"The Gardener's Wife": Heart-Rhythms Put to Song

I paced the kitchen and sometimes the wooden planks would creak as I wondered what could be the tune of another song within "The Gardener's Wife" story.

The lullaby within the story with the words and lyrics came so fast to my mind that I half expected the same to happen with the grieving/pleading song.

As there is not a piano in my home, I could not tinker with the keys. Instead, I had to resort to humming, pausing, and determining if that tune was one I wanted to pursue.

My mp3 recorder was in my hand, always at the ready, in case a tune came.

I had the words for the song, which had three verses to be sung at different times in the story. Upon the whiteboard that hung by the refrigerator, I created words that Holly Robison could sing. This way she could harmonize on some lines and also sing different words at the same time I sung others.

Whenever Holly would sing within the story, I imagined that she represented the thoughts of the Gardener's Wife. Whenever I sang, then these were the words the Gardener's Wife sung out loud. I would sing solo the first three lines. Holly would sing a different tune for the first two lines of the chorus and then harmonize with me on the last line.

Below are the verses with Holly's extra parts in parentheses.

Verse 1:
A silent cradle.
A silent room.
A silent home much like a tomb.

Chorus:
Oh when oh when (please tell me when)
Will my wish be (deep in my heart)
In my arms to see.

Verse 2:
A lonely heartache.
A lonely hand.
A lonely baby from another land.

Chorus repeated

Verse 3:
An empty table.
An empty chair.
An empty family that should be there.
Chorus repeated

Finally, after recording a couple tunes for the lyrics, one stuck in my head.

I noticed that this tune was similar to the tune of the lullaby. That made me smile.

In life we have joy and we have sorrow. You cannot have life without one or the other. In this way, the lullaby and the grieving/pleading song complement each other. The lullaby becomes more sweet and the grieving/pleading song becomes more sad. Together, we have a complete person who sings these songs. For this story, it meant the Gardener's Wife.

Even the rhythm of the song had a kind of heartbeat to it with a "thum, tha, tha" and "thum, tha, tha" sound throughout.

I was excited to share this discovery with Holly, especially as I could not sing both parts during the chorus to make sure that the tunes created would work.

Though deep in my heart, I knew.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Behind the Wheel: When Imagination is Most Active

The drive home from the New Year's Eve party was the perfect opportunity to practice.

We were invited to gather for New Year's Eve at the home of one of my husband's brothers. Over 20 of us celebrated into the wee hours. As my husband and I traveled the furthest, we were offered to sleepover so we could be well rested and start the New Year right.

When I sat in the car, I wanted to review the scenes of "The Gardener's Wife", the Colombian story. I would meet with Holly Robison on January 2nd to tell the whole story, and I wanted to be ready. I expected to the story to be told in about 40 minutes so there were many details to remember.

Along the highway, I saw the Utah mountains. I pretended that the mountains were the ones in Colombia and made them more green in my mind.

Eventually I pictured the Wife in the story looking down from the mountains and into a corner of the garden. I did not speak words of what I saw. This was something I witnessed through thoughts and driving upon the highway.

The imaginings continued.

The Wife thinks she sees a child, only to discover it is squash. The Wife laughs at herself while have a touch of sadness as she and her husband are childless.

This was not hard to feel as my husband and I have been married for over seven and a half years and we have wanted children from the beginning.

I thought of the winding river that brought a baby one by one to the Wife. As Utah is a dry place, the winding highway became my "winding river".

And so was my drive home. Something outside my window would transform into something inside "The Gardener's Wife" story.

If only the pictures in my head would translate into words from my mouth to share with others. Then I would transform from being dreamer to being storyteller.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Premiere Pins: Sticking out in the Crowd

As the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere will be the Monday after the Timpanogos Storytelling Conference, I will think outside the box on how to advertise.

I had checked to see if I could have a booth, but the conference was limited to the number of tables. They did plan to reserve a table so that storytellers could place their business cards on it. My postcards could go at this table, but it was even questionable if I could have a poster on an easel in case I took too much room.

If it was about the money, I was willing to pay for a table. It seemed the conference did not work in that way.

Since my premiere was not officially connected to the conference, I also could not had a flier in the folder given to all registrants.

I was allowed to give out business cards. If such an act was permitted, then perhaps I could also give out pins that mentioned the premiere on one side and the other side had all the basic information like place, time, tickets, etc.

Friends could help me pass out pins, too.

I would want to make 200 pins due to the attendance I had seen in the past for the Timpanogos Storytelling Conference. In many ways, I had to treat advertising at the conference much as if it was a fringe.

I headed to Hobby Lobby and walked up and down aisles to see what ideas may be triggered on what materials to even use for the pins.

