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!"

NSN 2012 Conference

That's the motto of the National Storytellers Network.  The national conference is a great way the organization meets that goal. The conference's end is closest and freshest in my mind so I'll start there.  Agreed to host TimeSlips with Liz Nichols.  Why?  Meant I couldn't leave early as it was the last workshop.  Ah, but I was meant to become excited about this way of working with dementia patients.  Have a place where I've been and can't wait!  They'll be a great place to try it and learn.  To learn a bit more, go to the Healing Story Alliance's article on the process.  They are a Special Interest Group of NSN.

• Yes, Bill Harley's Sun. speech was a fine way to get us moving on after the conference -- Loren Niemi's poetic response gives you a taste of it, too.  (There are plans to post parts of the conference and probably the daily keynote addresses will be posted.  Bill Harley's conclusion was a great send-off.)

 
Bill Harley Calls for Revolution (by Loren Niemi)

We went astray he said, missed

the boat, lost the thread, got caught up

in one particular model that embraced

the tent and platform rather than

diversity and intimacy in all its messy forms.

It is time to recognize the Mecca

is just a small Tennessee town,

that hitched it's star to our labors

but not to our art. Our art was

and remains a means to an end.

The time has come of admit

that we have been lied to, that

social media will not bring us more

but empties us as we spend time, even

the time it takes to write or read this.

In the back of the room I raise

my metaphorical clenched fist

for this is the call to revolution,

to turn our hearts to what must be

painfully and joyfully done.

Right on, brother. Let us embrace

story as an intimate act of creation

shared in an uncertain time, as gift,

as calling, as prophecy, as witness,

as life changing as our real work.  

• Full conference group sessions concluded with "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" It still plays in my mind right along with remembering the wall where we posted our historical events.  Renee Englot said Storytellers of Canada always open with their history.  Added Chuck Larkin's death to the wall.  (Same weekend as Ray Hicks.) More history additions are wanted.  I'll add from the viewpoint of people here in Michigan, sending it to on to NSN.  The organization is gathering that history of festivals, people, and other events.

• Had great response to my tale at Yvonne Healy's Ghost Story Swap.  Next day a person found me and still had shivers!  Our Storytell list swap was fun with our part of the storytelling family (the whole conference is a family reunion, even if you meet for the first time).  Some at that swap took one of the Mark Wilson photos I brought to share, but I'm going to follow this post by tomorrow starting a 4-part series making all those photos available online.  Similar was the fun of the Fairy Tale Lobby and lunch after.  My emceeing a regional showcase also received good comments, but my own fun was getting to know each teller and their tales.  As soon as Omope (Carter Daboiku) settles into her new Dayton home, we plan to work together on the 2 sides of the Underground Railroad.  (It felt like meeting someone with whom I'm already connected!)

• Missed Karen Chace's part of Selling Stories, Not Snake Oil. (Thanks for those handouts, Karen. People should check your website and you posted them on your July 9 blog) Linda Gorham was as good as I was led to expect (she comes later this month to the Michigan Storytellers Festival along with Bil Lepp), but Elizabeth Ellis's words will stay with me about all of us being a team unto ourselves (artist, craftsperson, business manager, and maybe more).  Her "I'll have to ask my business manager" gives time to consider a gig that may be unwise.  I already try to have business meetings with myself, but this was empowering.

• Michigan storytelling friend, Karen Czarnik's story was fun and justifiably won the Story Slam, but my conference roommate Renee Englot's 3d place finish was sooooo close and similar.  O.k. Renee wasn't naked in the Great Lakes, but now I'll never consider staying at that Canadian Ice Hotel.  In story, been there, done that . . . vicariously.  BRRRRRR!

• Ruth Canonico not only gave an excellent Scottish Traveler bibliography, but brought Duncan Williamson and the tradition closer than just in print.  Norah Dooley's p.r. for the Massmouth Story Slam is "mammouth" and worth passing on to storytelling guilds. 

