Story Crossroads: The Newsletter (Vol. 1, Issue 3)

Published: Tue, 09/01/15

     
Story Crossroads: The Newsletter
I have a story.  You have a story.  We all have stories.

August 2015
Volume 1, Issue 3
What to Expect
Know the traditions for each newsletter.
Steve Evans picture

Some traditions include:
*  Latest News of Story Crossroads
*  Cap's Off to You! (people profiles who use story)
*  Story Video (created or loved by us)
*  Story
*  Story Game (inspired by different cultures)

About Story Crossroads
What is Story Crossroads?
Steve Evans picture
Story Crossroads is a free grassroots event that features 50 professional story artists as well as over 80 community members telling for the main stage event.  Youth, community, and seniors will be taught through free storytelling residencies at libraries, schools, and other venues by certified story-teachers in preparation for this celebration.  Bilingual and cultural performers combine arts to bring the stories forward for the audience.  Enjoy stories told with ancient technique while simultaneously enjoying newfangled approaches to these traditions.  The 1st Story Crossroads launches April 15-16, 2016 at the Viridian Event Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Then, with an invitation extended across all borders, World Story Crossroads launches 2022.  

Latest News

Clive Romney and Steffani Raff--Experts
Today is the Day...Sign-Up for 16-hour Master Story Facilitator Courses with Clive Romney or Steffani Raff

Clive Romney and Steffani Raff are our cherished and designated experts whom we trust to teach and inspire others with the art of storytelling.  By attending and doing what is asked by these experts, you will be added to our list of approved Master Story Facilitators who could teach storytelling residencies for Story Crossroads and beyond.  Though all of these skills easily apply to whatever you do in life.  Go directly to sign-up for the courses (with details) here:  http://storycrossroads.com/teaching-story/sign-up-master-story-facilitator-16-hour-courses/​.

Clive Romney's 16-hour Course:  Stories through Interviewing
Skills Learned:  Interviewing; Discovering Stories from Snippets; Dramatic Story Structuring; Finding Moving Moments & Transforming into Performance-Ready Pieces; Teaching & Coaching Others
Attend (must be there for both days):
Saturday, September 26, 2015, 10:00am-6:00pm
Saturday, October 10, 2015, 10:00am-6:00pm

Steffani Raff's 16-hour Course:  Stories through Imaging
Skills Learned:  Capturing Sensory Detail; Developing Stories through Images; Generating Ideas; Adapting Plots; Creating Original & Engaging Performances; Teaching & Coaching Others
Attend (must be there for all four days):
Friday, September 18, 2015, 10:00am-2:00pm
Monday, September 20, 2015, 10:00am-2:00pm
Friday, October 2, 2015, 10:00am-2:00pm
Monday, October 5, 2015, 10:00am-2:00pm

5th Grant Received for Story Crossroads--
Around the World: The Tellable, Edible Art Project

We are thrilled with each grant received and the 5th grant has been from Salt Lake City Arts Council for the "Around the World: The Tellable, Edible Art Project" that is a collaboration with Bad Dog Arts.  Youth delve into the stories, food, and visual arts from a country/tribe from each of the six major continents.  After absorbing these arts, these youth appreciate their own cultures as well as the cultures that surround them.  Of all areas of Salt Lake City, the Glendale area has at least 37 languages spoken.  The "Around the World: The Tellable, Edible Art Project" brings two professional storytellers, one visual artist teacher, and one culinary artist in a cooperative to reach out to youth with special invitations to low-income families and foster families.  Starting October 27, 2015, 18 youth meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00pm-6:00pm for six weeks at the Mt. View Community Learning Center.  Then from January 12, 2016, another 18 youth repeat this six-week program.  By the end of these six-week programs, these youth improve skills with the visual arts, cooking, and are performance-ready to share stories at a culminating open-to-the-public performance at the Glendale Library in March 2016.  The top youth tellers will be invited as part of the community tellers of Story Crossroads in April 2016.

Kick-off Events and Free Residencies being Scheduled 

We are about to update our website with the dates in January and February 2016 for the Kick-off Events and Free Residencies being offered at six branches of the Salt Lake County Library Services.  These events prepare the way for the 80 community tellers who will be on the stage in April 2016.  Keep tabs of these and other Story Crossroads events on the "Calendar" tab of the website.