When I came to the unfinished wood aisle, I paused.

I found wooden hearts and tiny bowls. I liked the idea of using wood, though I tossed around the idea of using fun foam. The wooden bowls could be glued on the lower right of the heart. Red fun foam cut in circles could be glued in the bowls to be the soup, while a white marker could make a heart and some steam from the bowl.

If I used wood for the heart and bowl, then it would have a nicer quality and people may even keep them as a memento as well as a reminder.

The wooden hearts could be painted light blue. Then clear mailing labels could print the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" logo on the front. Another clear mailing label would list the basic information on the back.

Any leftover pins from the conference could be given to the first people to arrive at the premiere.

Besides the pins, I thought of other fun ways to grab people's attention. At baby showers, I had seen people take a candy bar and cover it with their own wrapper that said something like "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl!". The same idea could be used for my premiere. As the wooden bowl with the tomato soup was a key image in the logo, then I could create a label to go around a can of soup.

This could work. . .but not for the conference. If I had 200 cans of soup, that would be heavy.

I think I will stick with the pins.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Joanna Huffaker: Story Buddy for "The Changeling"

It was like the BYU Storytelling Club days all over again.

Joanna Huffaker was an amazing Vice President and then she had to graduate before me. She missed the semester when we created t-shirts, so after eight years, I finally gave Joanna her club t-shirt.

After some hugs and pictures, we went to "play" with "The Changeling", an Irish story which will open my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere.

Like what was done with my stories buddies Holly Robison and Julie Barnson, I had Joanna read the story aloud so I could conjure images while listening.

Then it was time to ask questions about "The Changeling":

• How do the neighbors play a role in the exchange made from the baby to the changeling?

They warned Mrs. Sullivan that if the baby was overly admired, then she would grab the attention of the fairies. Verbal and physical abuse are indirectly addressed as the neighbors suggest that Mrs. Sullivan call the baby names. Then, once the exchange is made, the neighbors suggest to toss the baby into the snow and elements, to burn the nose off, or to roast the child alive on the griddle.

• What is the "magic number" as to the neighbor suggestions?

Three kinds of verbal abuse are suggested and later three kinds of physical abuse are suggested. Many stories have the power of three, which will also be represented by the three neighbors.

• Who is Grey Ellen? (a.k.a. Ellen Leah) Is she in any other Irish folklore? Is there significance and/or meaning to her name?

Research is yet to be made.

• What are the Christian influences?

A crucifix above the cradle is one way to prevent fairies to make an exchange with a baby.

• What are the opposite images of the baby versus the changeling?

Eyes, Skin, and Hands. They could be bright blue for the baby while dull and lifeless for the changeling. The skin could be smooth for the baby while wrinkled, dry, and tight for the changeling. Finally, the hands could be tiny and delicate for the baby while they appear as talons for the changeling. Again, there is the power of three in the imagery.

• Was Mrs. Sullivan's fall before she had a chance to plunge the bar down the changeling's throat on purpose or even authentic to the tale? Was this part censored by Jane Yolen, who edited the version I found first? Does this matter to me? How will I approach this scene?

Much wrestling will happen before any answers can be made.

Since I will bookend the story with a personal story, then here are questions for this part:

• Is my Mom the one showing off my younger brother?

This would bring jealousy.

• How does "The Changeling" story connect with my personal story?

My brother will be "overly admired" as a baby. Like the neighbors for Mrs. Sullivan, I give the warning to my Mom. I could tell "The Changeling" as learned from a teacher at school. Mom and I could quietly smile at the baby versus "loud" compliments as what Mrs. Sullivan does once her baby is returned.

• How long do I expect the bookend personal story to take?

It may be about five minutes as the introduction part to the whole piece. The ending would likely be less than 30 seconds.

• Will the personal story be of general feelings or of one or more specific instances?

I am not sure at this point. The instances could be a list so not as much time is spent with it and so more time can be given to the folktale.

Every time I go through this question and answer process, I am invigorated. How about you?

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

"The Gardener's Wife": French Scenes technique

Each story in this "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere will be my chance to use the French Scenes technique for storytelling taught by Don Doyle.

In September 2006, I met with him to work on the Greek epic "Hephaestus: Fire Within", which addressed child abuse at infant and adolescent stages and the results when Hephaestus became an adult.

Click here if you want to know what else I learned from Don Doyle.

Basic concept of French Scenes:
French Scenes are main events of the story that begin with one or more key characters enter the scene and ends when one or more key characters exit the scene. Between entrances and exits are developments to the story whether in understanding the environment, revealing character, and forwarding the plot.

French Scenes tend to be divided into 5 parts though I could have as many as 32+ parts for a complicated story.

