STORYTELLING BLOGS YOU'LL LOVE! — a new category!!
(excerpts from posts)
(If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure to obtain permission from the copyright holder.)

Blogging is in! And storytellers are no exception. Here are some terrific new blogging sites that feature stories and people you might not hear or see anywhere else. So do a little exploring in the growing Blog World! JB

1) Karen Chace - Catch the Story Bug!
There's no one else quite like Karen Chace, no one with as many connections, no one so admired... and she's got the greatest blog! Each month she adds new and exciting information about the storytelling world, so she keeps us all up to date. We also learn a little about where this remarkable storyteller came from and how she evolved into the wonderful person she is. And, as usual, her blog entries are full of links to fantastic online adventures for us all...all with pictures to enjoy as well!

Don't miss out on a single episode. It's time for all of us to Catch the Story Bug!!
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html
Created 2/13/08
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2) Granny Sue's News and Reviews
Storytelling, writing, life and all that intervenes
Come Listen to a Tale!

Who is Granny Sue?
Susanna “ Granny Sue” Holstein is a West Virginia storyteller. She tells and sings stories in the old-time front-porch style.

Why storytelling?
People everywhere are rediscovering the joy of simply listening to a story and joining in on a song. It's an age-old way of connecting with others in the magic of a tale well-told.

Who likes stories?
It's not just children who enjoy a story!
Adults want to hear stories of their heritage and history. Storytelling reminds us that we all share similar joys and heartaches, that we all make mistakes and learn from them, and that we need each other to survive.

What kinds of stories does Granny Sue tell?
Granny Sue's repertoire includes:
ballads
ghost stories
family stories
traditional mountain and world folktales
Tall tales and "lies"
riddle stories
West Virginia historical stories

Learn more...
holstein_susanna@hotmail.com
http://www.grannysue.blogspot.com/
8/12/07
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3) Ellouise Schoettler
Ellouise Schoettler is a storyteller and visual artist. Her programs are an entertaining blend of memory, nostalgia, genealogy sleuthing, and history. She also tells traditional tales and spins yarns for children. Follow her on her worldwide travels.
HighFlier - Confronting a fear of flying
My NEW Driver's License - finding one's self
The Swimming Lesson - a lesson in life
The Day My Daddy Blew Himself Up - a family tale
In memory of Catherine Diggle Brown - saying good bye
What do you know "I'm Irish": A Salute to Saint Patrick's Day! - a bit from Irish Gold
A Valentine for Granny - a poem
St. Peter's Catholic Church - a trip home

You can also hear her tell five stories at
http://www.storyteller.net/tellers/eschoettler

Most important blog address: http://www.ellouisestory.blogspot.com
More info:
http://storyteller-artist.com/
Ellouise9112@aol.com
8/12/07
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4) Storynory
Welcome to Storynory where Prince Bertie the Frog brings you an audio story every week. Each one is read specially for him by his friend Natasha. But Bertie likes to share - so you can hear them too, ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Browse the Story Archives and you will find over 75 children’s stories in audio. These include classic fairy tales such as Cinderella, Snow White, and The Ginger Bread Man.

And Bertie stars in his own pondlife adventures with his friends Sadie the Swan, Tim the Tadpole and Colin the Grumpy Carp. All the stories are super-high-quality and FREE.

Recommended by Life Magazine, Nick Jr Family Magazine, Miami Herald, Radio Times, Lifehacker…. Featured on BBC World Service and in Newsweek….

