'Living Delicious' This TV Interview gave me a chance to talk about storytelling, story listening, the brain and ideas about the art of telling stories- FUN, fast! (29 minutes)
'Making Waves: A Thinking Bigger Blueprint with TV/Radio' ('08 interview with Eric Wolf on his 'Art of Storytelling Show', a nationally prominent podcast series)
See short Channel 9 AM News Interview & story (in a funny hat and hoarse voice) on Halloween, '07
2012 HIGHLIGHTS
SHARING THE FIRE CONFERENCE (New York, March 16-18) includes my In Your Face Workshop, and I'm looking forward to renewing friendships amidst New England's storytellers. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (Washington DC, March 19-21) will collecting storytelling recordings for my ongoing Big Idea, a National Storytelling Radio Show for National Public Radio. FLORIDA STORYTELLING CAMP (Lady Lake near Orlando, March 22-25) featured teller with Antonio Rocha, Doug Lipman, Kim Weitkamp, and local tellers Kaye Byrnes & Mij Byram. This is a full-on 'retreat', packed with days and days of concerts, workshops, swaps, meals, campfires... a deep storytelling fellowship. I'm honored and plan to give 'em my best shot!
HONOLULU THEATER FOR YOUTH features Jeff's original story collection, 'SHADOW TALES' in their 2012-13 season (Oct. 12- Nov 2, 2012). Built for an upper elementary school audience for Halloween, it will be a directed, multi-media solo show incorporating shadow puppets, video rear projections, and dramatic lighting. This is Jeff's vision of storytelling as a sophisticated theater production, and is built to tour in the years to come.
HONOLULU STORY SLAMS (themed personal tales, 7-8 minutes long) at Ong King Art Center (182 North King Street near River Street, Upstairs) twice a month began in January, with small but growing audiences and participation (first Sunday nights, now Tuesday nights 7=9pm). I simply wanted to hear from new tellers, new tales, and fresh voices. Though small, I always go home feeling deeply nourished by the evenings. Cohost Shain Miller is an incredible new talent, comfortable with an audience and full of startling personal stories. If you live on Oahu (or are coming for a visit) email me and ask when the next one is scheduled (and what will be the theme).
THE PICTURE BRIDE BOOK is a LONG collaboration project quietly unfolding: Barbara Kawakami, a 90 year old local Japanese-American woman, interviewed the Picture Brides (women who came from Japan to marry photos of Japanese cane workers) before they died in retirement homes in the 80s. I've known her for 20 years. For the past few years I've been helping her write them up (coaching, typing, talking storytelling perspectives). She says I’m perfect because 1) I’m not Japanese and ask all the obvious questions. 2) I’m haole (Caucasian) so I speak my mind. 3) I love her and love story, so my questions and suggestions challenge and inspire her to write a better book that isn’t just academic, but will move ‘everyman’. It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. Barbara’s exhibit of immigrant clothing, Textured Lives, was at the Japanese American National Museum in LA, and will come to Hilo, Maui, and Oahu.
2011 HIGHLIGHTS
Hearing Voices Storytelling Festival (Portland, Oregon April 13-16) I performed with Gene Tagaban, and local tellers Kelly Hoffman, and Ken Iverson in library & public shoools. Workshop after with Portland Storytelling Guild, and house concert in Northern California (Fisherman's Tale from Arabian Nights)
'Talk Story' Summer Camp July 15-17 at Kualoa Camp (Windward Oahu). It improves the Talk Story Conference '09 format in Waikiki = no expensive hotel & food bill (or grumpy staff), a more relaxed program; more swimming, canoing, and swapping; more local families, and a kid strand. Kualoa is a gorgeous, rural, private Camp with big tents. Local talents were joined by Mainland tellers for workshops and tells. Additional days before and after for cultural field trips and storytellings too! We will do it again (differently) in July 2012.
2010 was a BIG YEAR!
