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South Florida Storytelling News
January 2015
Mij Byram
mij@mijbyram.com
Happy New Year
The destiny of the
world is determined
less by the battles
that are lost and
won than by the
stories it loves
and believes in.
_ Harold Goddard
May your heroes be brave, helpers be wise,
quests be fruitful and lovers be honest.
Attend, Listen, Tell
Page 2 - Broward Center for the Performing Arts opens classes
Page 3 - Story and Play at Sugar Sand Community Center
Page 4 - Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers host national teller, Kim Weitkamp
A man tells so many
stories, that he
becomes the stories.
They live on after
him and in that way
he becomes
immortal.
–Will Bloom from the
film Big Fish
Page 5 - True Lies: An Extraordinary Adult Storytelling Series
Page 6 - JCC Storytelling Project Workshops
Page 7 - FAU’s Life Long Learning - Our Veterans, Ourselves: A Citizen’s Journey
Plan now to attend the biggest storytelling even in the Southeast.
Page 8 - Florida Storytelling Festival
Page 9 - FSF Featured Tellers
Page 10 - FSF Workshops, Youthful Voices, Story Cruise and Lodging
Page 11- Guild Meetings, Story Circles
Stories lets every
listener be the king,
the queen, the hero
or the villain if they
choose.—Mij Byram
Page 12 - Storytelling on Radio and Web, VOX StorySlam
Let’s Promote Florida Storytelling.
I am happy to announce your storytelling related news and events that
are of interest to and available to the general public.
Send all information listed here
>>>>>>>>>>>>
by the 15th of the month to mij@mijbyram.com.
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To unsubscribe reply to mij@mijbyram.com and say “No Thank You.”
Date and time,
Event title,
Description,
Location address
Contact person
Links,
Fees
Page 2
MIJ BYRAM LEADS CLASSES AT
BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The Broward Center announces parent and child classes at the
Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center beginning January, 2015.
Lean More Click here
SmARTS classes for babies and toddlers provide parents and
young children with an integrated approach to early childhood
learning that fuses creative movement, music, props, storytelling,
drama and art appreciation into an engaging and developmentally
appropriate class. Our teachers create an experiential learning
environment for your little ones that focuses on gross motor skills,
musicality, and language development while encouraging positive social interaction.
Click here to learn More
ABC Baby SmARTS
ABC Toddler SmARTS
Suggested ages 12 to 24 months.
Suggested ages 18 to 36 months.
Growing up with the arts starts with music and
movement, rhymes and rhythm. Little ones and
parents/caregivers will engage in fingerplays,
songs, dancing and parachute activities. We’ll
use puppets, books and balls to enhance coordination, socialization, pre-literacy and verbal skills,
Parent and child enjoy an interactive music and
movement experience based on familiar themes .
Children run, bounce, jump and giggle while enhancing their musicality and developmentally appropriate locomotor skills. This enriching class increases a child's awareness of the arts and broadens his or her sense of music and movement,
introducing simple instruments combined with
play. Learn engaging activities you can continue at
home.
Click here to register
while we keep in mind our primary goal is fun.
Click here to learn more
Registration now for classes starting in Wednesday, January 14
http://www.browardcenter.org/education/rose-miniaci-arts-education-center/classes/early-childhood
Page 3
STORY A
SN
TO
D RPYL A Y
N DW P
I TLHA YM W
I SIST HM M
I JI S S M I J
RETURNS TOAT
S U G A R SS U
AG
NA
D RC S
O AMNMDU C
NO
I TMY MCUENNI TT EYRC E N T E R
SAT URDAY M ORN ING , JAN UARY 17
Our theme for January,
T RA NS POR TATIO N
We will drive, fly and sail the ocean with stories and imaginations.
Visit with Martha and Coco. Explore books, dance, laugh and play together.
Dads, moms and kids love Saturday morning
Story and Play with Miss Mij
at Sugar Sand Community Center.
