Trek for "This is the Right Place" Venue

I have yet to announce an official venue for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production premiere on February 9, 2009.



One thing is certain--I will perform at Brigham Young University.

Now I have set an additional date. My trek to the BYU campus will be on Tuesday, October 21st. I will already be in the area as some storytelling friends, Wendy Gourley and Nannette Watts, are performing in combination with the Utah Valley University Contemporary Dance team in Orem, UT (neighboring city to Provo).

While at BYU, I do not expect to have a place reserved though I do hope to meet the people over scheduling. Depending on the costs to reserve the place, I may need to secure sponsors.

While on campus, I will also attempt to meet with:
1. Family Science professors
2. Folklore professors, including the two who have been advisers for the BYU Storytelling Club since I jumpstarted it in 1998
3. Humanities professors
4. Education professors
5. Art professors
6. Theatre Media professors
7. Current BYU Storytelling Club President

I will likely have a follow-up day to return to the BYU campus for the professors I cannot see on Tuesday.

Though I am a proponent for the use of technology for networking, I still place the most value in meeting people face-to-face. Once I have met someone, then I feel more comfortable communicating through mail, telephone, and email.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

A Picture is worth 1,000 Stories

From left to right (8-year-old brother Nate, 10-year-old "big sister" Rachel, and 3-year-old sister Care).

I glanced at the bookshelf and my eyes rested on the brown Photo Album that held pictures from the first camera I owned.

Flipping through the pages brought back memories faster than reading through the journals and diaries I kept as a six-year-old, seven-year-old, and older. Perhaps reading what a six-year-old has to say is vague regardless of the topic.

Then surprise of all surprises--I took pictures out of the sleeves and discovered that each one had at least one or two handwritten lines on the back.

As a kid I was smart enough to do so, though I have not kept that habit as an adult. In fact, with all the digital pictures, rarely do I print out hard copies so notes could be kept on them.

I will be studying these pictures more over the next few days to see what stories come to mind that would work for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love".

As for the picture and my hand-written description, this is when my family picked me up after a week at Girl Scouts camp. Though part of my brother Nate's head got cut off, it is still one of my favorites. I may have been the oldest sister though they still could miss me when I was away. (And, of course, I missed them.)

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Volumes upon Volumes: Never-ending Programs

Eric Wolf reminded me how important it is to have volumes or series in connection to a CD, DVD, book or even a program. Already I am thinking how to apply this thought to "Family Famine: Hunger for Love".

This brainstorming was inspired while listening to the "Panel on the Future of Storytelling Online" from the 2008 National Storytelling Conference that Eric Wolf posted on his "The Art of Storytelling with Children" podcast and blog. Wolf led the panel and I was honored to be invited on it to talk about blogs. Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo focused on podcasts while Mary Margaret O’Connor shared thoughts on iTales.com and downloads. Finally, Fred Crowe revealed some of the Internet international scene. Karen Chace provided a hyperlinked handout of website resources and sites that assist storytellers.

Amongst all the wonderful advice Wolf shared, he mentioned how he has a Fairy Tales Forever storytelling set. He keeps the same name when he adds to the series with labels of "Volume 1", "Volume 2", etc.

This means the first DVD, CD, books, etc. that I put out about "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" will share that concept. People will know that I plan for more to come. As Wolf challenged, "It's time storytellers go back to Old Time Radio", which promotes that idea that the program ends with satisfaction though there is still a kind of cliffhanger to see and hear more.

My volumes could be connected with specific themes. For example, one show could focus more on orphans and adoption through family folktales while another volume could delve into child abuse through stories while another could focus on husband/wife relationships--all under the same name as "Family Famine: Hunger for Love". Geographical elements could be added such as one that had all North American stories while another had all Asian stories.

It's nice to decide this now so the first label reflects the goals of the future.

Thank you, Eric Wolf, for your genius!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Message in a Bottle" approach to Story Marketing

Instead of throwing a bottle into the sea and hoping someone will respond by mail, the Internet has transformed how people can communicate through chain objects in what has been dubbed "serial collaborations".

I am convinced of the marketing potential in these trends.


Have you heard of any of the following?--

• BookCrossing
• Geocaching
• Letter Boxing
• Flat Stanley
• Travel Mascots
• Where's George?
• Travel Bugs
• Roaming Gnomes

Rather than dreaming of the places that your object has traveled, ID numbers are connected to the item before being "set free" so that when people find them, they can register it online.

My Dad and brother have GPS systems and so they occasionally geocache. Sometimes Mom goes along if the quest sounds exciting enough. I went once with my parents.

I was amazed to discover the different types of serial collaborations as shared by Lynne McNeill while at the "Metamorphoses: An International Colloquium on Narrative and Folklore" on the University of Utah campus held from October 2-5. She is a professor of English and Folklore from Utah State University and presented her paper "Message in a Bottle: The Unspoken Narrative of Serial Collaboration." She has also written "Portable Places: Serial Collaboration and the Creation of a New Sense of Place" published through Western Folklore in Summer 2007, which you can find here.

The intrigue lies in that the communication is blindly put out in the world in search of another like-minded individual. McNeill saw the interaction as "serendipitous and meaningful but not burdensome" as communicating with strangers does not require any maintenance of the friendship.

My mind raced as how storytellers could use these serial collaborations to promote the art, or even a specific program such as my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love."

As I gather more stories and decide what ones will be shared for my narrative production, I would like to publish a book. Whether it would be self-published or done through a publishing company is yet to be seen. However, if I were to "release" the book through BookCrossings, I could watch its travels around the world and receive comments as to the stories within.

