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Starting January 1, 2021, the Newsletter will go out the 1st of the Month to coincide with the Story Crossroads Memberships. Thus, you will get your December and January Newsletters about 8 days from each other due to this transition.
This resource will still be free while memberships will receive additional activities and resources that link directly to the Story of the Month as well as other topics covered by the exclusive articles and e-workbooks from commissioned story artists. Learn more about memberships and sign-up here: http://www.storycrossroads.org/member
Our Traditional Parts of the Newsletter
* Latest News
* Cap's Off to You! (people/organization profiles who use story)
* Story Videos (created or loved by us)
* Story
* Story Game
A different email list features Virtual Storytelling (adapted from Utah storytelling events temporarily) including, though not limited to, Story Crossroads. Click here for the archive.
Also starting January 1, 2021, we will be splitting out the Utah Storytelling Events email list from the Virtual Storytelling Events email list. Need to be part of the newly-formed Virtual-only list? You can email us at info@storycrossroads or see
this webpage for details/sign-up.
Explore the Story Crossroads website
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Kindness from Tim Lowry,
Support Him & Us Today!
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Dickens’ Show Benefits Story Crossroads
Storyteller Tim Lowry, a longtime friend of Story Crossroads, has a special online version of his popular show Dickens’ A Christmas Carol available at his website. Tim has presented this story at the National Storytelling Festival and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, not to mention locations from Georgia to Alaska.
The show is available now through January 6, 2021 as a three day rental for $20. View the trailer and/or purchase a ticket at http://tinyurl.com/TimLowrySC. Enter the coupon code CROSSROADS and you’ll get $2 off and Tim will also make a $3 donation to Story Crossroads helping us further our mission.
See an interview with Tim Lowry about Charles Dickens, Generous Spirit, and Tim's Offer below.
Go directly to "Dickens' A Christmas Carol" and put in the code
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Join Now...
Memberships effective
Jan. 1, 2021
House Concert
"Ode to Story Under the Full Moon" Dec. 28
will also be filmed...if too cold or far for you
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49th Story Crossroads Fundraising House Concert
Date/Time: Monday, December 28, 2020, 7:00pm-8:00pm MST
Featured Presenters and Story Artist: Katherine Hurley (youth teller), David Hurley (history of storytelling during winter time), Karl Behling (Story Artist)
Dress warm and huddle in your blankets as you have a traditional storytelling experience around a fire…yet still proper-distanced and masked. Storytelling gave hope and light during a dark and long winter. Award-winning youth teller Katherine Hurley will share a piece followed by history and symbolism of story during the long nights presented by David Hurley. Finally, we explore winter and the role of the storyteller through performances
by long-time and engaging teller Karl Behling.
Suggested Donation for All House Concerts: $15.00+/person, $25.00+/household, can come whether or not you donate but registration is required, best ages 10+
More Details: www.storycrossroads.org/HouseConcerts
Save your seat for the live Dec. 28 House Concert
Rent recording afterwards now & up until Feb. 14, 2021
Go directly to the Story Crossroads House Concerts page
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Virtual Workshop - January 9, 2021
The Magic of Words:
Storytelling Art and Technique
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Saturday, January 9, 2021, 2020 9-10:30am Mountain Time - held through Zoom
Convert to your time zone: https://tinyurl.com/timezone-HeatherWorkshop
Sliding Scale Tuition: $5 minimum, $25 suggested donation, on up to $50
Explore the intuitive, creative process of the storyteller’s art in selecting, composing, and performing both folkloric and personal stories. Examine voice, body, imagination, words, and metaphor as tools of telling. Consider ways to develop storytelling repertoire that is relevant, engaging, and age appropriate.
Registration now open!
Professional Development certificate shared afterwards
Go directly to the All Things Story page
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Virtual Workshop - February 6, 2021
The Incredible Science
Behind the Power of Storytelling
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Saturday, February 6, 2021, 2021 9-10:30am Mountain Time - held through Zoom
Convert to your time zone: https://tinyurl.com/timezone-KarlWorkshop
Sliding Scale Tuition: $5 minimum, $25 suggested donation, on up to $50
We all know the power of stories and storytelling. Now come explore the science of why and how storytelling works. Learn what the research says about how storytelling affects us cognitively and emotionally, and how YOU can tap into the keys to effective storytelling.