While meeting with Holly Robison, my story buddy for "The Gardener's Wife", we pulled out the thesaurus as we brainstormed works for character feelings. Time flew by so we did not complete all the scenes for story. Even one of her daughters came to check our project out. (permission granted to post picture)

Here are the French Scenes so far for this Colombian story--
***Please note that the Gardener's Wife will simply be known as Wife.

Scene 1:
Enter Wife
Exit Husband

Environment--

• Inside house looking out to garden
• Fall time for Colombia (or late summer)
• Beautiful day--sun, blue sky, hear birds and breeze

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--longing, wishful, hopeful, happy/sad, bewildered at husband's view
• Husband--happy, befuddled at the answer that his wife wants of him, preoccupied with work

***Both have feelings of love and playfulness
Moving Plot Forward--

• Establish that the Wife and Husband are childless

Scene 2:
Enter Thoughts about the 3 Sisters
Exit with Triple Weddings

Environment--

• Garden--flowers will trigger memories about the village gossip
• Same day as Scene 1--still beautiful day
• Eventually memories transport from Garden to the Castle and Castle Grounds for weddings

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--reflecting on comical "story", eye to detail, honored
• All Sisters--joking, playful, dreamy, hungry
  
• 1st Sister--(oldest)--leader and turns jealous and resentful
• 2nd Sister--(middle)--follows the oldest Sister but likes the 3rd Sister's answer best
• 3rd Sister--(youngest)--has bigger vision and spoiled

Moving Plot Forward--

• Explains vengeance of two older Sisters towards the youngest (leads to babies switched)
• Emphasize indifference of the King

Scene 3:
Enter Pregnant 3rd Sister
Exit 1st Baby Boy

Environment--

• Castle and Castle Grounds with buzz by subjects of 1st born and turns to gasp/silence as discover the dog
  
• 10 months later
• Midwife Room
• River

Character/Feelings--

• 3rd Sister (pregnant)--loud, in pain, sleep deprived
• 1st Sister (leader of scheme)--even more jealous, conniving, vengeful, grumpy
• 2nd Sister (follower of scheme)--same as 1st Sister except nervous, worried to get caught
• King--unconcerned, indifferent
• 1st Baby Boy--quiet otherwise people would not believe the dog was born in its place

Moving Plot Forward--

• Strange reactions for Queen and King of baby "dog", though Queen feels like something is missing later on
• Baby will arrive to the Wife and Husband so the audience will know to whom the Baby belongs

Scene 4:
Enter Wife and Husband
Exit Wife with 1st Baby Boy into Home

Environment--

• Outside at Garden near River
• Beautiful day

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--grieving, longing, despair, hopeless (another 10 months childless), then turns to surprise, curious, joy, tenderness, love, celebration, praising, thankful, wonder
• Husband--happy, confused, worries more of where Baby comes from, otherwise same as the Wife
• 1st Baby Boy--loved, content, though ill from being tossed on the water, tired when hears lullaby until completely asleep

Moving Plot Forward--

• 1st Baby Boy has Home

More scenes will be added in a future post.















Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

"The Gardener's Wife" & Heart-Song Scribblings

I always imagined two songs in "The Gardener's Wife": a grieving song and a lullaby.

While with my story buddy, Holly Robison, we explored the possibilities for the grieving song. The grieving song would be prompted when she is alone. She is strong when her husband is nearby.

In August 2008, I had the following ideas or what I labeled as "Scribblings from my Heart"--

An empty table.
An empty chair.
An empty family that should be there.

This was our starting point for our brainstorming and one of our handy tools was the thesaurus.

I realized that I would like to delve into the senses such as sight, sound, touch/feel, smell and taste. The empty table and chair were visual, but what about for sound or for touch/feel? Holly and I did not think that we could do much with smell or taste for this song.

I sensed that three verses were needed. Originally I thought the song would be sung all at once at the beginning. This would be before the Gardener's Wife is blessed with three children. Then I expressed to Holly that in some ways it was too bad that it would be sung once as the lullaby would be sung several times throughout the story.

Holly asked, "Does it have to be sung all at once?"

Silence. My mind racing.

"No, it doesn't!" I exclaimed.

As there are three children, one of the three verses could be sung before a baby comes to her. The lullaby would then be sung after a baby come.

First verse--rough draft:

A silent cradle.
A silent room.
A silent home that sounds like a tomb.

As not a single baby is in the home, it would be silent. The focus would be on the sense of sound.

