about the storyteller

In the foretime, not so long ago, when people could hear, I told stories to diverse audiences at monthly and annual community gatherings, including at the monthly (now defunct) Western Community Word Weavers Storytellers meetings (where I was a founder member from 1995 to 2005) and at the Victoria Storytellers' Guild gatherings, "Stories at Fern" (where I was a member from 1995 to the end of Summer 2020); and to high school, middle school, and university classes; and informally.

Ranging from antediluvian to contemporary, my multicultural repertoire included fable and folk stories; original and personal stories; legend and duet telling stories; environmental stories; a special collection of stories about exceedingly long lives; and one memorized, word-for-word, thirty-minute literary story, "An Ounce of Cure," from Alice Munro's first short story collection, Dance of the Happy Shades.

I also facilitated classes in storytelling, gave presentations, and offered consulting services to teachers, event organizers, other storytellers, and anyone else who sought information or resources related to storytelling.

I have a formal background in the arts and culture of Canada, extensive knowledge in the ancient art of storytelling, myriad storytelling resources; plus, I have had many experiences in organizing a variety of events including a house concert at my home; an annual storytellers' retreat; a three-day storytelling weekend that included a house concert, a public concert, and many workshops; as well as traditional author teas that included storytelling with the entertainment; plus two "Literary Info-Fairs" and a national writers' conference (Canadian Authors Association, 1995), where storytelling was also featured.

I created and moderated the Vancouver Island Storytellers' E-Mail Tree listserv which distributed messages of interest to over 200 storytellers living in Victoria, or on and around Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, for over twenty years, from 1998 to the end of 2019.

Please see performances, for a list of events where I have told; and workshops and courses presented, for further details about where I have taught storytelling and given presentations on teaching storytelling.

Information about my Oral Storytelling Program Development Workshop can be found on the syllabi page.