Registration now open!
Professional Development certificate shared afterwards
Go directly to the All Things Story page
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Story Crossroads on Twitch
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We have weekly live-streaming from Twitch on Tuesdays, 9:00am-9:30am Mountain Time. Hear a story at the end. Discover the behind-the-scenes of transforming and adapting during this historic time.
Go directly to the Story Crossroads Twitch
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Story Crossroads Discord Server
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Chat informally on Fridays at Noon Mountain Time / 2pm Eastern Time all related to storytelling.
Future Dates/Topics:
None for Friday, December 25, 2020 due to being Christmas
Artistic Statements & Missions - Friday, January 1, 2021 at Noon MST / 2:00pm EST
"Cousin" Groups of Storytelling for Marketing - Friday, January 8, 2021 at Noon MST / 2:00pm EST
Go to the Story Crossroads Discord webpage with notes from chats & upcoming topics
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Celebrating All Things Story
Virtual Workshop Series
December 5, 2020
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Nannette Watts shared how to coach whether in-person (proper-distanced) to how to adapt coaching for virtual one-on-one or groups. While she affirmed much that our participants were familiar with in regards to coaching, even the long-time veterans felt inspired and gained extra tips.
Go directly to the All Things Story page
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Latest Blog Series by Story Crossroads
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Here is the latest blog series by us--
- "What We Learned from Timpanogos Storytelling & Virtual Offerings"
- 9-part series, just started so several posts to go
- Pre-Recorded vs. Live; Inside the Program; ASL & its Presence/Absence; Emcees & "Making it Personal"; Use of the Screen by Story Artists; Art of Binge-Watching; Favorites from Featured Tellers; Featured vs. Guests; Use of Encore
We continue our "Cap's Off to You!" series, the annual "A to Z Blog Challenge" in April plus a few others surprises. You can even follow the blog so you get an email anytime a new posting is there.
Go directly to the Story Crossroads blog
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Celebrating your way of using story
Featuring: Bill Higley - Posthumously
Storyteller, Pantomime Extraordinaire, Friend
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Bill Higley (March 15, 1940-July 15, 2014) gained the status of "Treasured Teller" for the Weber State University Storytelling Festival while full of energy and alive. Being a Treasured Teller has only been given to a handful of people in the almost-25-year history of this festival. After seeing him perform, you would have no doubt. Part of the "perk" of
being "Treasured Teller" was that he was invited every year to perform without needing to take part in the annual auditions. Yet, year after year, when I helped to run those auditions, he would sign up for a spot anyways. None of us completed judging ballots, though we sat back and enjoyed what made him so great. His specialty was in pantomime with one of his most famous pieces being "David and Goliath." When I heard of his passing, it felt as if the earth rumbled when
Goliath fell. I cherished all the memories and all the people he inspired.
Find out more the impact that Bill Higley had and will continue to have for storytelling (click below or on picture).
Read the Complete Blog Post on Bill Higley
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Story Videos of the Month
We wanted to honor JJ Reneaux somehow and discovered these two videos with reflections of this amazing storyteller. While we had a hard time finding a video of her performing, we found a playlist of her Cajun and Blues singing. You can find that playlist here.
The last two videos are reflections and invites from Heather Forest, PhD and Dr. Csenge Zalka for our upcoming virtual workshops.
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Meamei in the Sky, Australian tale
A man named Wurrunnah returned from the hunt empty-handed and begged for some food from his mother as well as everyone in the village. No one gave anything. In a rage, he left to find a people who would be more kind.
While traveling, Wurrrannah came upon an old man with no eyes and became fearful. Yet, he did not show this fear and approached the old man. Thus, the old man introduced himself as Mooroonumildah and that his entire people had no eyes. The old man gave food to Wurrannah, who then laid down to rest near a lagoon.