Other things could be silent besides a cradle and room:

• laughter
• songs
• stories
• crying
• sharing
• chat/conversation/talk
• play
• room
• home
• corner
• place
  

Second verse--rough draft:

A lonely ______. (needs to be two syllables)
A lonely ______. (needs to be one syllable)
A lonely ___________________. (2nd and 3rd lines need to rhyme)

The Gardener's Wife knows that though she is not as lonely as before, she still does not feel complete. There is also not a playmate or sibling for the first baby. The focus would be on the sense of touch/feel.

Things that could create loneliness:

• moment
• time
• hour
• hand
• walk
• hug
• thought
• meal
• baby items
• places

Third verse--rough draft:

An empty table.
An empty chair.
An empty family that should be there.

The Gardener's Wife knows, as a mother, that someone is missing. A third child needs to come to the home. The focus would be on the sense of sight.

Other words could be like empty:

• barren
• nothing
• zero
• lack
• silent
• bare
• blank
• vacant
• unfulfilled
• forgotten

There will be a day when this "grieving" song will not be silent, lonely, or empty. All will be complete. . .soon.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Marketing Buddies: Many Eyes & Many Brains

I never like to make a decision alone. Not when it comes to advertising.

I sent the file of possible poster and postcard images for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" to several storytelling friends including my story buddies for "The Gardener's Wife" and for "Forsaken Brother".

I also sent the file to Elizabeth Ellis.

Then I waited for reactions.

Dawn Bloxham, the artist, had sent a page of six different images. She let me know that any of the images could be changed and altered such as in the colors, shapes, and additions.

Two pictures were of two hands with palms up with a heart in it. Another picture was of a heart-shaped apple with a bite and light streaming from it. The fourth image was of a modern white soup bowl filled with tomato soup with a white cream heart and a spoon from an aerial view. The last picture was of a thick horizontal limb of a tree with a couple apples hanging from it with a little blue bird.

I had considered the tree because my business card has a tree with a single apple hanging from it. Perhaps this would be a way to connect my logo with the program's logo.

Yet, it was the bowl of soup that grabbed my attention. I knew the white bowl was too modern, but if it was a modern bowl, then that might be perfect. Most of my story buddies commented on how the bowl of soup grabbed them.

Joanna Huffaker, a storytelling friend, mentioned that the hands did give a human touch so I asked Dawn to add hands around the wooden bowl.

Besides the image, Dawn asked what information needed to be on the posters. I sent her the following lists--

Required Information for Poster:

• Title--Family Famine: Hunger for Love
• World premiere narrative production recorded live
• Starring Rachel Hedman
• Monday, February 9th at 8:00pm
• Covey Center for the Arts, Grand Theater
• 425 W. Center Street, Provo, UT
• Tickets: $10.00 general admission, $5.00 student/senior*, $5.00 for groups of 15 or more*, *Discount prices available only by phone or in person*
• Reserve your seats by calling (801) 852-7007 or go to www.coveycenter.org
• Light refreshments to follow

Debating on How or If to Share the Following Information for Poster/Postcard Due to Space:

• Guest emcee/national storyteller Elizabeth Ellis
• Singer Holly Robison
• Accompanist/Guitarist Joshua Payne
• How much of this standard description--Family life can starve when fed abuse and abandonment with stories that gnaw at the stomach. Then Rachel shares the feast of patience, humor and unconditional love through multicultural tales mixed with song and personal reflection. You are welcome to the table.
• More info at http://familyfamine.blogspot.com or email info@rachelhedman.com
• Merchandise available for purchase

Information for the "Save the Date" Postcard (besides required info for Poster):

• Extend your stay while at the Timpanogos Storytelling Conference (www.timpfest.org) from February 5-7 and take part in this event
• Please RSVP at info@rachelhedman.com
• Remember you could:
  

* Attend and celebrate
* Pre-order DVD at special price $15.00 (Normal $20.00)
* Invite Rachel to you
* Or all of the above!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Grimm Debate: "Iron John" vs. "Hansel and Gretel"

The Grimm Brothers gathered many stories that most of us know today.

We have such tales as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White that Disney has made popular.

Of the many Grimm tales, Iron John and Hansel and Gretel had possibilities to shed light indirectly on child abuse in the home. The only time to bring up the abuse was at the beginning of each of the stories.

This seems like a strange way to begin the whole "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" program.

Where was the humor?

