Storytelling
For five summers I conducted ten-hour seminars in storytelling at the University of Notre Dame in its Retreats International Summer Institute. Seminars ranged in size from five to about twenty persons. This course titled "The Art and Craft of Storytelling" has also been presented to The Pastoral Ministry Formation program of the Department of Religious Education, Archdiocese of Atlanta and to parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
The purpose of this course is to familarize students with storytelling. The course is intended for anyone wishing to become acquainted with the storytelling art. It also contains lessons for the beginning and intermediate teller.
Material covered includes telling your own story, telling the family story, characteristics and laws of storytelling, the voice as the primary storytelling tool, sacred and biblical stories.
Another ten-hour seminar in "Storytelling" is entitled "African and African-American" Storytelling presented at the School of Sacred Storytelling's winter session 2002 and Retreats International at Notre Dame. This seminar provides an overview of storytelling by Black people from biblical times to the present. Several stories illustrating the art of storytelling in African and African-American cultures are told throughout this ten-hour presentation.
This is a course on African and African-American Storytelling. The course is designed for Educators of Black children, Black children, Presenters of programs for Black History Month, Black storytellers and all others who are interested in African and African-American storytelling.
Subjects covered include Blacks in biblical literature, the African griots and griottes, African storytelling and its characteristics, Afro-Caribbean storytelling and modern day storytelling in the Black Community.
I have also conducted seminars in storytelling techniques for preachers, for Dominican priests and seminarians and deacons in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio. Again, during the course of these seminars I tell several stories.
I tell stories to all age groups, but prefer adults and young children. I am available anywhere in the United States and Canada, particularly on weekends.
Favorite Stories
- Mrs. Pearl's Dress:
- A humorous temptation story illustrating what can happen when we place ourselves in those "near occasions of sin." 7-8 minutes.
- Reds:
- A childhood story about the love of two young boys for a pet rooster who thought he was a dog. 8-10 minutes.
- Uncle David's Coat:
- An adaptation of an old story that has been around for many years. Another childhood story involving a favorite aunt and a very improbable "friend." 10-12 minutes.
- The Lion Trilogy:
- Three short morality tales featuring a young lion named Leo who is suffering from an identity crisis.
- From St. Luke's Gospel:
- "The Good Samaritan"-5 minutes.
"The Prodigal Son"-10 minutes.
"Jesus' visit to Martha and Mary." 3 minutes.