Location: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton, 33486 Map link
Dates: Saturdays, Jan 17, Feb 21, March 21, April 18, May 16
Time: 10:00-10:45 (ages 18mo— 36 mo)
11:15- 12:00 (ages 3+4yrs)
Cost: $5 per child. Includes a carousel token.
Register day of event at front desk and receive free carousel token.
Want Story and Play to come to your community?
Contact Mij at 561.504.2616, mij@mijbyram.com
Page 4
JANUARY STORYTELLING EVENTS
KIM WEITKAMP STORYTELLING PERFORMANCE
The Wandering Mind
Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 7:00 to 9:00 PM
The Alliance for the Arts,
10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33919
Fee: Tickets will be on sale for $15.
Call (239) 939-2787
or visit www.artinlee.org for more details.
Kim Weitkamp, a nationally acclaimed storyteller, will be giving a storytelling performance at the Alliance for the Arts on
Wednesday, January 14, 2015, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
The title of her one-woman show is The Wandering Mind.
Kim is a sought after storyteller, humorist and musician sharing her original stories and songs at theaters
and festivals throughout the United States, including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough,
TN. One theater review stated, "Kim weaves the threads of her individual stories into a tapestry full of singular characters, fantastic situations, and heartfelt wisdom - all the best that a storyteller can offer." She
has completed six audio collections and has enjoyed airplay on Sirius XM radio and NPR affiliate stations.
She will perform some of her best loved stories from her award winning albums, "The Lap," "Penny Candy
Love," "Pickle in the Middle Blues," and "Head Bone Rattles." Weitkamp is a master at building bridges
from story to song to story, with transitions from one to the other which are seamless.
Kim is known for her wit, impeccable comedic timing, perfectly woven stories and velvet voice. Her original stories and songs will have you laughing one moment and looking inward at another, all the while her
stories cradle your heart and leave you wanting to hear just one more story or one more song. To find out
more about Kim, visit her website at www.kimweitkamp.com.
The Storytellers Are Back
A Tandem Storytelling Performance at The Villages:
Tamara Green and Mary Lou Williams will talk about the world of storytelling, its capital in Jonesborough,
TN, and the event that sparked a storytelling renaissance in this country in 1973. The Florida Storytelling
Association and the Florida Storytelling Festival in Mt. Dora, FL, are part of that renaissance. Tamara and
Mary Lou will also talk about the different kinds of stories,. They will tell some spellbinding stories of their
own as illustrations.
Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 6:00 pm
The Villages Lifelong Learning College
Laurel Manor Recreation Center
275 Buffalo Trail
The Villages, FL 32162
Contact: Dawn Tripp (352) 753-3035, Tripp@tvcs.org
Fee: $18
Page 5
TRUE LIES:
AN EXTRAORDINARY ADULT STORY TELLING SERIES
HOSTED BY DR. CAREN NEILE
AT WILLOW THEATER
300 S MILITARY TRAIL, BOCA RATON 33486
561-347-3948
Kim & Reggie Harris: The Underground
Railroad-A Journey of Song and Story
Take a lively musical ride on the Underground
Railroad; the historic network of abolitionists
and supporters who risked their lives and
their livelihoods to help shepherd southern
slaves to safety.
Rated PG
Date: Wed., Feb. 11
Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: $15
Sandy Walker: Ghastly Ghosts,
Sweet Revenge and Other Guilty Pleasures
Chilling, thrilling, funny and mysterious—
these are the kinds of stories that Miami
Performer Sandy Walker finds worth telling.
Come enjoy the mysteries and pierce the veil to
what lies beyond this existence, with these
unearthly tales of love, lust and justice.
Date: Wed., March 4,
Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: $15
Page 6
FEBRUARY WORKSHOPS
THE JCC JEWISH
STORY TELLING PROJECT
WITH CAREN NEILE
After a successful launch last season, the Jewish Storytelling Project is back!