While at the Utah Storytelling Guild Olympus Chapter Christmas party, I brought some of my books on Iron John so people could get a taste as to what direction I was heading. Luckily, everyone there knew the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Strengths for Iron John:

• Interesting relationship between the boy-prince and the Wild Man, as the Wild Man is really like a second father
• Heavily a "guy" story while the ending story, The Gardener's Wife, is heavily a "girl" story so it balances out the program
• Boy-prince is an eight-year-old while the boy in the center story, Forsaken Brother, is one which I already planned for the boy to also be an eight-year-old
  

Strengths for Hansel and Gretel:

• Familiar story with a "Rachel twist" could be welcomed by the audience
• Chance for children to be heroes and show how siblings can help each other
• Mother character is intriguing for she (and not a stepmother as shared in other versions) was the one who took the children to the woods to get lost

One of my friends, Julie Barnson, predicted that I may not choose either one of these stories to be the opening piece for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere.

We shall see.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

"Forsaken Brother" & Ojibwa Influences on the Boy

There are so many beautiful cultures in the world, and, as a storyteller, I do my best to honor them.

The same is for the Ojibwa people.

I shared what I learned with Julie Barnson, my story buddy for "Forsaken Brother", and we were also able to discover even more elements that could prove crucial to the telling of the tale.



Ojibwa Cultural Elements that may Shape Story:

• The boy will be at least seven-years-old as this is the age when children are expected to help with the chores. Perhaps I will place him at age eight about to turn nine as this could add to why the older sister feels she must abandon him.
• When boys reach age twelve, they go on a Vision Quest. Though the boy in "Forsaken Brother" will not yet be this age, he could reflect on this future ceremony. During a Vision Quest, there is fasting that is chosen of the boy's own free will. Whereas, in this story, he is forced to starve. A Vision Quest is often connected to sights or sounds for the boy only. Listening to the wolves howl and seeing them off in the distance could seem like a vision at first but then realizes that they are truly before him.
• The words for food and water in the language would add more culture to the story. For example, the word for "water" is "nibi" or pronounced "ne-be".
• At one point the boy finds shelter in a tree. Though the type is not shared in the original story, I may make it a maple tree. The Ojibwa would gather syrup as families. The boy could take his fingers and peel the bark away, attempting to make a hole, and then remember that it is wintertime and the syrup comes in spring. The tree that once gave him food could not at his time of greatest need.
• While huddled in the tree, he could reflect on a story or two about Nanabozho, a half spirit/half human being. Nanabozho is credited with the discovery of wild rice as well as hunting skills. He also drove Winter-Maker away so spring could come and food be present once more. Of all times, these skills are needed for the boy. This could be a little story within a story.
• The family may be part of the Nooke ("Tender", i.e. Bear) clan, which is known for healing and defense. These attributes are prominent in the story. The bear, lynx, and wolf are part of the Nooke totem/doodem. It is the largest totem.
• When someone is ill, it is thought to be of the spirit as well as for the physical body. I have added that the sister could see her father's eyes through the eyes of her younger brother. The eyes are often thought as the "window to the soul".
• Mourning for the dead--There is mourning for about a year and then you can join the community again. This could partly explain why the lodge was so far from the village at the beginning of the story. The sister may have been surprised when the older brother left the lodge so soon as the year of mourning was not complete for the passing of the father or of the mother.
  
• Ritual for the dead--The dead are placed in special clothing and have a spirit bundle that holds a lock of the dead person's hair. Then the dead are wrapped in a blanket and birchbark. The body is removed from the west side of the wigwam and food is placed with them. A close family member dances around the open grave. A barkhouse is made and reflects the symbol of the family's clan over the grave.
• The boy would know about the food buried with his father and mother, though the thought to get the food would never have crossed his mind.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Oh Where, Oh Where is that Opening Story?

My center and final stories for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" came in such miraculous ways that I expected another miracle to shine light on a story and say "Here is your opening story!"

So far no light.

I dedicated today to the libraries to find that opening story. There is a certain mood that an opening story needs that, at times, can make it so difficult.

Humor is powerful. Yet, I had always imagined one of my stories to address child abuse, at least in an indirect way. My center story is on abandonment while the final story is on adoption.

I have tossed around the idea of a version of "Hansel and Gretel", but nothing so far has struck me as "I must tell this one!"

In "emergencies" such as finding the opening story with the premiere a little over two months away, I settled on the floor at the Central Branch of the Davis County Library system. It seems more inspiration has come from sitting on the floor rather than sitting in a chair.

At times I worried if I blocked the way for other library patrons, so I was quick to move my feet aside to allow people through. Some people could tell I was on a serious mission and so avoided my area.

Normally I would check out about 20-30 books and take them home to peruse. This time I sat for hours reading. I scanned titles and the first paragraphs as most likely the focus would be revealed through those means. If the story did not connect with some level of family relationship or even with food or famine, then I skipped to the next story.

Finally, I ignored the collections of folktales and moved on to the picture books. Sometimes these books reveal the ethnic background and bibliographies to further research. I did not want to do a literary piece. I wanted to create the story based on the folktale's structure and culture.