When Wurrannah awoke, the lagoon was no more and instead was a great plain. Hre sensed a storm coming and built a dardurr for shelter. He reached for some bark, but upon lifting the bark, he saw a strange object with no idea of what it could be. Then the object spoke, "I am Bulgahnunnoo!" Wurrannah ran away so far and so fast that he came upon a river. The river was too wide to cross. Wurrannah turned another direction only
to see a flock of emus with half of the birds wearing feathers and the other half of the birds being naked.
Being hungry, Wurrannah took a spear, climbed a tree, and killed an emu. Yet, it was not an emu at all. It was really a person from a tribe he had never seen before. While the others of the tribe planned vengeance, Wurrannah fled again.
He came upon a camp with seven young girls. Finding Wurrannah hungry, the girls offered food and a place to sleep. Seeing no one else with the sisters, Wurrannah asked about their tribe. The girls said their name was Meamei but that they had traveled far away from their tribe to understand the world better.
The next day, Wurrannah pretended to leave the camp. He wished to steal one of the girls to be his wife.
The girls took yam sticks and went about their chores for the day. Wurrannah followed them from a distance. The girls unearthed some ants and delighted in the feast. Meanwhile, he stole two of the yam sticks. When the girls looked for their yam sticks, two of them could not find their yam sticks and told the other five to go ahead of them to camp.
Wurrunnah struck the two yam sticks in the ground near each other. The girls found them and attempted to yank them out. While they were distracted, Wurrannah grabbed both girls and hung on despite their yells. No one heard them. When they realized no one could, they stopped yelling. Wurrunnah told them not to be afraid yet threatened to beat them if they ran. The two girls warned Wurrannah that some day their tribe would get
them back. Wurrunnah quickly left with the two girls to avoid being pursued--whether by the five other sisters or by the whole tribe. The two girls wondered if they would be retrieved soon.
Time passed. One day, Wurrunnah built a fire but there was not much wood. He ordered the two girls--now his wives--to cut some pine bark. They warned him that he would never see them again if they went to cut pine bark. Wurrunnah would hear none of it and
threatened to beat them if they did not do it. The girls had to do girdling, or ring-barking, by climbing up the tree to then cut a ring about it and take the bark. While doing so, the trees grew higher and higher.
Wurrunnah no longer heard chopping. He ran to where the girl went for ring-barking. He saw the two girls holding tight to the trees while the trees grew higher and higher. Wurrunnah called for them to come down, but the girls said nothing. The trees then reached the sky itself. Yet, in the sky were the other five Meamei who called to the other two girls to join them. The two girls responded quickly to their sisters and
climbed to the tops of the trees. The five sisters threw out their hands to grab the two girls. All seven sisters lived in the sky forever after.
Today, you can see these seven sisters together in the sky. They are known as the Meamei while those in the United States called them the Pleiades.
Explore the Story Crossroads website
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"Dhan-Dang" meaning "Tree-Climbing" from Noonbar people
Traditional Game for many tribes in Australia
Geared for Ages 8+
Many different tribes in Australia have tree-climbing contests. Trees were climbed either with vines, notches made in the trees, or climbing with use of an axe. Rather than using an axe, adapt this tree-climbing contest and either use ladders held by a spotter, rope, or an indoor climbing wall. You can have people climb one at a time and time each one or have two ladders/ropes/climbing walls to compete at the same
time. Imagine the story "Meamei in the Sky" or even share a short version or at least the part with the pine trees growing out loud. Enjoy a kinetic experience with the story.
Explore the Story Crossroads website
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Funders of Story Crossroads
We appreciate funding from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Utah Division of Arts and Museums (UDAM), Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), Utah Humanities, Utah Legislature, South Jordan Arts Council, City of Murray-Cultural Arts, ZAP-Zoo, Arts, & Parks of Salt Lake County,
Salt Lake City Arts Council, Casey and Rachel Hedman and many individuals who made things possible.
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