• Heard one conference attendee suggest putting all handouts online.  Great idea, despite Selling Stories, Not Snake Oil showing ethics fail to guide some members of our community.  Yet the ideas should go at least to conference attendees.  I know there are some plans to have parts of the conference appear online at the NSN website.

• In my pre-conference post I mentioned the folktale-based production, "From the Circle" by Filament Theatre after the YES! pre-conference.  It reminded me of the early days of Eth-Noh-Tec when the Storytell email list debated if they were storytelling.  Enjoyed time with all the Storytell family and the rest of the storytelling family there, but especially time with Csenge, Terrie a.k.a. Red Phoenix, Renee, and teacher and new member, Kevin.  When people worry storytelling is graying and where are the young up and coming storytellers, just look in their direction for reassurance.

Truly this was...

LoiS(ummarizing and already thinking of more, but this was the essence for me...now to write thank yous and tomorrow start posting those great photos from Mark Wilson ... to remember)

A Conference to Remember!

Fellow storytellers said they found my account of the 2012 National Storytelling Conference like being there with me.  Starting with the Pre-conference, looking at Cincinnati and the Kentucky elements, this may encourage you to find out more about some of the sessions and other experiences.  It may even encourage you to plan towards the August! 2013 conference in Richmond, VA.

Signed up for the National Storytelling Network conference waaay in advance, as the earliest of Early Bird registration saved money, also a year ago I promised YES! chair, Lyn Ford, I'd help with the Youth, Educators, Storytellers (YES!) Alliance pre-conference.  In the past, since the NSN conference always moves to various locations, I'd stayed offsite (a) at a relative's home; (b) with my husband in a tourist cabin near a commuting route; (c) at a "sleep cheap" with a roommate.  As a result of "c" I waited, expecting to find a MI or other roommate, but as the conference approached I began to panic.  MI residents either couldn't attend or weren't coming for my entire time.  (The pre-conference meant arriving Tuesday to help with set-up, NOT a popular option, but still within the range of any others attending the two pre-conferences which began early Wednesday.)  Cincinnati's nicknamed the Queen City and it began to look like it might require a queen's ransom.   This time the bulletin board for roommate and travel didn't help me because I wanted to stay in one place throughout.  The incredibly helpful Kit and Karin at the NSN office -- multiply me times similar members to show how spectacular these 2 are -- suggested hotels on the trolley line since the conference hotel was booked.  They also suggested parking garages, local members to answer questions, and taxi possibilities for when the trolley stopped at 10 or started late on the weekend. 

Couldn't micro-manage it from a distance.  Was incredibly lucky to find a roommate in Renee Englot from Canada.  She thought surely I'd found a roommate when she requested 1 on Storytell, the international email list for storytellers.  We took a chance on a downtown Cincy 3 star hotel w/o knowing what it was.  Reviews, factoring out snobs and the hard to please, still were worrisome -- that + trolley/parking difficulties.  Through it all Renee was a great mate in the week's constant activity.  (The hotel, the Milennium, also turned out fine.)

Not to worry.  It was easy circling downtown Cincy and KY areas to find the best parking choices.  The trolley  was fun, even when I accidentally caught the Newport trolley.  Got a story loving driver who gave a tour through Newport.  Passed Thompson House -- owned by the inventor of the Tommie Gun.  Go to Thompson House history to learn way more than just the marker mentions.  It has history in the War of 1812 -- see my 2 April posts about the War of 1812 and the River Raisin Massacre for a bit more on Kentucky in that war, was part of the Underground Railroad, and is said to be haunted.  Perfect material for storytellers.

Even my briefest of visiting revealed downtown Cincinnati was fun to walk, with the Cincinnati Library (had to visit it, of course!), interesting decorated pigs all over, the Underground Railroad Freedom Center,  the river -- I'm a born and bred St. Louisan so it felt like home, and lively nightly music in Fountain Square where I could pick up and return on the trolley.

Tuesday night we learned YES!'s 2d of our 2 afternoon pre-conference speakers flight was canceled.  We managed with our a.m. keynote from Susan O'Halloran and our other afternoon speaker, Karen Chace.  I was to introduce Karen and was confident, correctly so, as she talked about the many ways she handles youth storytelling clubs.  I've known her and her work from Storytell for a long time.  Fabulous job...of course.  Karen's website and blog has a great many of her ideas and handouts on storytelling clubs and much more. The evening ended with a lively performance by Filament Theatre inspired by folktales.