When a few hours passed and still I seemed no closer than when I first arrived at the library, the story "Iron John" jumped out at me. Many years ago I considered telling this story. To this day, I do not know many storytellers who tell it despite it being part of the Brothers Grimm collection.

In all the versions I have read for "Iron John", not once have I read that the boy-prince's father was abusive. Yet, the boy feels a need to have a second father in the form of a wild man. My imagination fills in the blanks by thinking perhaps the king was not all that he seemed.

The story may be too heavy for an opening piece.

So the search continues for that elusive opening story.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

"The Gardener's Wife" and Character Sketches

Each time I see Holly Robison, my story buddy for "The Gardener's Wife", I like to have goals in mind.

This time I wanted to figure out the character and personality of the Gardener's Wife, the one I transformed into the main character. I also wanted to explore how the Garden itself is a character.

On other days I may delve into the personalities of the other characters.

If I know people in real life who are like the characters, then I have done a good job.

Holly asked questions and I responded to what I thought was the correct answer. Some questions required further understanding of the Colombian culture. I checked out all the books possible on the country--at least in Davis County!


Questions for the Gardener's Wife:

• What is her house like? This says a lot about a person. I will need to research what is common in Colombia.
• What is her favorite color? Bright blue or maroon.
• What does she do in her spare time? She loves to go off into the mountains, walk among the ruins. From the plateau, she enjoys leaning against the pine and oak trees to see the view. (Yes, there are pine and oak trees in Colombia.)
• What is her favorite plant? Squash, as it reminds her of a baby when seen a certain way. Her husband does not see it like that and only grows them because the king likes them.
• What are her typical facial expressions or postures? She tends to cock her head, usually because she dreams of when she will have a real baby in her arms rather than an imaginary one. She uses both arms for most gestures with the palms up or cupping shape as if she is always giving. This is opposite of the three sisters in the story who are always taking.

Questions of the Garden:

• What type of garden is it? There are almost all the plants of Colombia, especially as the queen says that it is only missing three things: the bird that speaks, the orange tree that dances, and the water that jumps and leaps.
• How many types of plants are in it? There are about 4,000 species of plants. There are 3,000 orchid species.
• How many kind of birds? There are 1,500 species of birds.
• What are some examples of plants in the garden? Vanilla trees, ginger, castor beans, papayas, mangoes, melons, pineapple, passion fruit, bananas, coconut, and the list goes on.
• Of what importance is the garden to the story? The garden causes the request from the queen. These turn into quests for the three youth. It is also believed that the condition of the environment is tied to politics, economics, and relations with the world.
  

Every session with Holly opens my eyes even more to how much I love this story.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Julie Barnson: Buddy for "Forsaken Brother"

Three stories are part of the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" and I wanted a different buddy per story.

I scheduled every Tuesday from 1o:00am to Noon to be "Forsaken Brother" Day with story buddy Julie Barnson. (Yet this time went to almost 1:00pm.)

As was done with story buddy Holly Robison for "The Gardener's Wife", Julie read the "Forsaken Brother" story aloud. Again, this allowed me to reflect on the images in the story so that our session would be more productive.

We came up with questions that may or may not be answered during the actual performance. If I am familiar with these questions and have answers, then it is enough to come across in the telling.

I brought my whiteboard and here were some results:

• What is it like for the sister to run the household, which is usually thought of as the mother's role?
• Why is the lodge so far away? Symbolic reasons? Farther from water? Illness to to keep away from the village, especially as the father and mother eventually die?
• Was the illness due to the Europeans/White Man settling in the area with such things as cholera or tuberculosis?
• What kind of illness does the youngest brother have as he was not completely helpless to go after food in the middle of the woods during winter? Polio? Small pox? (Leaves some people crippled but not helpless)
• What is the Ojibwa perception of werewolves, as this does come up in Native American lore? What of the transformation from human to animal how is it perceived?
• Why was the sister not there when the transformation of the youngest brother occurred?
• Why do I love to have the brother's eyes remind the sister of the father's eyes? Is it because it represents family and when she no longer sees anything, she is wanting a family of her own?
• Is leaving the lodge to search for her brother an excuse to leave the sickly brother?
• What personal stories do I have that reflect promises broken? Transformation among my brother or sister?

The image below is the original outline for "Forsaken Brother":





















This is only the beginning of a wondrous journey for "Forsaken Brother". Feel free to follow the process.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Holly Robison: Buddy for "The Gardener's Wife"

With so much time dedicated to the marketing of "Family Famine: Hunger for Love", I had to focus on story development.

As simple as blocking the time on my planner, I scheduled every Friday from 1:00pm to 3:00pm to be "The Gardener's Wife" Day with story buddy Holly Robison. (Yet this time was to almost 4:00pm.)