Learn more and listen to the stories...and be sure to contact Storynory with copyright questions!!
http://storynory.com/
If you want to get in touch with Storynory, you can email Bertie@storynory.com or telephone +44 20 7706 7974.
Hugh Fraser (co-owner): +44 (0)7941 190 741
Mathew Lynn (co-owner): +44 (0)796 7502 825
Natasha can be contacted via Bertie.
Address: Storynory, 26 Star Street, London, W2 1QB London.
8/13/07
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5) Stephen Hollen — one of the most talented writers/storytellers I know and one of the first to use Blogging for storytelling...about 4 years of entries are available!
from Beloved, KY
"Stories, musings, meanderings and outright inventions of the imagination will be found nestled up to warm and sometimes bittersweet memories of eastern Kentucky, the Appalachian mountains and the wonderful, amazing folks who live there. Stop on in and visit with award winning Appalachian poet, writer and storyteller.
The experiment
This blog is an experiment in many ways. I'd like to think of myself as a modern day explorer in some ways. Trying a new medium that not everyone is willing to try. Many writers are reluctant to write on the internet because they fear that their "stuff" will be stolen and taken away to other sites, claimed by other people. I suspect that can happen to me too, I have never looked to see if any ragged verse appears anywhere without my name attached. I know my name has shown up elsewhere with some of my verses..."
To learn more about Stephen and enjoy some of his work:
http://mountainstories.easyjournal.com/
mountainstories@yahoo.com
8/13/07
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6) Priscilla Howe — and what would we do without our funny, bright, delightful Priscilla?! Here's what she has to say!!
"Storytelling notes
Notes on the storytelling life of Priscilla Howe, with miscellaneous notes on puppetry and the eternal search for the best restaurant pie on earth (fruit, not cream).

I love telling stories. I love it so much that I became a full-time storyteller in 1993.

What do I tell? Funny, scary, serious, goofy and sophisticated stories, tailored to the audience in front of me. You’ll find me at festivals, school assemblies and residencies, juvenile detention centers, libraries, house concerts, colleges and coffeehouses. I perform in English, French and occasionally Bulgarian. When I'm with young children, my hand puppets come along for the ride. When I’m performing for older kids and adults, I may bring out stories for more refined sensibilities.

I travel around the US and to Europe, telling stories. When I’m at home in my little brick house in Lawrence, KS I tell stories to my cat, Joe Fish.

My recordings, The Bully Billy Goat and Other Stories (DVD), The Best (and Worst) of Beasts (CD), The Ghost With the One Black Eye (CD), and Chickens! (CD) are available on storyteller.net and at a few local outlets. Wonder what I sound like? Go to my listening page.

I’m also looking for the best restaurant pie on earth.

Want to read my ramblings? Here’s my blog."
http://www.storytellingnotes.blogspot.com/
priscilla@priscillahowe.com
8/13/07
Priscilla Howe has posted some excellent information about the business of storytelling on her blog this week:
Granny Sue 1/29/08
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7) Going Deep: The Long Traditional Story Festival
"Are you hungry for depth, substance, and a rich, filling storytelling experience? Long traditional stories are the equivalent of a hearty feast in a fast-food world. Founders Liz Warren, Olga Loya and Priscilla Howe offer a most satisfying storytelling experience.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2007
What's this all about, anyway?
Once upon a time, a few storytellers–-Liz Warren, Olga Loya and Priscilla Howe–-were sitting around talking (as we do) about stories. Not just any stories, but long traditional stories. We were hungry for a rich feast of stories. Most storytelling festivals require short stories, only occasionally stretching beyond the 20-minute mark.

We began imagining a festival where each evening we listened to a long traditional story, then we had wine and cheese or tea and cake, then we dreamed about the story, and then in the morning we had a workshop about the story from the night before. We’d play and rest in the afternoon, then do it all over again..."
Priscilla Howe
http://www.storytellingnotes.blogspot.com/
priscilla@priscillahowe.com
8/13/07
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8) Gwyn Calvetti — Musings on story and me... from the the bluffs and valleys of the Coulee Region. Gwyn's one of the "early birds"—a blogger since 2004.
"How tall would you be if you had never cut your fingernails?
About as tall as I am right now; I've only recently broken a nail-biting habit that kept them short without cutting!"

Gwyn is a bird lover and includes "an occasional rambling here and there about my adventures in birding, with a bit of existentialism thrown in for good measure!"

