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Our Traditional Parts of the Newsletter
* Latest News
* Cap's Off to You! (people or organization profiles who use story)
* Story Videos (created or loved by us)
* Story
* Story Game
A different email list features Utah storytelling events including, though not limited to, Story Crossroads. Click here for the archive.
Explore the Story Crossroads website
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Story Crossroads Spectacular
- virtual experience -
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Story Crossroads Spectacular is a virtual storytelling experience from your nearest computer on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 starting at 9:00am MDT with events all day. Live is always best, and this is the next best thing with professionals that are…spectacular.
Please complete this online form to let us know you are virtually attending! Any adult who completes this form enters drawing for CDs/books of our featured professionals. Adults can represent a family unit or class. Sending us
pictures, drawings, and notes also counts for extra drawing entries.
All events are family-friendly with the workshops geared more for teens and adults. A printable pdf of the schedule is found at: http://www.storycrossroads.org/spectacular. The storytelling performances at 9:30am and 7:00pm MDT are free. The interactions online with the two oral traditional characters, Baba Yaga
and the Shoemaker Elf, at 9:00am and 6:30pm MDT are also free. Donations are accepted here: https://storycrossroads.square.site/
The two 90-minute workshops have a sliding scale of $5-$50, suggested $25.
See more details/register on Dr. Csenge Zalka’s workshop on researching folktales: http://www.storycrossroads.org/csenge90minworkshop
See more details/register on Bruce Walker’s workshop on researching/performing personal and family tales: http://www.storycrossroads.org/bruce90minworkshop
Please complete form that you are virtually attending.
Call/text questions to Rachel Hedman at 801-870-5799 or email [email protected].
We thank our funders such as National Endowment for the Arts, Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Western States Arts Federation, Utah Humanities, Zoo, Arts & the Parks of Salt Lake County (ZAP), City of Murray, Salt Lake City Arts Council, and many other businesses and individuals. Join us in the support
by donating today!
Go directly to the Story Crossroads Spectacular webpage
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Virtual Field Trip? Let's talk!
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Story Crossroads Spectacular could be a forever-talked-about field trip happening Wednesday, May 13, 2020 starting at 9:00am MDT. Besides, hearing all those stories and being able to interact online with questions and answers will get them to tell their own stories. Check out the arts education handouts that link to our performances (Celtic
Stories and Social Studies as well as Tall Tales and Language Arts).
Go directly to the Story Crossroads Spectacular webpage
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A to Z Blog Challenge: Hope & Healing
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Since April 1, 2020, we have participated in the A to Z Blog Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/). The Story Crossroads theme for this year is Hope & Healing…folktales around
the world that beat back viruses. Each post highlights one or more balms to soothe and cure our struggles of today with oral tradition and lore of the past. In case you are keeping track, we have done this challenge since 2015.
Go directly to the Story Crossroads Blog
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Story Crossroads now on Twitch!
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We discovered that some schools needed Twitch in order to view our Story Crossroads Spectacular. We will multi-stream the Story Crossroads Spectacular on May 13, 2020 through Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. We will also do regular live-streaming from Twitch starting Monday, April 20, 2020 from 9:00pm-10:00pm MDT with behind-the-scenes of
transforming a live festival to a virtual one, business/marketing tips, and always ending with a story. Join us as much or as little as you like. You can view whether or not you have a free account. Yet, if you get a free account, you will then be able to chat as Twitch tends to be informal and has an enormous performing arts scene. We will continue those behind-the-scenes live-streaming on Monday at 9:00pm MDT beyond May 13th.
Go directly to the Story Crossroads Twitch
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Saturday, June 20, 2020
9:00am-10:30am MDT, through Zoom
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Why? Why were people motivated as human beings to welcome the movement of historical and Chautauqua tellings in 1870s to today? This movement started after the Civil War. Being split as a nation appeared to bring us closer together and understanding someone else’s story. Compare to how popular this method is today and what we can expect of this in
the future. How will we be able to "walk in their shoes"?
This Panel will delve into the "whys" of this method of connecting as human beings of historical and Chautauqua presentations. Three of the four panelists have decades worth of experience in performing Chautauqua. Between the three of them, they have represented 60+ historical characters. Dr. Caroliese Frink Reed is well-versed in the storytelling scene and has a doctorate in African American Studies,
degree in Social Studies, and weaves the experiences of Sheila Arnold, Darci Tucker, and Brian "Fox" Ellis with "The Big Why."
Go to the Virtual Storytelling webpage on Story Crossroads
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House Concerts from December 2019 plus January & February 2020
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The Lovells hosted a house concert for the first time and said it was wonderful and certainly will host again. Thus, that December 12, 2019 will forever be remembered by the Lovells and the packed home of the music and stories of Paul Boruff that took us across the Old West. On January 3, 2020, we were flabbergasted for Julie Barnson to share George MacDonald's "The Light Princess." It
takes about an hour to tell though the time flew on, and we wanted to hear more. On February 20, 2020, we were blasted off into space with "One of a Million Stars" featuring Sam Payne...and the rover Opportunity. Sam pointed out that you can find the playlist of songs sent to Opportunity in an attempt to wake up the probe after a storm on Mars.
We thank the Lovells, Hedmans, and Hurleys for hosting our December 2019, January 2020, and February 2020 House Concerts, the 43rd, 44th, and 45th ones of this series.
