The National Storytelling Festival is over and I move on to several gigs in October. It has been several years since I had opportunity to attend and the wait made the weekend even more wonderful. The weather was perfect, the tellers all hit their marks and I had opportunity to visit with old friends, make new friends and heat such lovely stories.
I took five or six walking sticks I made for friends and passed them along. I hope they use them with the same joy I had as I sat at my shave horse and crafted them. I am planning on spending time in the woods this weekend and hopefully finding a few sassafras and hickory limbs I can set aside for the winter and craft into walking sticks in the spring.
My mind raced more than once as I heard stories that suggested ideas. Cousin Peanut and my hometown of Beloved are going to have new stories... and some new citizens for Beloved after the Festival.
I renewed my membership to the National Storytelling Network while I was there also! Great organization to belong to not only as a teller but as a listener.
Stephen Hollen is an award winning storyteller, humorist and Mark Twain Impersonator living in Beavercreek, Ohio. He performs and tells stories in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, West Virginia, Michigan and throughout the USA.