From the Circle: Remembering the Earth Through Folktales

Thursday I walked to the library for a few questions and then spent the rest of the day at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center.  There's also a surprising amount of Native American information there and their research library gave leads on an UGRR conductor important to the woman, Liberetta Lerich Green, whom I portray.  (See past posts.) She grew up on a local UGRR station.  I'll check the Troy, MI location where Peter Jackson apparently lived in the 1850s, then more on his later family life in Canada's Essex County.

I read somebody's (?) post about storytelling friend, the late Mark Wilson, and continue to learn from him...I plan to set aside money all year long to decide if I can afford future conferences.  My Scottish ancestors might have fits at how I committed myself, then began to panic, but the conference was needed and useful.  Such conferences

1. reconnect me with friends and colleagues; 
2. provide new ideas and stories; 
3. refresh my commitment to a career that often can feel as if I'm all alone.  My next post will hit the high points about the actual conference's value.  Not the same as attending, but still hope it may provide leads to you on those 3 conference benefits.

LoiS(orting through a PACKED week)

War of 1812 Bicentennial starts

Today on June 18, 1812 President James Madison, with congressional approval, signed the declaration of war against Great Britain.  The war became unpopular enough to be known as President Madison's War.  In April, while preparing for a program series at the Lorenzo Cultural Center, I published two blogs: 12 Reasons to Remember the War of 1812 and 13 Resources to Remember the War of 1812.  This war became a second War of Liberation as the Revolutionary War was formerly called.  While the war ended with a return to pre-war boundaries, it established the young United States as a sovereign nation in the eyes of the world, transforming its army and navy, strengthened Canadian solidarity, and assured American western expansion, changing forever the relationship with Native Americans (called in Canada the First Nations), who lost their bid for sovereignty by their alliance with the British.

15 Five Star Fairy Tale Activity Sources

At one time fairy tales were the deadest section in children's libraries, but I found activities in 15 sites and books proving it no longer needs to be true.

• Storytelling friend, Mary Grace Ketner, of the Fairy Tale Lobby in "Are fairy tales still worth telling?" talked about the importance of fairy tales in her work with middle schoolers and beyond.  Recently she passed along a great idea for a fairy tale activity to the email list, Storytell.  It's sure to lobby young readers to try fairy tales.  She reported:

Some of y'all may have met my friend Sue Kuentz, a librarian who facilitates our local Texas Storytelling Youth Challenge.  In an email a day or two ago, she mentioned that her kids held a "Fairy Tale Bowl." What's that? I asked.  Her answer:
The Fairy Tale Bowl was brought into our district about 3 years ago. Our 2nd graders' TEKS involve fairy tales and folk tales, characters, setting, problem, solution, compare and contrast, and elements of these two genres.

So, as a celebration, the librarians put together this bowl in which the students are asked to read anywhere from 10 - 15 fairy tales/folk tales either in the class or at home (each school varies their titles). On a particular date, we hold the bowl in which all of 2nd grade dresses as a character in one of the tales. 4 representatives from each class participate in the bowl with our quizco buzzer system. There's 4 rounds of questions and 2 Lightning Rounds of questions. The winning team collects the most points and wins a class trophy, medals. All the kids who participated receive ribbons and certificates. Just a fun way to wind up the TEKS studied.  This was my first year to do it. Seemed too easy for the kids so I think I'll include some fractured tales next year.

This bowl is similar to our Battle of the Books for 3rd and 4th grade except we don't take points away for wrong answers in the Fairytale Bowl.

That's it in a nutshell.

Sue Kuentz, Librarian
Tuscany Heights Elementary  

Here are 14 other books and websites with great activities the Fairytale Bowl idea challenged me to find.

• This is the first of Kathy Ross's excellent books.