I asked McNeill, "Wouldn't it be great if there were more books of folktale collections out there?" She nodded her head and could tell the direction I was going with it.

If we worry that kids or even adults are reading as much of these folktales as we would like, why not send some out through BookCrossings? If each storyteller put out at least one book and each book reaches at least 10 people, can you see the potential?

I would urge the same idea for any storyteller/author. Every time you publish a book, send at least one copy through BookCrossings. You could even "release" the books from different spots as you tour. People would comment after reading it and perhaps these comments could be used for marketing materials.

This idea has a fun factor that, if done by many storytellers, could transform into a phenomenon.

Now I challenge you to think of the other types of serial collaborations listed above and think how a storyteller could apply them.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Orphans in Folklore--A Comparative Study

At some point we have all felt isolated or alone. For some of us, this thought is fleeting while for others it is a fact of life. . .at least until we discover our families.

It is not surprising that folklore has reflected these feelings.

MyLinda Butterworth, dear friend from East Tennessee State University Storytelling Master's Program, emailed me a link to the article "From Folktales to Fiction: Orphan Characters in Children's Literature" published by Melanie A. Kimball through Library Trends of the Winter 1999 edition. The bibliography alone is worth the read, though this comparative study also shares the patterns found among orphan tales.

Kimball stated that the orphan is the "quintessential outcast, operates in isolation, and thus makes the perfect hero figure."

The orphan is many times the victim of hostile actions from verbal abuse, physical abuse, emotional trauma, and even treat of death. Fortunately, any mistreatment usually is answered by punishment for the offender.

In the meantime of having justice, the orphan is forced to face obstacles alone without having a family member to say, "Come with me." or "Things will be all right." Although, the spirit of the dead mother, which embodies the essence of love, provides some form of supernatural help.

Kimball observed that instead of the orphan leaving home to become independent, the orphan is "finding a home after coming from nothing."

Much more was shared by Kimball's article and I encourage you to read it. As for me, I will review the bibliography and see what books can help in research for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production.

Thank you, MyLinda, for the lead!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Soucouyants, Ezili Freda & other Caribbean Tales

Caribbean folklore is intriguing as I know little of this culture or of the supernatural figures that abound in it.

European, African, and many North American stories (excluding Caribbean) are commonly found in the repertoire of most of the storytellers I know, to include myself.

I absorbed what several professors shared at the "Metamorphoses: An International Colloquium on Narrative and Folklore"on the University of Utah campus held from October 2-5, 2008.

However, my hand and wrist seemed unable to capture all the notes desired from the paper "Caribbean Animal-Human Metamorphosis and (Post) Colonial Agency" presented by Aliyah Khan, Professor of Caribbean Literature and Postcolonial Theory from University of California--Santa Cruz. My unfamiliarity with the culture crippled my speed.

I approached Khan and asked if she had recommendations of Caribbean folklore to research that related to the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production. She was kind to share a couple ideas. She was also willing to confirm authenticity of Caribbean culture in relation to any story I decided to tell.

Two supernatural figures require more research:

• Soucouyant--Old woman, mainly from Trinidad/Tobago areas, who transforms into a ball of fire by night to suck the blood of animals and humans, especially babies.

The Soucouyant often targets babies who are born a few nights previous. If the mother does not watch, then the baby may die. Some ways to protect are to wrap the baby in blue (references to water) or to scatter rice as the Soucouyant cannot leave until all the grains are counted. If she still is in her ball of fire form after sunrise, then she is destroyed. This could be a mother/child relationship piece for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love".

• Ezili Freda--A light-skinned Creole woman, from Haiti area, that is the Vodou goddess of love and luxury. She is doomed to unrequited love and she is often pictured with her heart pierced with a knife.

As the embodiment of femininity, there is the potential of finding stories that talk of fertility and barrenness and from there leads to motherhood.


To explore more about Caribbean tales, here are some sites:

• Bibliography from American Museum of Natural History
  
• The Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center (no stories, though place to make connections)
• Wikipedia Caribbean folklore
  

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Economy of Language": From Character's View

The previous post was also on "Economy of Language". Now for another view.

On September 10, 2008 I finally created an account with Twitter, a social online tool. This could be an exercise for storytellers to test their skills in being concise. You are limited to 140 characters (notice characters and NOT words) per post.

How would each story in my repertoire look if it was condensed to 140 characters? This may be a little longer than the one-liner found inside the cover of books above the ISBN number.

Telling the story aloud and condensing within a five-minute, three-minute, or one-minute frame seems easy compared to only having 140 characters to write that same piece.

President Thomas S. Monson, 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared how in the 1960s during the Vietnam war, Jay Hess became captured in Hanoi after his plane was shot down. Brother Hess had not seen his family for over two years and was uncertain when he'd see his family again.

He had only 25 words to send a message and this is what he chose to write--
"These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college, press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year."

What would you write to your family?

Now, what if you only had two characters?

This question is easy for me: 88.

My parents are both ham radio operators and "88" was something they could tell each other over the airwaves as "88" meant "hugs and kisses". Another way to express "I love you". These characters look a lot like the "xo" that many people place on birthday cards to wish the same thing. It's easy to see why "88" came to equal "xo".

Here's a clip hosted by Walter Cronkite on ham radio:


Can you sense a story? Perhaps one of my personal reflection moments within "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" could share the importance of the characters "88" to me.

That is love within the "Economy of Language".

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller