Jan/Feb 2014
Jonesborough Storytellers Guild Newsletter
2014 Board of Directors
Saundra Kelley, President
Judy Farlow, Vice President
Harry Shaefer, Recording Secretary
Madelyn Rohrer, Corres. Secretary
Leon Overbay, Treasurer
423-913-2166
423-202-7091
423-943-6782
423-202-2400
423-753-2446
Jonesborough Storytellers Guild
P. O. Box 996
Jonesborough, TN 37659-0996
www.storytellersguild.org
email: [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jonesborough-Storytellers-Guild/273485529344674
Thoughts from the President…
Happy New Year, Performing, and Supporting
Members!
It was with sadness that we told Linda Poland’s
husband, Jim, goodbye in December. A kind and
good friend, supporter of storytelling, and
wonderful husband and father, he will be missed.
Our first year on the stage at the International
Storytelling Center, was a wonderfully successful.
With our new ISC contract in hand, we embark on
yet another adventurous year in storytelling—who
knows where we’ll go and who we’ll meet? Just
consider some of what we did last year:
Isaac broke the sound barrier by becoming the first
guild member chosen to perform at the International
Storytelling Festival; Leon ran an informal
storyteller’s mentoring camp at Crumley House all
year long, and Pam invited a number of Teller’s-inResidence to Fairytale Cottage from May to
October. A good number of storytellers applied for
apprenticeships to become Performing Members.
Elizabeth Ellis conducted a wonderful mentoring
workshop at Fairytale Cottage; Kim Wietkamp,
Andy Offutt Irwin, and Bill Lepp taught us the use
of humor in character and storytelling development,
and Irish teller, Liz Weir gave us a basic overview
of storytelling. We produced the first-ever
Appalachian Roots Storytelling Gathering and
decided to do it again, and raised over $4,000 in
support of Linda and Jim Poland with our auction.
Many of our storytellers ramped up their investment
in the ancient art, creating original stories,
researching and learning traditional stories,
improving performance techniques and more. Some
stretched beyond what they’ve always done,
working with new and more demanding types of
stories with the result that we are being noticed by
others: at this year’s National Storytelling
Network’s annual conference, I had numerous
national performers tell me how impressed they
were with the new level of professionalism they’ve
seen in our guild.
A number of our members told throughout the
southeast and beyond: Linda told at a festival in
Ireland; both Marjorie Shaefer, and Larry and
Gayleen Kelley traveled over 5,000 miles, crosscountry, telling and gathering stories. Our
supporting members took stronger roles as leaders
within the guild—without them, this past year
would not have been a success.
This year, in addition to producing our second
Appalachian Roots Storytelling Gathering—this
time with all the bells and whistles, some of us are
going on a road trip to Phoenix, Arizona to the NSN
conference. Thanks to a grant of $1,000 from NSN,
we’ll be gone over a week, telling stories as we go.
There, we’ll present a showcase at the conference,
telling stories about what we saw, who we met and
more.
Have I missed something? Probably, but you’ll just
have to forgive me, because I’m so proud my
buttons are a’bustin’.
Saundra Kelley
2014 President
(Thanks You Saundra, for Another Year of
Your Professional Leadership!)
Jan/Feb Calendar
Public Performance 7:00
Int’l Storytelling Center
Featured Teller: Rebecca Alexander
Jan. 14
Public Performance 7:00
Int’l Storytelling Center
Featured Teller: Molly Catron
Jan. 21
JSG Board of Directors Meeting
Cracker Barrel Restaurant 7:00
Jan. 23
JSG hosting dinner with NSN Board
Location to be determined
(Molly Catron will provide more info
via email)
Jan. 25*
Feb. 18
JSG Board of Directors meeting at
Saundra Kelley’s house, 7:00
Feb. 20
Jonesborough Yarn Exchange/Old Time Feb. 24
Radio Show, Int’l Storytelling Center 7:00
Jonesborough Yarn Exchange/Old Time Jan. 27
Radio Show, Int’l Storytelling Center 7:00
Public Performance 7:00
Int’l Storytelling Center
Featured Teller: Judy Farlow
Jan. 28
Storytelling at the Crumley House
(Contact Leon Overbay to be put on
the schedule), 1:00 pm
Jan. 28
“Smokey Joe’s Café” at Repertory
Theatre, Jonesborough
Jan. 31Feb. 16
JSG Story Swap, Marcy Hawley’s
Home, 2:00-4:00
Feb. 2*
JSG General Meeting 6:30 at Good
News Fellowship Hall, Jonesborough
United Methodist Church, 2nd Avenue
Feb. 3
Public Performance 7:00
Int’l Storytelling Center
Featured Teller: Leon Overbay
Feb. 25
Storytelling at the Crumley House
(Contact Leon Overbay to be put on
the schedule) 1:00 pm
Feb. 25
THE GUILDED CAGE
*JSG Hosting NSN Board on January 25
The NSN Board will be meeting in the Johnson
City/Jonesborough area January 24-26. JSG will be
hosting them for a potluck dinner and a storytelling
performance on January 25. Libby Tipton and
Molly Catron are working on coordinating the
event, location to be determined.
Volunteers are needed. Please contact Libby at
423-220-9470 or Molly at 423-612-4561 if you are
available to help or can donate a casserole or
whatever is needed for the dinner.
*JSG Story Swap, February 2
Public Performance 7:00
Feb. 4
Int’l Storytelling Center
Featured Tellers: Larry & Gayleen Kelley
Public Performance 7:00
Int’l Storytelling Center
Featured Teller: Saundra Kelley
Public Performance 7:00
Int’l Storytelling Center
Featured Teller: Isaac Freeman
Feb. 11
The first JSG Story Swap of 2014 will be on
February 2nd, 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Marcy Hawley's
home (where JSG began). Her address is 114 E.
Woodrow Avenue in Jonesborough, which is the
house located just across the RR tracks on the hill
above the Salt House on Fox Street. You can park
in the public lot across the street (where the Parsons
Table restaurant is, or was) and cross the street to
her house.
Marcy’s house is one of the most historic buildings
in Jonesborough, built before the State of Tennessee
even existed, and was meticulously restored by
Marcy and her late husband.
Looking Ahead to More JSG 2014
Events
The JSG Story Swap is open to all members who
have paid their 2014 dues. Each teller has a ten
minute limit, and supporting and apprentice
members are encouraged to tell. Please confirm
your intent to attend and if you would like to tell.
Bimonthly General Meetings 6:30
Good News Fellowship Hall,
Jonesborough United Methodist Church
(2nd Avenue). Call Madge if you need
directions.
Feb. 3
April 7
June 2
Aug. 4
Oct. 6
Dec. 1
Appalachian Roots Storytelling
Gathering
April
or May
Graveyard Tales, Rocky Mount Museum
July 19
Contact Marjorie at 440-2180
or email: [email protected]
Jonesborough Storytellers Guild
Christmas Party 2013
THANK YOU once again to Rebecca and Howard
Alexander for hosting our Christmas party at their
lovely and beautifully-decorated home. Our
members once again outdid themselves with the
plentiful and varied food dishes.
Rebecca had suggested that everyone share a story
of their favorite Christmas memory, and what
wonderful stories we heard! It was the perfect
ending to a year-end gathering of storytellers,
whether performing or supporting!
Thank you also to Jo Anne Jones, one of our loyal
supporting members whose job never ends! She
showed up as always with her digital camera to take
pictures. She will be posting them shortly for all of
us to enjoy.
Best Wishes to Everyone for a Happy and
Healthy New Year Filled With an
Abundance of Stories!
Swappin’ Grounds at Nat’l Storytelling
Oct. 3-5
Spirit of the Harvest, Rocky Mount
Museum
Oct. 18
Tellabration, Jonesborough
Nov.
Christmas Party
Dec.
Sunshine and Showers
Jim and Linda Poland and their daughters Katie and
Aly fought a 7-1/2 month battle to help Jim regain
brain and body function after a fall in April. Jim
passed away on December 2. Our sympathies to
Linda and family for their tragic loss.
Please keep Pat and Bob Phillips in your prayers as
they go through a difficult time with Pat’s
recurrence of cancer. Bob will continue to do our
quarterly telling schedules but will probably not be
at the Tuesday night performances.
Mission Statement of the
Jonesborough Storytellers Guild:
The purpose of the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild
is the preservation and perpetuation of storytelling,
and to promote the art and craft of storytelling.