• Fairy Tale Land has activities for: Ugly Duckling; Little Red Riding Hood; Jack and the Bean Stalk; Gingerbread Man; Goldilock and the Three Bears; Cinderella; Sleeping Beauty.  Crossword puzzles must be done in Internet Explorer 5 or higher.  Some of this British site is clearly only for schools, but I especially liked the Fairytale Frames for use whether in a library, school, and beyond.  

 

• by Avery Hart, Paul Mantell and Michael Kline

• Fairy Ideas  This page has “Fairy Tale Head Bands” at its start, but it’s way more than that, including a large medieval section, dramatic play ideas, and ideas related to these tales: 3 Little Pigs; Cinderella; Peter Pan/Pirates; Alice in Wonderland; Little Red Riding Hood; Jack in the Beanstalk; Gingerbread Man/Boy.

• by Kathy Ross

• Changing Roles  Don’t let the lesson plan format stop you if you’re not a teacher as this works with a variety of ages, tales, and beyond the classroom.

• Kathy Ross on fairies as opposed to specific tales

• Fairy Tale Quiz  There are some real toughies in these 24 questions even for fairy tale fans, but you might know a few already...the rest should challenge you to dig up the answer.

• Anna Llimos also created Medieval Castle Adventure Crafts

•  Fairy Tales Theme  This says Preschool Activities and Crafts, but primary and elementary grades would be able to use many, too. Covers 17 Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Tall Tales, and Legends, plus the site has other sections on the site about Fables,  Nursery Rhymes, and Legendary Animals.  This site has several alphabet lesson plans, crafts, and printable activities, including coloring sheets, so it’s a good place to check for handouts.  There even are a few science, social science, and safety ideas.

•   ABC Teach - Fairy Tales Theme  ABC Teach offers a lot more to its paid members, but still there are available free items of slightly less than 1/3 of nearly 100 handouts and printables ranging from preschool through 8^th grade as this site is aimed at teachers, parents, and homeschoolers.  

• Not strictly fairy tales, but Kathy Ross's Crafts from Your Favorite Nursery Rhymes is planned for the preschool set and many activities also fit fairy tales for the youngest.

• Perpetual Preschool Fairy Tales   If you work with young children and don’t yet have the entire Perpetual Preschool site bookmarked, why are you waiting?!?  Readers suggest Songs, Snacks, Art, Science, Games, and more.  It even gives the email address of the person suggesting so you may contact them for further information.  An outstanding resource for early childhood work/play!

King of the fractured tales at Scholastic's site

• Scholastic's Myths, Folktales, and Fairy Tales  These are writing activities – noticing among other storytellers and authors the ever popular, John Sciezka, I admit to enjoying fractured folktales, but they always should only follow after the original is known.

While researching this I repeatedly found broken links on various sites.  Perhaps the education field is an area that changes frequently. If you discover any broken links, please let me know and I will update this article.  

LoiS(peaking of updating, fellow storytelling friend and blogger, Karen Chace, has been mentioned here before, but she just published some great Fairy Tale lesson plans at Catch the Story Bug! "Fun in the Classroom with Folktales & Fairytales" )

13 Resources to Remember the War of 1812

In my previous article, "12 Reasons to Remember the War of 1812" I discovered those points worth remembering it.  Now to find resources to help you find that information easily and a few unusual ones.  Some will be general resources and some are specific to one of those reasons. 

