READING REFLECTIONS

Being at the Four Corners Storytelling Festival in Berg Park on Friday & Saturday was like being in a time warp, transported from story to story on the powerful heels of language with resiliency and creativity of the human spiritand at the reins. 

• Highlights of the Storytelling Festival are captured in a photo album at 
• Local newpaper article about the festival and storytellers available at

The master storytellers featured at this year's festival are (from the New Mexico Library Association Calendar () :

...: A native to Covington, Georgia, Andy started out in comedy, but added music and storytelling because he had a lot more to say. When he's home, he is the Artist-In-Residence at Oxford College of Emory University where he directs plays and works on theatre and storytelling techniques with students. He spent five years writing, directing and performing with the comedy improve troupe, SAK Theatre at Walt Disney World. He is the host, storyteller, and audience trainer for the radio show, Evening Star, on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Andy performs at major storytelling festival throughout the US, libraries, theaters, and numerous schools. He has released two storytelling CDs, "Book Every Saturday for a Funeral" and "Christmas at Southern White Old Lady Hospital." "Book Every Saturday for a Funeral," is the recent winner of the Best Storytelling Album of 2006 form Just Plain Folks Awards.

...: Angel is a Colorado Heritage Artist storyteller who has performed throughout the nation at festivals, universities, schools and art centers. He has been featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, Keepers of the Word festival at Amherst College, the Rocky Mountain Storytelling Festival, the International Reading Association, the National Independent School Library Association and the Nebraska Storytelling Festival. His specialty is the oral traditions of the Hispanic Southwest.

... Connieis one of America's most celebrated storytellers. She has captivated the hearts and imaginations of people around the globe with her powerful performances and workshops. When Connie takes the stage she generates a brightness and warmth, drawing in listeners with her engaging humor and Southern charm. Her stories range from hilarious traditional Appalachian Mountain tales to poignant true-life drama. Connie has performed at the nation's top folk music and storytelling festivals in Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, as well as the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. As a founding board member of the National Storytelling Association (formerly NAPPS), and a frequent host and featured performer at the National Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, Connie helped ignite and shape the American storytelling revival. ()

...: A professional storyteller, author and workshop presenter, Eldrena travels
throughout the United States, sharing stories from her American Indian heritage. Her experience as a storyteller began in her youth listening to family stories of her great grandmother Nampeyo and her contribution to the pottery world. Adults in her community told of life experiences, history and folktales. Today, Eldrena continues to develop stories of her own unique creation which stand to become as much a part of her rich heritage as the traditional stories she grew up with.

...: Humorist and playwright, Kevin Kling describes his zodiac sign as "Minnesota with Iowa rising," and his accent and parlance could be right off the set of the movie "Fargo." While many of his reference points are specific to the upper Midwest, his childhood stories and topical observations touch upon universal human experiences, with plenty of absurdity and irony in the mix. He is a talented writer with the ability to capture the complexities of a moment in just a few words. As he explains it "I have a small command of the English language so I try to make each word a hero."

...: For the past 34 years Peggy has ranched next to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Being a woman in a predominantly male line of work lends itself to lots of adventures! Composting disasters provides a fertile medium for sprouting poetry and stories, her personal variation on the theme of value--added agriculture. Peggy lives north of Moffat, in the San Luis Valley, forty miles from Safeway or Wal-Mart in either direction. At 7,400 feet above sea level and with practically no precipitation, it takes a nut to try ranching there.

...: Syd tells poignant and hilarious personal stories, identifies with Sean Connery, and navigates the mad world of Edgar Allan Poe as easily as he wanders the foolish streets of Chelm. Syd's work has garnered awards from the American Library Association, Parent's choice, and Storytelling World. He has taught storytelling at the Kennedy Center and Disney World, and received commissions from major institutions, including NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, Historic Philadelphia, and the Van Andel Museum Center. Syd is part of the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence.

HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT TIME ALSO AT THE STORYTELLING FESTIVAL THIS YEAR! Hope it will become an annual event like bringing in the New Year with food for the soul. As Barry Lopez said, "Sometime we need a story more than food to stay alive."

Frances