I told in the Exchange Place (1 of 6 tellers on Oct. 1-3 in Jonesborough, Tennessee) at the NATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL (write-up linked)... it was my first visit & first chance to perform at America's premier storytelling event (a pilgrimage of sorts). It was quite a Big Deal!
Two weeks later I host/produce the 22nd Annual TALK STORY FESTIVAL (Oct. 15-17, 4 mainland guests (Cathryn Fairlee & Margie Brown from California; Jim Green & Pat Braden from Yellowknife) and the best local talents. Afterwards we tour to Kauai, Big Island (East Hawaii Culture Center, Volcano Arts Center) and Maui (Brown & Green record).
I’m still reeling from NSN’s NATIONAL STORYTELLING CONFERENCE (July 29- Aug. 1) in LA. Yes, l told (Western Regional Showcase), assisted recording this gabfest, and stayed up late. So much input! I also presented the iTales Mix, a themed storytelling download project (on Audible.com & iTales.com, a huge potential audience, which will consume the next year or two). After, Susan Klein, Alton Chung, Lyn Ford and I gave a MALIBU HOME CONCERT (Aug. 2). After a standing ovation, a woman said, “I’ve seen all these shows, and this was the best”. The show grew out of my tell at the LA Storytelling Festival ’09. Lyn, Alton and I did a CD, 'Cultures in Collision' (2007) which I gave to hostess, who invited them too.
YELLOWKNIFE STORYTELLING FESTIVAL (write-up linked, May 27-30, Northwestern Territory, Canada, 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle). Performances & Workshops with many regional talents (read my article about it). Immediately after I did my annual Oahu’s Summer Fun Tour (3 shows daily, 6 weeks, 5-6,000 kids).
NORTHLANDS STORYTELLING CONFERENCE (April 22-25, Wisconsin) I was part of a group evening concert, did a ‘Fringe” hour of "Pele: True Contemporary Tales of the Volcano Goddess" and the 'IN YOUR FACE' Workshop first done at the Talk Story Conference. It was exciting to contribute (first time in that part of the world) to meet and hear so many new storytellers.
HERE'S AN EDITORIAL COMMENTARY (INSPIRING?) MADE ON THE STORYTELL LIST-SERV (8/2010)
Dearly Beloved,
In storytelling performances, we have all been witness to miracles; a teller/tale that just puts a story into your heart, touches you deeply, and stays with you to revisit and draw nourishment from for weeks. That is art, high art.
It is a given, it is assumed that they have on a clean shirt and show up on time and stick to the time-limit. Of course. But we are talking about what happens within that allotted time. To do something simple is very very difficult.
Every art requires immense and continual practice, discipline, study, failure. It is not a discussion of 'rebel' or 'elephant art' or 'outside the box'. This numenous, efficent, life-altering power in a narrative is at the heart of our craft. It is the center. A novice who 'hits' this awesome center is indeed gifted, and if there is enough positive feedback, perhaps they will begin to travel that long road to understand what they have so naturally done. And will do the work to be able to do it again and again.
Some devote themselves to classes, guilds, readings, etc. and will never touch high art. Sorry. And this is common. The lives of the 'common' storyteller is still enriched in the giving of story. It is a great hobby to cultivate. But Singular and Exceptional is rare, of course, and those who live there are sought out and rewarded... and have a business card, website, etc... it's what they do when given the gift of an audience's attention that matters. It matters the most. They speak art. It feeds us. It takes us away. We live fuller.
Though everyone has a story, few create events with a tale. Even practiced tellers (myself for example) occasionally find themselves in a rarified moment that is far beyond the high percentage, sure-fire crowd pleasing standards we all have in our back pocket. We stumble into ART. I aspire to live there more.
I wish (as do my storytelling students and Parks staff workshop attendees) that there was a prescription, a pill, a well trod path that could be taken, or given, or eaten. I wish there was a computer program for 'original, singular, unique'. .. see the irony here?