Learn more at:
http://musingsonstoryandlife.blogspot.com/
rcalvettijr@centurytel.net
8/14/07
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9) Kevin Burge — Siegfried's Viking Tales
Siegfried's Viking Tales Is the name of my storytelling act. This page contains some of my stories, thoughts, and comments about my shows. to book one of my shows please contact me with the info provided in my profile.
http://siegfriedsvikingtales.blogspot.com/
scasigfrd1018@yahoo.com
8/14/07
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10) Sean Buvala: A Quarter for a Tale
Getting-posted-more-often postings of thoughts from Sean Buvala who is a professional, national storyteller and director of Storyteller.net. Comments here are strictly his own. Grammar and spelling errors included for your own amusement and entertainment. "Always order the good wine."
Sean's post about roadblocks to success in storytelling will make you think about your own path:
http://wheresmyquarter.blogspot.com/2008/01/roadblocks-to-your-storytelling-success.html
Granny Sue 1/29/08
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11) Sally Crandall: Heads or Tales
Sally Crandall has an interesting article about TV, Reading and Storytelliong on her blog:
http://sallycrandall.typepad.com/heads_or_tales/2008/01/storytelling-re.html
Example from December 13, 20007
"Draw-and-Tell Stories
When I was a school librarian, I had a stock of draw-and-tell stories that I brought out for the elementary and preschool kids during holiday time. This year I’m getting ready to tell some Christmas stories and found a great resource called Frog's Riddle: And other Draw And Tell stories (Annick Press distributed by Firefly Books, 1994) by Richard Thompson. The book has a spiral binding, which means you won’t have to prop it open as you tell or learn the stories inside. Also, he provides a great introduction in which he talks about how to learn his stories, how to make your own draw-and-tell stories and how to encourage children to make and to tell them. The stories inside are all good…not forced as these kinds of stories can be. I particularly liked the story from which the book gets its title, Frog’s Riddle. The one I’m planning to learn for this season is Willy’s Gift. After each story Richard Thompson, gives ideas on how to use the story beyond just telling it. After Willy’s Gift, he said that it would be great as a Christmas story. I think he’s right.

Here are two more resources for paper stories..
Paper Stories by Jean Stangel, published by Fearon Teacher Aids a division of David S. Lake Publishers in Belmont California, 1982. I’ve used a lot of the stories in here over time. My copy of the book is really worn out.

Story Vine, The by Anne Pellowski published by Collier, 1984. This book contains string stories, riddle stories, doll stories as well as some drawing stories. My copy of this book is also falling apart from use."
Granny Sue 1/29/08
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12) Rachel Hedman
Good advice about using a mike on Rachel Hedman's blog.
"As the microphone rests on the stand, waiting for you to grab it, confidence swells because you know the show will be successful. Or will it be? Before a single story is shared, the audience is keenly observant to your comfort level with the microphone. The people may not have a pad of paper to dock points on your stage presence yet judgments are made."

Discover the life of a professional storyteller, Rachel Hedman, through the everyday adventures to make a performance extraordinary. Topics include though not limited to: How to Piece Personal Tales, Story Games, Storytelling Trends, Marketing, etc. Posts are made every 1st and 15th of the month.
http://www.storytellingadventures.blogspot.com/
Granny Sue 1/29/08
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13) Limor Shiponi: Limor's Storytelling Agora
Limor writes from Irael about storytelling, games and the importance of narrative.
http://lisb.wordpress.com/
Granny Sue 1/29/08

