Denver

Tim Sheppard at Denver Swap

Tim Sheppard, Mary Grace Ketner, and I'll remember her name in a minute

UPDATE: Tim Sheppard's confirmed the third person is "the lovely Sheila Darr."                                           

Mark and "I don't remember her name (just loved the colors in her clothes)"

Eth-Noh-Tec

Eth-Noh-Tec

O.k., I lied.  Saved two of my favorite Michigan storytellers for last.

Judy Sima

Yvonne Healy

The next posts will be from the Providence and possibly Denver National Storytelling Conference general parade.

Mark Wilson and other storytellers we miss

My "WP" for Western Pal, storyteller Mark Wilson died recently.  At the 2012 National Storytelling Conference, I brought to the Storytell swap photos Mark sent me and offered everybody their choice of one.  I've decided to broaden that offering by posting them online to let others see more about Mark and many storytellers he photographed, starting with others no longer with us.

On Michigan Storytelling.org there's a special page called In Memoriam that  attempts to recognize Michigan storytellers deserving our remembering.  It can only be complete if we remember those who helped build storytelling.  Just as the African story of “The Cowtail Switch” (found in the book of the same name by Harold Courlander) ends, “For it is a saying among them that a man is not really dead until he is forgotten.”  Let the stories of our storytelling family never be forgotten.

First of all here's Mark.  His note on the back says "Me and my tomato plants (top of my hat is about 6 1/2')"

Mark sent me many photos to help me get to know members of STORYTELL and other storytellers before I ever had a chance to attend any conferences.  We kept hoping we'd get to the same conference at the same time, but he was very much a WP and didn't make any of the same ones I've been able to attend.  Because the 2012 conference especially remembers Those Who Have Gone Before, here are some of his photos for storytellers whose voices have been stilled in this world.

Brother Blue

Chuck Larkin

Rose Owens "The Story Lady"

The next photo is of a storyteller who, as far as I know, is alive, but seems to have gone silent.  He is missed by those of us he mentored.  Wherever he is, the Storytell community has wished he would get in touch with us.

Papa Joe, "Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?"

This was the first of four posts of Mark's photos.  The next post will be of current storytelling members from those past conferences Mark attended.  After that will be a post from the Providence and possibly Denver and Bellingham conference festivities -- NSN clearly had a lot of fun!  The final post will be of Mark's home area.

UPDATE:
There has been a wonderful development from this series.  Please see the latest article for this month titled "Rose Is Alive!"