You don’t have to be Jewish to learn about the art of storytelling
and how to tell your own story to family, friends and audiences in
a meaningful and engaging way. You’ll also have an opportunity
to perform your story before a live audience. Storytelling is an
ancient art, and we are so excited to be a part of a renewed
interest in storytelling that is gaining momentum throughout
the country.
Note: For those who attended last year’s classes, this year’s program is more performance-oriented.
Caren Neile, PhD., MFA, is an acclaimed professional storyteller. She is an affiliate professor at Florida
Atlantic University and co-host of the Public Storyteller on WLRN 91.3 FM. A graduate of the Jewish
Theological Seminary, she has performed, presented and published on Jewish storytelling at Limmud
New York 2014, The 16th Conference of the International Association of Yiddish Clubs, as a Fulbright
Senior Specialist at Hebrew University, and for Hadassah meetings, Yiddish clubs and numerous other
venues.
Workshop dates: Mondays, 7-9 p.m., February 2,9, 23 and March 2 and 9
$95
Final Performance by workshop participants Sunday March 15 at 2p.m.
$15
Levis JCC Phyllis & Harvey Sandler Center
21050 95th Avenue South, Boca Raton, FL 33428
The Phyllis & Harvey Sandler Center for Jewish Life Enhancement is located on 95th Avenue S. off of
Glades Road between Lyons Road and 441.
Contact: 561-558-2520
Page 7
FEBRUARY EVENT
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY LIFELONG LEARNING SOCIETY
PRESENTS:
OUR VETERANS, OURSELVES:
A CITIZEN'S JOURNEY
CAREN NEILE
EVENT DESCRIPTION: At least 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
have been diagnosed with serious symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,
(PTSD). Yet, more than half of those with PTSD do not seek treatment. This
deeply moving, one-of-a-kind performance by a professional storyteller
outlines her recent and ongoing experiences working with U.S. veterans of
the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. Her lecture will also
be interspersed with remembrances of her father, a veteran of World War II,
and her own anti-war upbringing. Through warm, witty and heart-rending
images, Caren Neile brings to life veterans' sufferings and triumphs, as
well as her own coming-to-terms with war and its aftermath. Dr. Neile's
storytelling work with veterans has been featured on WLRN Miami public radio
in a 1/2-hour Veterans Day segment in 2012, as well as on WXEL Palm Beach
County public television in a 2013 special called Saving America's Heroes,
which dealt specifically with PTSD. Select segments from these shows will
augment the performance. An audience discussion will follow the performance.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Caren Schnur Neile, Ph.D., MFA, is a professional
storyteller who has taught storytelling studies at Florida Atlantic
University since 2000. A former Fulbright Senior Specialist in Jerusalem and
Vienna, she performs and lectures across the U.S. and overseas. Her numerous
publications include the books The Great American Story (Lambert) and
Hidden: A Sister and Brother in Nazi Poland (University of Wisconsin Press).
The former chair of the National Storytelling Network, Dr. Neile founded the
Palm Beach County Storytelling Guild and is also a founding co-editor of the
academic journal Storytelling, Self, Society and a columnist for the South
Palm Beach County Jewish Journal. Dr. Neile appears weekly on WLRN public
radio as co-host of The Public Storyteller.
http://www.fau.edu/divdept/lifelong/LLSBoca/WPL0226.php
Time: 4:15 pm - 6:00 pm
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2015
Location: Barry and Florence Friedberg Auditorium,
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Campus
Fees: Member advance registration - $20 per event
$50 for any combination of three events
$100 for any combination of eight events
Door price member/non-member - $25
For information, call lisboca@fau.edu or call 561-297-3171.
Page 8
PLANNING AHEAD
MARCH EVENTS
March 5-8, 2015 in lovely Mount Dora
Registration is open!