14) Eric Wolf
Eric Wolf's blog is like a quilt of information for tellers.
"The Art of Storytelling with Children" podcast was begun by Brother Wolf in the spring 2007 as a way to support the art form of storyteling world-wide. Every week he interviews a new storyteller on the podcast. Each guest covers a different aspect of the art of storytelling with children. The interviews are conducted in a conference call format in which anyone is welcome to participate on the call. You are welcome to join a storytelling call or just listen online, use iTunes, or your podcasting software. If you like what you hear, write a comment on the related post on the blog. It really fuels the guests and the host."
http://www.ericwolf.org/
Granny Sue 1/29/08
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15) Kathy Hansen: A Storied Career
Kathy Hansen's blog to explore traditional and postmodern forms/uses of storytelling.
A Storied Career explores intersections and synthesis among various forms and uses of storytelling, including journaling/blogging, organizational storytelling, storytelling for organizational entry (job search), and Writing to Learn theory...
http://www.astoriedcareer.com/story_seminar_essay.html
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16) Mathew Needleman: Creating Lifelong Learners
Digital Storytelling Blog Carnival #1
Welcome to the first edition of the Digital Storytelling Carnival and for visiting the newly relaunched Video in the Classroom.com
http://www.needleworkspictures.com/vic/
Thank you for visiting and a special thank you to everyone who submitted an article. There’s a lot here to enjoy and learn from. As long as interest keeps up I’d like to make this a monthly feature of the site. If you’d like to submit an article to next month’s carnival, please use this form. Enjoy!
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17) austories
Trials, tribulations and triumphs of an Australian storyteller
http://austories.blogspot.com/
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18) Teresa Clark - Storyteller
These are the thoughts, feelings, babblings, and happenings from the life and times of storyteller, Teresa Clark. This spot is really about the stories behind the storyteller. For marketing details visit my other website link below. Everyone has stories they need to tell - Let me help you tell yours!
http://teresaclark.blogspot.com/
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19) Tim Ereneta: Some Thoughts from Tim and Breaking the Eggs
"Storytellers Unplugged
So what do storytellers do when you "unplug" them from their repertoire?
They improvise. They make up a new story then and there. Get a suggestion from their audience and start telling stories."

The blog is my soapbox from which I can share my thoughts on trends in performance storytelling, respond to other bloggers covering the same topic, and even invite some of you to share the latest work that you're doing. And while it's always interesting to have these sorts of conversations in person, in the halls and lobbies of annual conferences... I'd just as soon continue the conversation virtually, and a blog allows me to do that.

Right now I'm in the middle of a series of posts acknowledging other bloggers out there tackling "big picture" issues in storytelling, who deserve to be acknowledged for sharing their opinions online. I'm calling them Thought Leaders because they are on the cutting edge of disseminating their ideas via their blogs (you can quibble over whether these folks' ideas are truly innovative or cutting edge... but in our field, our acknowledged leaders, mentors, and innovators by and large don't share their ideas ... preferring, for whatever reason, to restrict dissemination of their work and their thoughts to narrow channels).
http://storytelling.blogspot.com/
http://blog.myspace.com/storiesbytim
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20) Storytelling Guild of Eastern Idaho
The Storytelling Guild of Eastern Idaho exists to promote and provide storytelling in Eastern Idaho.
http://snakeriverstories.blogspot.com/
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21) Chris King: Curiosity Cubed
"Someone once said that the only two things that motivate an enlightened person are love and curiosity. I hope this site will help to motivate and enlighten all of us.
Curious about Being Joyous and Pursuing a Life Filled with Joy
Definitions: Joyous - Glad; gay; merry; joyful; also, affording or inspiring joy; with of before the word or words expressing the cause of joy.

