Story Crossroads: The Newsletter (Vol. 3, Issue 4)

Published: Tue, 10/31/17

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

Volume 3, Issue 4
What to Expect
Know the traditions for each newsletter.

*  Latest News of Story Crossroads
*  Cap's Off to You! (people or organization profiles who use story)
*  Story Video (created or loved by us)
*  Story
*  Story Game

Latest News
November 1, 2017 Deadline--Be a Story Artist for May Festival
Online form

If you are interested in being considered as one of our featured tellers or cultural story artists, then please complete the application online and send along a video link of your work.  You need to be a professional for at least three years.  The application must be received by November 1, 2017 to be reviewed for the 2018 or 2019 Story Crossroads.  Any application received after that date will be reviewed automatically for the 2019 Story Crossroads.  You can click on the link below to go directly to the online application.  If you want to see the Frequently Asked Questions and Judging Ballot, then go here instead:  https://storycrossroads.com/get-involved/be-a-story-artist-for-the-main-stage-event/

House Concerts - Future Celebrations (November-January)
House Concerts images
Join Us for the Next One...
We are coming upon our 20th House Concert as part of the Fundraising Series through Story Crossroads.  ​​​​​​​


Featured Story Artist:  Lori Hansen

When: Saturday, November 18, 2017 from 7:00pm-8:30pm hosted by the Ashtons at 12471 White Rose Cir., Draper, UT  84020

RSVP:  Call/text Cassie Ashton at (801) 859-5967 or email [email protected]


Becoming an Honorary Crone: Stories in Search of the Wise Woman


Using folktales and personal stories of struggle and triumph, Lori Hansen will guide you down the path of the Crone: that elusive journey toward inner beauty and wisdom.

 From humorous to poignant and everything in between, Lori’s gift for story sheds light on the strength and glory that is womanhood.  

~Teresa B. Clark, storyteller & author of “Life Happens”


 This show captures all the beauty and heartache and strength of the female experience.  

~Liz Whitaker-Chapman, actress & author


This 20th House Concert will be recorded. Join us in this celebration.

Suggested Donation:  $15.00+/person, $25.00+/couple or family, though any amount welcomed, best for teens and adults


Details:  Refreshments served, Books and CDs available for purchase, all payment types accepted


Plus...another House Concert on Saturday, December 16, 2017 at the Duke Home in Taylorsville, UT featuring Sam Payne to entertain stories and songs for that solitary winter night.  More details and flier on webpage.

Then in the New Year...a House Concert on Friday, January 5, 2018 at the Hedman Home in West Jordan, UT featuring Idlewild Duo (Dave & Carol Sharp) sharing Utah outlaws, skallywags, and pioneer stories and songs.  More details and flier on webpage.

Let us know if you would like to host a house concert.  Email [email protected].


House Concerts - Past Celebrations (September & October)
House Concerts images
​​​​​​​In September, Jan C. Smith and Suzanne Hudson told two variants of Cinderella stories as well as two other stories that involved bears and strengthening family relationships.  This house concert was a rare one opened to ages 8 and older and thus we had 45 in attendance.  In October, we heard of encounters from the other world from goblins to fairies from Dave and Carol Sharp of the Glastonbury Duo.  They both played several instruments throughout the concert.  Afterwards, there was a Celtic jamming session with Annie and Dan Eastmond and Omar Hansen.  
​​​​​​​
Field Trip Reservations Starting Now for May 23, 2018
(Requests Already Coming In)
House Concerts images
Each year we have many students from elementary to high school who attend our annual Festival in May.  We had some schools that wished to be able to reserve as soon as school starts...and so we did!  Due to demand, we are limiting reservations to one or two sessions of the 9:00am, 10:00am, and 11:00am morning sessions with an optional interactive/hands-on session with the art at 10:00am, 11:00am, or Noon.  At least one sit-down story session is needed before doing an interactive/hands-on session, if desired.  You can submit your request through clicking here to our online form.  

Time to Schedule those Free Storytelling Residencies Open to the Public...Let Us Know!
Residencies image
Before our Festival in May, we always have free storytelling residencies open to the public throughout the Salt Lake County.  Last year we had facilitators at three different senior centers with two geared for adults and one geared for multi-generations starting at age eight.  We also promote the free storytelling residencies offered through the Murray Storytelling Festival.  This Festival is one of many events that feed into Story Crossroads.  If you are interested in participating and/or hosting a storytelling residency, this is the time to contact us at [email protected].  We tend to have these six-hour or more residencies during January to March.

Cap's Off to You
Celebrating your way of using story

Featuring:  Utah Division of Arts & Museums

3-Time Funder through OnStage in Utah Grant
Support and Education through Change Leader Program
Utah Division of Arts & Museums


The Utah Division of Arts and Museums (UDAM) has made it possible to bring professional story artists for the Story Crossroads Festival such as Christopher Agostino from New York, Mara Menzies from Scotland, and, in 2018, Denise Valentine from Pennsylvania.  All three times has been through the OnStage in Utah grant.  As the UDAM distributes funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, we also give the NEA credit.

We have been pleased to receive funding three years in a row.  People from the UDAM have said that we have chosen strong artists and are pleased with how Story Crossroads is growing and evolving.

 

Find out more the impact that the Utah Division of Arts & Museums has had and continues to have for Story Crossroads (click below). 