Go to the House Concert webpage on the Story Crossroads website
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Squeezing in 8-hour Storytelling Workshops...before Closures
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We had three free 8-hour workshops this year, though it can be a toss up as to which one experienced the craziest experiences.
The Riverton Senior Center was in January well before any closures. Though, the kick-off date was a week later than what the senior center had on their calendar. All was fixed and we had some fantastic stories.
The Taylorsville Senior Center was in February but the first day was closed due to a tremendous amount of snow. All senior centers closed down that day as well as libraries and other community centers as the roads were too slick. We bumped the start date...you guessed it...another week later. Thankfully, Taylorsville has been our most loyal group as they have the Story
"Taylors" who meet regularly due to the first 8-hour workshop offered there in 2017. The last day of that workshop series barely fit within the timeframe of closures due to COVID-19 throughout the world.
Finally, the South Jordan Community Center completed three of the four two-hour sessions...and the final day was on Monday, March 16...exactly the first day of closure throughout the state of Utah. We considered a Zoom meeting for those attendees, though, it was best for people to take care of their households and themselves. We still had some wonderful tellers there.
Jim Luter will offer a virtual condensed four one-hour sessions in late May 2020 with more details to be announced. We may also consider phone workshops for those without Internet access.
Go to the Free Workshops webpage on the Story Crossroads website
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Celebrating your way of using story
Featuring: Denise Valentine (Posthumously)
Story Mama, Historical and Chautauqua Extraordinaire,
Keeper of Traditions
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Denise Valentine – Story Mama – had much to share around the world as museums, libraries, and schools opened their doors to her. She said, “My purpose is to build storytelling skills, tools and techniques needed to: reclaim their ancestral names and homeland, reclaim their stories and the authority to become the “storyholders” in their communities.” She traveled to South
Africa and studied folklore traditions and then jumped to Jamaica and performed for festivals there. She often welcomed her audiences in more than one language and got people dancing before even getting to the stories. She delighted in being a member of the National Association of Black Storytellers and was also part of a delegation in connection with the National Storytelling Network.
Denise was 60 years old when a heart attack came upon her, and a message went out for extra prayers. Our family sent out prayers as many all over did. Then, I learned that on March 22, 2020, Denise had passed on. I remembered those last hugs when Denise took the plane at the end of our 2018 Story Crossroads Festival. For most of the time, she was herself and at
the very end of it all, she became Sojourner Truth. She sang with that lovely voice of hers and thrilled my heart in wanting to know the words of that song as well as she did.
Find out more the impact that Denise Valentine has had for and will continue to have for Story Crossroads (click below or on picture).
Read the Complete Blog Post on Denise Valentine
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Story Videos of the Month
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This is a first to have THREE story videos...the first one shows Mama Nomusa (subscribe to her YouTube channel) telling stories in English while going back and forth with an interpreter speaking Zulu. The
last two videos are news about Story Crossroads with one sharing an Irish story to compare to how we have had to adapt and the last being a 20-second teaser about Story Crossroads Spectacular.
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 5th Annual Story Crossroads Festival is on May 12, 2021...though we
do have Story Crossroads Spectacular-a virtual experience-on the original festival date of May 13, 2020.
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Sinawav and Coyote, Southern Ute tale
Sinawav, the Creator, looked at the young earth along with Coyote. Sinawav had Coyote promise that he would follow his directions exactly. Coyote kept asking questions until Sinawav was satisfied that Coyote understood. Coyote took the bag of sticks and headed to the sacred grounds. Coyote was not to open the bag of sticks until he arrived there.
Sinawav had explained what to do but not a word on what really was in there besides sticks. Coyote convinced himself that a peek would be harmless. As the smallest slit was opened, something dashed past Coyote. And another. And another. They were tiny people, running in all directions. He closed the bag tight, lifted it, and realized it was much lighter than before. Some people were still inside
and those he dumped at the sacred grounds. These people became known as the Utes.
Coyote returned to Sinawav and declared the job done. Sinawav knew the truth and called him a fool. Coyote admitted as obviously Sinawav knew anyways.
Sinawav said that the people who ran away would turn into people who would war with the Utes. Those people will form other tribes and always cause trouble. Though, Sinawav proclaimed that the Utes would be the most mighty and valiant.
Sinawav cursed Coyote to be a wanderer on earth, to walk on four legs, and always go about at night.
Explore the Story Crossroads website
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"Here's what you got to do..."
Inspired by story "Sinawav and Coyote"
Geared for Ages 8+
One person is Sinawav and gives clear instructions to another person who is Coyote. For example, Sinawav could say, "Carry this rock to the pine tree and do three jumping jacks once done." Coyote can even asks for details before going on the tasks such as "Do I keep my eyes open while doing the jumping jacks?" or "Do I put the rock on the east side or the west side of the tree?" Then, Sinawav turns their back while Coyote does what needs
to be done. However, it is up to Coyote if the instructions will be followed. When Coyote taps Sinawav on the shoulder, Sinawav must guess if it was done correctly or not. Coyote must be honest. If Sinawav guessed right, then peace will be upon the land. If Sinawav guessed wrong, then there is a yes-no only questions between Sinawav and Coyote until Sinawav gets it right. Examples are, "Did you do more than three jumping jacks?" or "Did the rock get to the
pine tree?" Finally, switch roles.
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, 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 generous individuals who have made things possible.
See complete listing/details here:
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