As there are one or two songs I would like her to sing duet in this story, then it made sense to choose her. The other fact is that she is fun and inspirational.

For perspective on the story, I asked Holly to read the version in "Latin American Folktales: stories from Hispanic and Indian traditions" edited by John Bierhorst and published by Pantheon Books. The way Holly would interpret what was happening through her tone of voice or pauses was enough for me to dwell in the story and create images in my mind.

Afterward the reading, Holly asked me questions. For some I did not have answers but they were great to consider.

Out came the whiteboard and here were some of the results:

• Does the Garden reflect the barrenness of the Gardner's Wife?
• With the image of the squash at the end, how can that image be threaded throughout?
• What are the meanings behind the symbols of the bird that speaks, the orange tree that dances, and the water that jumps and leaps?
• What if everything seemed to blossom around the Gardner's Wife except for having children?
• Would the Gardener's Wife have a favorite plant or tree? Would it be referred to in the story?
• What importance, if any, is there for the titles to be Gardener and the Gardener's Wife versus Farmer and the Farmer's Wife? Has this any Colombian connection? Does this mean that the Gardener and his Wife live within the palace?
• What draws the Queen to the garden? Was there a rumor that the King overhears and shares with her?
• Why would the King need a night patrol to overhear conversations? What kind of unrest is in the kingdom? What problems does the King fear that people may talk about?
• When reviewing the Hero's Journey (Joseph Campbell), is the threshold when the Girl goes up the mountain and then down to the plain?
• What is the Gardener's Wife response when each of her Adopted Children go on the quest?
• Why does the Queen not sense the presence of her own Children when with the Gardener's Wife? Or does she?

Finally, a rough outline of the story was drawn as I wanted the Gardener's Wife to be the focus whereas the original focuses on three sisters and who they want to marry first.

Besides whiteboards, I am a believer in scrap paper. The image below is the original outline and some of the print from the other side can be seen:






















This is only the beginning of a fantastic journey for "The Gardener's Wife". Feel free to follow the process.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Lullaby of Love: Song of the Gardener's Wife

Songs and lullabies rushed to my mind after choosing "The Gardener's Wife" story for the grand finale piece of the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love".

In a matter of moments, I could envision the gardener's wife rocking a baby in her arms. This image quickly switched to me caressing a baby. As my husband and I do not have children yet, such an image stirred emotions of great excitement.

The words came out of my mouth and I could see them sung to my future children.

In the story, a baby is sent to the gardener and his wife by the river. Water is also an essential part to birth.

So the words that came to me:
Oh my child, my precious child
The waters sent you here
Oh my child, my precious child
To have you close and near

This lullaby is short though such a song of love is often that way.

I called my storytelling friend, Holly Robison, and told her my discovery. I sung the lullaby to her and asked if she could sing it as a duet for a certain part of the story. We have told tandem tales before where we harmonized.

She said yes.

I explained that when the song is first sung, I would sing it. Then Holly would harmonize with me for the second time. She would "oooo" the tune while I narrated that throughout the village other mothers and fathers sung the song. This would be a hint to the audience to join in. As they would have heard the words twice and there are four lines with two lines repeating, then it would be simple enough. The words--though few--would also be in the program.

I may have an ASL interpreter so we would have the song in sign language.

Something happens when everyone sings together.

As the adopted children of the gardener and his wife grow up in the story, then the song will be sung again though not in such a dramatic way as the first time. However, the audience would be familiar with the tune and the words and could join in each time.

As the gardener and his wife wanted children for a long time, it seemed natural that the wife would have another song--a grieving song--while waiting for that moment.

The words and tune have yet to come to me.

There is a line that I feel must be part of it:
There's a hunger in my soul. I yearn for more.

As I explore the story more, then more inspiration will come.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

The Grand Finale Story: At Last it is Found

Though I listed the Colombian story "The Three Sisters" in a previous post, today was when inspiration struck.

Sometimes stories need to be set aside so that the right paths to take can be found on the creativity map.

The original story starts with three sisters giggling and teasing about who they would want to marry. The oldest sister would like to be with the king's baker as then she can have sponge cake all day. The middle sister would like to be with the king's steward as then she can have anything in the pantry to eat. The youngest sister would like to be with the king himself as then there is quite a feast to eat for every meal.

This conversation is overhead and reported to the king, and the king has these idle wishes to come to pass. The oldest and middle sisters are jealous though they do marry their respective grooms. Eventually, the king and the youngest sister, now the queen, have a child. The two jealous sisters switch out the baby for a dog and then put the baby in a wooden coffin and send it down the river.