What fascinates me about storytellers is how many different ways there are to 'take an audience away'. And that the best tellers have a unique voice, a singular tone. They are the hand-crafted chairs (Bill Harley). What they have in common is that they work magic with an audience. It is a living breathing, laughing wonder. It is art.
SO?
So let's turn off the computer, go into the study, the street, the class, the library, and tell. And tell again. And try something different, and search and work and study. And tell some more. So let's devote ourselves once again to finding that voice and pitch and tone within us that makes our tellings Art.
Amen.
The 21st Annual Talk Story Festival again featured Hawaii's best tellers (Lopaka Kapanui, Kathy Collins, Dan Kelin II, Alton Chung) & 3 mainland guests ,(Michael Parent Lyn Ford, Kuniko Yamamoto) on 3 FREE nights (October 9-11) at McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Park (right on the beach). 8 tellers had 20 minutes each night. We again added dramatic lighting, sign interpreters, and video recordings were projected beside the stage (3 cameras, live switching, which air all year on Olelo: Public Access TV (Story TV). Sign Interpreters on the stage interpreting all stories. It remains the oldest & largest storytelling celebration in Hawaii, sponsored by the Parks Department (with others).
SO HOW DID THE PRODUCTION GO? Technically it was nearly flawless with a great new team monitoring sound, lighting (tinkered constantly, even as the audience was coming in), and again, Leeward Community College's TV Production Students manned cameras, set-up/ break-down. Two great directors composed the angles into shows. It felt weird for me to actually be able to listen to the stories! My wife Dominique served (again) as stage manager.
Artistically, Alton brought the new Okinawan Historical Tales to the stage for the first time (which premiered at the Okinawan Center later). Moira Maeda-Nakamine did a spooky set for the 1st time (and a Plantation Village Ghost Tour for Halloween). Kathy Collins rocked the house Fri (Tita) & Sat (comedy/tragic tales on Widowhood). And 3 Waianae ladies did a great job to end Sat. Yes, we had two from the National Champion High School Slam Team on Sunday- magnificent!
ATTENDANCE: We packed both Friday and Saturday nights (500 seats +). Sunday there were some 300 committed listeners. A Sunday afternoon workshop (Lyn Ford, Kuniko Yamamoto & I) had 30 people. A follow up Tuesday night Storyteller Summit (Lopaka Kapanui, Alton Chung, Kuniko Yamamoto & I) had a disappointing 6.
PUBLICITY: It took me awhile to get amped up to 'hit the media' after the Talk Story Conference, but the line-up got me going again. There were articles in each newspaper. Saturday the Advertiser featured a photo on the front page heading (Kuniko) and an article in Island Life! I was on all four AM TV News shows, my :30 PSA played for 2 weeks and we were on the popular Perry & Price live radio show (with Tita) Saturday. Posters were put in all the City buses.
Here's a web article with some photos from the first night.
TALK STORY CONFERENCE July 16-20, 2009 (Oahu)(+ Maui after)
This was a Really Big Story Party, consuming 8 months of effort and coordination. It was perhaps the biggest production I've ever done. Co-produced by the National Storytelling Network (NSN) as a Pacific Regional Conference with my small non-profit, some 60 people from across the nation (and Australia, Thailand, Japan & Canada) and 100ish Hawaii residents attended workshops, general sessions, opening and closing riturals, swaps, ate together and enjoyed two concerts (Island Spookies & National Stars, both video recorded). All of this happened in the Queen Kapiolani Hotel in Waikiki. After, July 20-22, tours to Honolulu Museums were offered. From July 23-26, 20 continued to Maui for tours, a concert, and fellowship.
STORY TV For 18 years I've been airing storytelling shows on Olelo: Public Access TV. They post shows on-line, which you can watch. Go to OLELO: Public Access TV, VIEW ON DEMAND: look for anything STORY TV (sprinkled in a long list)(they're constantly updated). Here's the direct link to these shows
Fall 2008 Shows
Video Clips of Storytelling!