 Full Weekend registration reduced to only $175
Register at http://www.flstory.com
 Forward this message and help spread the word
Call us with questions: 800-327-1796 or fsa@flstory.com
Featured Storytellers
A beautiful array of styles and stories...all told in the Concert Tent on the Grand Lawn of Lakeside
Inn. Concerts Thursday, Friday, Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Tell & Talk sessions Friday and
Saturday offer a conversational opportunity to both hear stories and interact with the tellers.
Sheila Kay Adams: http://www.sheilakayadams.com
Christopher Agostino: http://www.agostinoarts.com
Cheryl Floyd: http://www.cherylfloyd.com
Lucrece Louisdhon-Louinis: http://www.louineslouinisdance.org
Hank Mattson: http://www.crackercowboypoet.com
As always, more Florida storytellers will grace the stage on Thursday evening to get the weekend started,
and again on Sunday morning with Stories From the Heart.
StorySwaps, Slams and The Swappin' Grounds Competition
From casual swaps on the veranda to the late night slam in Tremain's Tavern - the weekend will offer
plenty of opportunities for anyone to tell a story.
On Friday and Saturday afternoon, the Swappin' Grounds Competition is open for telling. The top two
tellers in the competition will open the Saturday night concert! So bring your best story, 8 minutes or
less, and the mic is yours.
Page 9
Sheila Kay Adams
Born and raised in North Carolina, Sheila Kay is an Appalachian
teller and musician that will tickle your funny bone and warm
your heart.
More about Sheila Kay at http://sheilakayadams.com/
Christopher Agostino
JOIN US FOR
STORY CONCERTS ON THE
GRAND LAWN OF THE
HISTORIC LAKESIDE INN,
THURSDAY, FRIDAY,
SATURDAY EVENING
AND SUNDAY MORNING
F E AT UR E D TE LL E R S
OFFER A
DIVERSITY OF
STORIES,STYLES AND
C U LT U R E S
Combining storytelling with his
mastery of facepainting, he will leave
you in awe at the end of the tale.
More info http://agostinoarts.com/
Cheryl Floyd
Stories that will ignite, unite and
inspire you. Cheryl brings her Cajun
roots and loving heart to the stage
with every tale she tells.
www.cherylfloyd.com/storytelling.html
Registration
and concert tickets at
www.flstory.com
Hank Mattson
The Cracker Cowboy Poet, Hank
crafts stories into poetry that bring
to life the history and mystery of
the Florida cow-puncher.
www.crackercowboypoet.com/
Lucrece Louisdhon-Louinis
Dancing, drumming, singing and stories –
Lucrece weaves her Caribbean culture into a
performance that will leave you tapping your
toes and wondering where the time went.
Invite friends and
family to join you.
The city is charming,
the entertainment
superb.
Page 10
Workshops Galore
Friday and Saturday offer morning and afternoon workshops that explore the many facets of storytelling. Workshops are led by the featured storytellers and seasoned professionals in the art. A roster of
workshop titles will be posted to the festival website in early January.
Youthful Voices and Family Fun Day
Saturday is Youthful Voices Day and we welcome those young storytellers chosen to perform at the annual Youthful Voices Concert on Saturday evening.
The Youthful Voices tent will offer listening, learning and telling opportunities for children along with storytelling crafts.
If you can help us find our 2015 Youthful Voices, guidelines for the competition can be found at
www.flstory.com. Submissions must be received by January 12.
StoryCruise
As the festival comes to a close on Sunday, extend your storytelling weekend with a one-hour StoryCruise
on beautiful Lake Dora. While you glide along enjoying the scenery, you'll be entertained by some of Florida's finest storytellers.
Location & Lodging
All events will be held on the grounds of Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora. All events are accessible and ASL
interpreters will participate in every storytelling concert.
Lodging at Lakeside Inn is discounted for those attending the festival. When making your reservation,
use the promotion code FSA to secure the discounted rate.