Joy - The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight."
http://www.curiositycubed.blogspot.com/
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22) Holly Stephens: The Storyteller and the Listener Online
Essays on the role of story and narrative in peacemaking, healing, bridge building and reconciliation.
"The Storyteller and the Listener Online is a noncommercial essay-based blog that affirms those who use story and narrative in their work for purposes of peacemaking, healing, bridge building and reconciliation, whether as a storyteller, story listener, or story facilitator. Essay proposals are welcome from readers who have experienced story and narrative as resources for healing and peacemaking."
http://storyteller-and-listener.blog-city.com/
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23) Liz Weir: Liz's Ireland Journal
An Arizona Storyteller and Teacher in Ireland.
"A Tale Should Be Judicious
A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct;
The language plain, the incidents well link’d;
Tell not as new what everybody knows,
And, new or old, still hasten to a close;
There, cent’ring in a focus round and neat,
Let all your rays of information meet.
What neither yields us profit nor delight
Is like a nurse’s lullaby at night;
From William Cowper’s “Conversation”, 1782"
http://irelandjournal.typepad.com/lizs_ireland_journal/
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24) How to Tell a Great Story: A Beginner's Guide to Storytelling
"Discover ancient Storytelling traditions that will keep your friends, colleagues and business associates on the edge of their seats every time you open your mouth ..."
Dozens of storytelling blogs.
http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/resources/blogs.html
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25) TallTales Audio Storytelling Blog: All About Storytelling
http://www.talltalesaudio.com/blog/index.php
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26) The Multicolored Lady
is a storyteller, currently on a one-year trip in the US telling, listening, studying and doing all kinds of great and story-related stuff. This blog is dedicated to her travels and stories.
http://multicoloreddiary.blogspot.com
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27) Hope Baugh: Indy Theatre Habit
I have started my own blog called "Indy Theatre Habit." Its focus is on all forms of live theatre in the Indianapolis, Indiana (USA) area. It will include reviews of storytelling events here. In fact, the first post is a review of a new piece that Stephanie Holman presented for the first time at the Indiana History Center. I also plan to write about Lyn Ford's storytelling program here next month.

If you get a chance, please stop by and wish me luck. For now, when you leave a comment you have to wait for me to post it, but I hope to have a "spam prevention widget" in place soon to allow immediate comments.

Mine is not a fancy blog, but I will continue working on its design little by little as I add frequently to its content. I hope that it will be useful and interesting to both performers and audiences.
http://www.indytheatrehabit.com
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28) Dianne de Las Casas: The Story Connection Blog
"This is my first blog post on my very own blog. I am very excited about having a blog on my website. Here, I will provide you with information about my products, tours, and travels. I will also provide articles, useful information, together time activities, book reviews, crafts and more. I may also ramble a bit about what interests me. If you like Story Connection Express, you’ll have an even more intimate connection with me here on my blog. I hope you’ll join me and subscribe via the RSS Feed. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I recommend Google Reader. Thanks for reading. Best wishes and Happy Tales to You! Warmly, Dianne" 1/29/08
http://storyconnection.net/blog/
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29) Laura Lewis-Barr: Jung As I Can Be—Stories That Work
Stories, fairy tales, dream-tales, and koans to contemplate (from an aspiring Jungian)
"Story is the most powerful tool we have to explore ourselves and our world—inside and out...In addition to my other writing, my goal this year is to create responses to traditional folk and fairy tales. I’m starting with the Brothers Grimm. Their surname is appropriate! These stories are often both cryptic and violent. As a child of European immigrants, I had hoped these Grimm fables might resonant in me (naturally?) but I find them to be a struggle. Each one feels so foreign and inscrutable that every day I’m tempted to give up on a particular story...You'll notice that they end abruptly. This is true of the originals as well. Is this a strategy to prompt the mind to look for a moral? These strange tales are like dreams. I enjoy living with them day after day. They draw me deeper into my own creative, mythic mind...Check out the links to the original versions. Comparing them can be fascinating." 2/22/08
http://www.storiesthatwork.blogspot.com/
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30) Stories From Papi—Here's a contemporary blogger who has written 50 short children's stories in a year, one of which is a delightful four-part pirate story: The Red Map of Captain Gato, The Marooned Cat, The Privateer Mouse, The Long Lost Shark. There are also stories about squirrels, elephants, wolves, ants, storks and ducks. You can listen to most of them as well. Check it out!
http://papistories.blogspot.com/
jorge@goycodesign.com
Jorge Goyco 8/12/07

31) Story Wisdom—Zette Harbour
http://www.storywisdom.blogspot.com/


(This web page created 8/12/07; updated 8/14/07; 1/30/08; 2/22/08; 7/10/08; 12/2/08)