Then we meet a gardener and his wife who are unable to have children. The baby is found and they praise God for the blessing.

The king and queen have a second baby. The jealous sisters switch out the baby again, this time for a cat, and send the baby down the river. Again, the gardener and his wife are blessed.

A third time the king and queen have a baby. The jealous sisters switch out the baby for a piece of wood. The gardener and wife are joyous beyond measure as a third child comes down the river to them.

There is much more to this story, though I discovered that I had the most compassion on the gardener's wife. As my husband and I want children of our own and have started the adoption process, I could hear the sounds of joy that the gardener's wife must have shared when her husband walked through the door with a baby, and then a second one, and finally a third. The story came alive and it was at that moment I knew this story had to be part of the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production.

For this reason, I will rename this story from "The Three Sisters" to "The Gardener's Wife".

I looked at the back of the Latin American Folktales: stories from Hispanic and Indian Traditions edited by John Bierhorst for any notes or hints of other versions and variants. As this was a book published by Pantheon Books, there was guidance.

I learned the following:

• Aarne-Thompson Motif Index is type 707 of The Three Golden Sons
• Versions with this type 707 could be found in California, Chile, Dominican Republic, Mexico, New Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Europe, India, and the Middle East
• Colombian version found in this book is close to the one shared in Thousand and One Nights

Naturally, I will search out these other kinds as well as research the Colombian culture.

I have found the final destination with the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production--this story!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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

Trek (7 of 7): Which Title Inspires You?

If ever you want to expand your mind, then there is someone you must talk with: Dr. Marsha D. Broadway.

This is seven of seven posts relating to my info-gathering trek to BYU on October 21, 2008.

When I wrote my Honors Thesis "Transformation of the Storyteller's Identity and Role Through the American Storytelling Movement", Marsha was my thesis adviser. As one of the founders of the Utah Storytelling Guild, she had inside knowledge of the storytelling community as well as intense English and grammar skills. To this day, she is the Head Juvenile Literature Librarian in the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University (see above picture).

I could not have had a better adviser.

While on the BYU campus, I was anxious to hear any questions she would ask about the project. Any question would be her way to open my mind rather than purely out of curiosity.

Marsha read my title and description and wondered, "Why did you call it 'Family Famine: Hunger for Love' rather than 'Family Feast: A Hunger for Love'"?

Her point was that the "famine" choice had a more negative or pessimistic view.

I could not answer for a while. I always thought of myself as an optimist. When I had asked friends and family to vote for a title in 2005, "Family Feast" was not even an option. Yet, the word "feast" was a word used within the description.

When I met with Elizabeth Ellis, one of my East Tennessee State University professors, to discuss "My Finest Hour" project, I shared the title "Family Famine: Hunger for Love". Her immediate reaction was "oooooooooo." If ever I had questions or doubts regarding the title, they vanished after that response.

Yet, here I was with Marsha and questions poured into me.

She did not mean to ask the question with the attitude of "Why would you ever. . .". She sincerely asked "Why?"

Finally, I created lists of the "why" for "Family Famine" and for "Family Feast".

Reasons to use "Family Famine: Hunger for Love":

• Program would eventually delve into the dark side of family life such as abuse and abandonment (though would begin and end with the light side)
• Goal to have 12-year-olds+ in attendance and "too happy" of a title could confuse others to think it was a family show for all ages
• Center story "Forsaken Brother" has a moment when famine/hunger is experienced
• Blog and Facebook support group are entitled "Family Famine: Hunger for Love"
  

Reasons to use "Family Feast: A Hunger for Love":

• Program does begin and end with the light side of family relationships
• College students may feel more inclined when there sounds like the possibility of food at an event (and they are one of the main target audiences)
• Light refreshment will be served afterward to reflect the theme
• Focus on end result from performance versus "famine" mood in center of program
• Survey with friends so far has this title in the lead for "which program would you be more likely to attend?"
  

If nothing else, the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" could be perfect for a book title. For something deeper and darker, a person could always set the book down and come back to it when ready. Thus, a more "negative" title tends to work better for books. However, a live performance does not necessarily give that option.

Most of my programs tend to have the first word be the most important word. In this case, it is "family".

There is also the possibility that both "Family Famine" and "Family Feast" could be used interchangeably and advertising could reflect opposite images to the words. For example, the flies and posters for "Family Famine" would show plenty of food while the "Family Feast" would reflect the lack of food.

Please share which one of these titles you would be more inclined to attend?--

• "Family Famine: Hunger for Love"
• "Family Feast: A Hunger for Love"
• "Feast or Famine: Hunger for Love"
• "Family Feast or Famine: A Hunger for Love"

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

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