1. Donald R. Hickey wrote 2 books giving a brief option, The War of 1812; A Short History and he also wrote the award winning War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict for deeper coverage
2. Never overlook the value of children's books for a quicker introduction and Don Nardo's The War of 1812 offers both basic coverage and knows how to capture the curiosity of young readers.  Try it!
3. Wikipedia has become a more reliable source than in its early days.  Be sure always to check also the "Talk" tab to see further discussion.  Find it at English language Wikipedia.org and put in your topic in the search box
4. Amy Elliott Bragg's book, Hidden History of Detroit, and her blog, The Night Train provide unusual information worth knowing
5. Visit Fort Malden in Amherstburg, Ontario just across the river from Detroit.  Hear about life there watching for the Yankee "insurgents"
6. Nardo's book gives a great view of Old Ironsides in battle, but David L.  Weitzman's book is an outstanding printed look at the entire ship
7. The River Raisin Battlefield in Monroe, MI has something at all times to help you understand the importance of the rallying cry "Remember the River Raisin!" plus a January reenactment and quarterly discussions
8. Commodore Perry has 3 attractions in Put in Bay, OH to look at the Battle of Lake Erie along with plenty of recreation. ("We have met the enemy" and forgive Ohio for the nearby later Toledo War of 1835-36)
9. Tecumseh was unsuccessful in halting American expansion by siding with the British, but his bravery and qualities were honored by William Henry Harrison, who fought him at the Battle of Tippecanoe and the Battle of the Thames.  The best information I've found on the internet is this thorough article available through The "Wayback Machine" internet archive
10. Dolley Madison's story is exciting enough, but the full information on The Burning of Washington is by Anthony S. Pitch and climaxes on p.14 to the end on p.17 -- she was personally in danger, threatened by the British
11. Controversy about Alexander Macomb, "the Hero of Plattsburgh" and namesake of a local county and township, is included with facts about his Detroit statue at Detroit: The History and Future of the Motor City
12. The Smithsonian's look at Francis Scott Key's writing "The Star-Spangled Banner" is interactive and offers many ways of understanding it and its role in the war and beyond
13. While researching #10 I developed a love of Eyewitness to History.com for its "History through the eyes of those who lived it."  Looking for historical stories to bring an event to life? Start there. The Battle of New Orleans facts are as lively as Johnny Horton's tall tale song. (The lyrics have a few minor typos, but you can also hear it.)

12 Reasons to Remember the War of 1812

It's the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and even the award winning book about it is titled, "War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict."  Teachers must cover the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. At a recent history conference it was admitted this war is easily overlooked and too often indeed "Forgotten."

First a disclaimer since this will focus mainly on the Great Lakes region. I grew up in Missouri and didn't hear about this while in school. My daughters did grow up here and never had any assignments about the War of 1812.

I've discovered a dozen things crucial to this area:

1. What started this war?
2. This was the Northwest Territory, the frontier for the still quite young and barely United States
3. I'd heard the phrase "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too!", knew it was a political slogan, but not the role of the Battle of Tippecanoe with William Henry Harrison (Nov. 7, 1811)
4. The surrender of Detroit by General William Hull put the whole outcome of the war in doubt immediately (Aug. 16, 1812)
5. General Hull's nephew, Isaac Hull, on the east coast proved the fledgling Yankee fleet could defeat the British Navy with his USS Constitution, now known as Old Ironsides (Aug. 19, 1812)
   
6. The massacre of wounded and surrendered soldiers at Frenchtown, now Monroe, created the rallying cry "Remember the River Raisin!" (Jan. 23, 1813) and the soldiers came mainly from Kentucky
7. Commodore Perry took a newly built fleet and won the Battle of Lake Erie. He wrote on the back of a letter to William Henry Harrison: We have met the enemy and they are ours (Sept. 10, 1813)
8. Tecumseh unsuccessfully tried to halt American expansion by siding with the British. When Americans retook Detroit after the Battle of Lake Erie, they crossed into Canada, found Fort Malden burned, then charged into the Battle of the Thames shouting "Remember the Raisin!", killing Tecumseh and winning the battle (Oct. 5, 1813)
9. Dolley Madison saved White House treasures when the British burned it, but that was only part of the story (Aug. 24-25, 1814)
10. Alexander Macomb, namesake of a local county and township, was the Hero of Plattsburgh. He stated "Fortune always favors the brave", refusing to retreat although greatly outnumbered.  He succeeded (Sept. 11, 1814)
11. Francis Scott Key's writing "The Star-Spangled Banner" matched Yankee resistance (Sept. 14, 1814)
12. Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans even as the final treaty was being completed. (Jan. 8, 1815) 

Next 12 Resources to Remember the War of 1812 will form the second half of this look at 12 Reasons to Remember the War of 1812.  (Some are unusual!)