 Queen, King or 2-Twin rooms $109 with 2-night minimum through January 14
 Two bedroom suite $129 with 2-night minimum through January 14
 January 15: All rooms $139 with no minimum stay
800-556-5016 or http://www.lakeside-inn.com
Note that Lakeside Inn is a historic venue and few lodging rooms are handicapped accessible. If you require more accommodating lodging there are more modern hotels in Mount Dora that are within an easy
commute.
Page 11
GUILDS AND CLUBS
Find Florida storytelling guilds and groups by following this link— Florida Guilds
Follow this link to find guilds and organizations listed by state — State and locale storytelling groups
PALM BEACH COUNTY STORYTELLING GUILD
Second Monday of each month at 1:30 —-January 12
Contact Claire Forrest, lovetoteach2@bellsouth.net
Glades Road Library, 20701 95th Ave. South,
Boca Raton, 561-482-4554
NORTH PALM BEACH COUNTY STORYTELLING GUILD
Fourth Thursday of each month, 6:30 to 8:30 PM The meeting consists of a learning experience
focused on a specific storytelling skill. Participants are welcome to tell a 5-7 min. story, fairy tale,
folktale, scary story, bible story, family or personal story.
Palm Beach Gardens Library, 11303 Campus Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Directions:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/branches/gardens
Contact Mickey DiSeina at msmickeystory@gmail.com
BROWARD COUNTY STORYTELLING GUILD
Third Thursday of each month
Join Broward Storytellers Guild on Facebook or Meet Up
Contact Jo Bridges at 954.583.0705 for more info.
MIAMI STORYTELLING GUILD
Every Sunday evening
at The Grateful Bread Bakery and Restaurant, 927 NE 125th St., North Miami
Contact Jim Gregory 305.607.3790, jimgregory2@icloud.com
FORT MYERS
GUILD — TAMIAMI TALE TELLERS
Third Thursday of each month, 7:00 to 9:00PM
Grand Court Retirement Community, 8351 College Parkway, Fort Myers, 33919
Contact Mary Lou Williams mwfortmyers@aol.com
ORLANDO STORY CLUB
You are invited: https://www.facebook.com/orlandostoryclub
https://www.youtube.com/user/OrlandoStoryClub
Page 12
HEAR A STORY– TELL A STORY
STORY CIRCLE
I’LL TELL YOU MINE — IF YOU TELL ME YOURS
First Monday of the month, every month: 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Come with a story or just your curiosity. Tell it like it is, how it was or how you wish it were. You never
know what you will hear. This has become one of the most popular story circles in South Florida.
Charismatic, Glad McLeod leads this telling. Call Glad at: 516.582.9047
Hagen Ranch Road Branch Library
14350 Hagen Ranch Road, Delray Beach 33446 Click for map
VOX
No VOX in January
Next VOX Sunday, February 22,
Free admission and PRIZES
In 2015 you will have four opportunities to enjoy VOX:
The Storytelling Slam at the Living Room Café at Florida Atlantic University,
777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Fl
Changes for VOX in 2015
VOX will take place February 22, March 29, September 27 and October 25, all at 8 p.m.
For more information contact Caren Neile at cneile@fau.edu
RADIO AND INTERNET
STORIES
ON THE RADIO
WLRN National Public Radio 91.3 FM click here
THE PUBLIC STORYTELLER Sundays, 4:00 pm
Listen to your friends and neighbors tell true stories of South Florida. Caren wants YOUR story!
Contact Caren Neile at cneile@fau.edu Click here
THE MOTH RADIO HOUR Saturdays, 4:00 pm
True stories told live. Check it out
STORIES
ON THE WEB
The Web is full of stories and storytellers.
Here is one place you can hear new stories almost everyday.
The Apple Seed BYU radio the apple seed
With the resurgence of the art of storytelling, BYU
Radio is filling a void by bringing renowned storytellers and stories to the station. The Apple
Seed will feature the world’s best storytellers, as
well as tales that are funny, adventuresome, and
thought-provoking. Hosted by Sam Payne.