Story Video of the Month
This video is explore the chemicals induced when experiencing storytelling and is presented by David JP Phillips through one of the TED/xStockholm videos.
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 the 3rd Annual Story Crossroads Festival is on May 23, 2018 with daytime sessions at the Murray City Park (495 E. 5300 S., Murray, UT) and the evening concerts at the South Jordan Community Center (10778 S. Redwood Rd., South Jordan, UT). 
Story of the Month

The Boy Magician
 
Artwork by Rowan North, [email protected],
 
The Boy Magician, from Hopi tribe

A boy lived with his grandmother in the wilderness.  Every day, the grandmother called the boy "my young magician" as the boy had been born with magical skill as had his father.  The grandmother and boy had a happy life with the grandmother cooking while the boy hunted for food.  When the boy headed out to hunt, the grandmother insisted that he always head east for danger always lay to the west.  As the boy got older, he wondered about the west until finally he asked more about it from his grandmother.  She said that a creature lived to there and would kill them. 

One day, the boy headed west to see if he could face and defeat this creature.  He traveled all day and saw nothing.  Then he came to a lake and rested.  A voice said, "I see you."   The boy looked around and saw nothing.  He called out, "Where are you?"  The voice said, "Where you cannot see me." Then it said, "I am sending a hurricane.  It will destroy your house with your grandmother inside it.  What do you think of that?"
The boy responded, "Thank you.  We need more firewood.  Then we will have enough."  The boy rushed home. 

When he came to the lodge, a great wind blew and uprooted trees.  He ran inside the lodge and told his grandmother, "I will use my magic to turn the walls to stone."  The wind blew as hard as it could, yet the lodge stood.  When all was calm, there were enough bits of trees to gather as firewood.

The next day the boy headed west again.  He traveled all day and saw nothing.  Then he came to a lake and rested.  A voice said, "I see you."   The boy looked around and saw nothing.  He called out, "Where are you?"  The voice said, "Where you cannot see me." Then it said, "I am sending a hail to destroy your home.  What do you think of that?"
The boy responded, "Thank you.  I need more spears.  Then I will have enough."  The boy rushed home. 

As soon as he got home, the sky darkened and hail as big as boulders fell from the sky.  He told his grandmother, "I will use my magic to turn the walls to stone."  The hail pounded as hard as it could, yet the lodge stood.  When all was calm, there were enough sharp spearheads for the boy to use.  He gathered poles to put them on but they disappeared.  They were only made of ice.

Now the boy wanted to punish whatever was bringing these winds and hail upon his home.  He took a magic rock and tied it around his neck.  He headed to the west to the lake.  He snuck to the edge of the lake and hid behind a rock.  He still saw nothing.  Then out from the middle of the lake, a four heads emerged, but they belonged to the same creature.  Those eight eyes could see all around...except behind the rock where the boy hid.  The boy called out, "I see you.  How would you like it if this lake dried up?"  The monster opened all four mouths to speak.  "Nonsense.  That is impossible."

The boy took his magic stone and yanked it from around his neck.  He threw the rock into the air.  As the rock fell back to hear, it grew bigger and bigger and bigger.  When the rock landed, it crashed upon that four-headed monster and made the lake bubble and boil.  The boy rushed back home.

He returned to the lake the next day.  The lake had dried up completely and all that was left was a frog that looked a lot like that four-headed monster.  The boy took a stick and killed it, knowing that this now-small monster could grow again and kill others.

When the grandmother learned that her boy had killed that terrible creature, she no longer called him "my young magician."  He was known as "my great magician."      
    
 
Artwork by Rowan North, [email protected],
 
Story Game of the Month

"I See You!"
​​​​​​​Inspired by story "The Boy Magician"
Geared for Ages 8+

Four people lock arms with their backs against each other to represent the four-headed creature.  The four-headed creature can stand or sit depending on what is easier.  All four people close their eyes.  After the four people count to 10, then all four open their eyes and say an item that each see.  For example, one "head" could say, "I see you!  A rock!" and another could say, "I see you!  A gnome!" while a third could say, "I see you!  A tree!"  The fourth one could say, "I see you! A bike!"  Then all four decide on a name of a person around them and that person must create a story with those four items.  Upon completion of the story, that person takes the place of one of the "heads" and the game starts again.

Funders of Story Crossroads
​​​​​​​We appreciate funding from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Utah Division of Arts and Museums (UDAM), the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), the Nubian Storytellers of Utah Leadership (NSOUL), the Utah Humanities, the Utah Valley University, the South Jordan Arts Council, the City of Murray-Cultural Arts, Synergy One Lending-Suzanne Hudson, Rachel Hedman and many generous individuals who have made things possible.
 
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/
About Story Crossroads
What is Story Crossroads?
Steve Evans picture
Story Crossroads is a grassroots event that features 15 professional story artists as well as 50 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 3rd Annual Story Crossroads Festival is on May 23, 2018 with daytime sessions at the Murray City Park (495 E. 5300 S., Murray, UT) and the evening concerts at the South Jordan Community Center (10778 S. Redwood Rd., South Jordan, UT).  Then, with an invitation extended across all borders, World Story Crossroads launches 2022.  
Utah Storytelling Guild
Until we tell again,

Story Crossroads


(801) 870-5799

PO Box 274
West Jordan, UT  84084