Around the Corner...Grand Stories at Fillmore Event 

With September means we are ready for the Old Capitol Arts & Living History Festival. We thank the Utah Division of Arts and Museums for some funding support for the Grand Stories Project.  Check out the event this September 11-12, 2015 (entire event September 9-12).  Then the top tellers from the Grand Stories Project will be invited to tell on the Main Stage for Story Crossroads in April 15-16, 2016.  Go to the Festival website here:  http://www.oldcapitolartsandlivinghistoryfestival.org.
The three storytelling components will be:
1.  Professional storytellers and music concerts that celebrate Utah's heritage
2.  Grand Stories intergenerational storytelling where grandparent and grandchild tandem tell together
3.  Family history video interviews, 30-minute free sessions that can be saved on flashdrive for participants
Cap's Off to You
Celebrating your way of using story

Featuring:  Julie Barnson

Mother, Teacher, & Storyteller from UT

Julie Barnson's website

Picture Credit:  Vladimir Chopine

Julie Barnson became the tall tale of Pecos Bill many years ago at a Riverton Arts Festival.  Her wild and wavy brown hair whipped about much as I would expect those rattlesnake lassos of that Pecos Bill.  I introduced myself and found myself a buddy to bring to the Utah Storytelling Guild meeting.  Ever since that time, I have discovered other talents and skills of this lovely lady.  She has the most amazing wardrobe of any storyteller.  Julie has been seen in garb from Medieval to Renaissance to Steampunk to Pioneer.  If a bodice is involved, she has it.  She also has the largest ghost story collection that is ready for the stage.  

Julie is a professional storyteller who gives people delighted spine tingles no matter what kind of story she tells.  This professional life is not all that inspires her use of story. Enjoy the past, present, and future influences of storytelling in Julie's life...

Story Video of the Month
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to start storytelling on stage while in early elementary and then continuing into the high school years?  Here is a video with long-time youth teller Aleksa Poulter interviewed by Sam Payne.

This video was created by Etched in Stone Productions headed by Sterling Elliott and assisted by Alex Aguila and Westin Cross.
If you or someone you know has a story video that you want us to see, then let us know about it and email us a link to it.  Who knows?  Perhaps we will be inspired to invite you to one of our Story Crossroads event?   Remember that our launch is April 15-16, 2016 at the Viridian Event Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 
Story

The Charcoal Woman's Son
The Charcoal Woman's Son, from Cuba
 
A noblewoman became intrigued by the charcoal woman who always delivered coal throughout the streets. One day, the noblewoman met the charcoal woman instead of her servant. The charcoal woman noticed that the noblewoman, like herself, was pregnant. The charcoal woman declared, “I predict that one day our two children will marry!” Upset, the noblewoman ordered a servant to kill the charcoal woman’s baby boy when he was born. The noblewoman demanded the baby’s tongue and finger as proof that the deed had been accomplished.

The servant spared the life of the baby, and cut the tongue from a puppy instead.  With no other substitute for the finger, the servant cut off the baby’s finger and sent the boy down the river in a basket. When the noblewoman received the tongue and finger from the servant, she hung a sign outside her home, “What God made, I destroyed.”

The boy floated to a sandy shore, the same favorite walking spot for a king. He brought the child home to his queen, and having no children, they raised the boy as their heir. They created a gold finger for the boy. When the boy turned 20, the king and queen revealed that the truth. The boy, now a young man, wished to find his birth parents. After traveling through many towns, he spied the nobleman’s sign. He also saw the noblewoman’s daughter.

The noblewoman invited the royal young man for a feast. During the feast, the young man inquired of the servants and the daughter on the meaning of the sign. The same servant who had hung that sign offered to take the young man to his mother. The young man proposed to the noblewoman’s daughter and invited his birth mother to wear a veil at the wedding. All guests learned the truth of the noblewoman’s deeds. The noblewoman, in shock, choked and died.
 
Artwork by Joanna Huffaker
Customs and Traditions of Note in Cuba:
*  Cubans like to point by puckering their lips in the intended direction
*  A wrinkled or scrunched nose means "Huh?" or "What?"
*  Conversation volume is loud with huge facial expressions and hand gestures
*  You can interrupt someone talking and still have good manners
*  Arriving late for appointments or parties is a common practice

Story Game of the Month

Mystery Sign-Solver game image
Mystery Sign-Solver
Inspired by "The Charcoal Woman's Son" and geared for Ages 10+
 
There was mystery with the meaning of the noblewoman’s sign “What God Made, I Destroyed”. For this game, one person creates a 5-7-word phrase, writes it on a piece of paper, and shows it to 2+ people. Give the people 3-5 minutes to make-up a short story behind it and each share with the group. An example could be a phrase, “Fresh fish can still stink.” All the others decide the meaning/story of this sign. One person’s story could be about a fish that was swept ashore. Another person may create a story of a store owner who refused to sell anything stinky, etc. The Sign-Maker awards 5 points to the favorite story. Rotate who is the Sign-Maker and go for a pre-determined number of rounds. Most points wins.
 
Most pictures are taken by Steve Evans, our official photographer.  He is a photojournalist that travels the world.  He generously granted Story Crossroads permission to use his pictures.  You can find all of his images here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/babasteve/
Utah Storytelling Guild
Until we tell again,

Story Crossroads


(801) 870-5799

PO Box 274
West Jordan, UT  84084