Athens, Alabama

 Trish and I have just come from a wonderful week as I told for the eighteenth year at the Athens, Alabama, Storytelling Festival.

The lineup of tellers this year was spectacular. I was joined by Carol Cain in the school days and by Josh Goforth, Michael Reno Harrell, Tim Lowry, and Rev. Robert Jones for the full festival.

On Monday I had a dinner with area teachers followed by a workshop with them. 

Tuesday through Thursday we told to more than 5,000 students from grades three through high school. They were a marvelous audience! When they come every year, they grow in an amazing way!

The full festival followed all day Friday and Saturday.

This festival has a strong student component. On Tuesday evening we had fourteen student tellers for an evening for everyone. Then, throughout the week, there were students who told mixed with the featured tellers. The student audiences loved hearing from their peers and were wonderfully supportive of them.

An extra plus was having Michael Reno Harrell and Josh Goforth here at the same time. In addition to their individual sets, on occasion they combined their time and performed together. This was a special treat that the audience loved.

This is a lovely festival in Athens, Alabama. You should plan to come sometime on the fourth weekend of October each year on the campus of Athens State.

Storytellers Giving Back

 On Saturday evening a group of us gathered for the first event held in the newly restored Jackson Theatre in Jonesborough, Tennessee.  The purpose of our gathering was to hold a Hurricane relief benefit on what would have been the Saturday evening of the storm cancelled National Storytelling Festival.

The show was preceded by music by the Jonesborough Novelty Band.  When we arrived for our sound check at 5:30, there was already a very long line waiting for the 7:00 pm show.  When the doors opened later, we had a totally full house.

Barbara McBride-Smith, who now lives in Jonesborough, was our emcee.  She did a wonderful job throughout the evening, beginning with presenting Bil Lepp as our opening storyteller.

All of the stories were both entertaining and poignant, focusing on the reason we were there. Hurricane Helene wrought disaster a week earlier and we were determined to make a difference.

After telling separately, Andy Offutt Erwin and Paul Strickland played together.

Sheila Arnold and I finished off the telling.

To close the evening, all the tellers came on state and joined Ed Stivender in his classic storytelling hymn, “Yankee Come Home.”

When the offering buckets were call counted up, we brought in $12,021 on sight and $14,020 came in on line during the show for a total of  $26,041 for direct hurricane relief.

Thanks goes to all of you who supported this event.  It was an honor to work with these fine people in this effort!

Saturday Benefit

 Several of us will be present a benefit concert for Hurricane Helene aid this Saturday evening at 7:00 pm.  

The event will be held in Jonesborough, Tennessee, at the newly restored Jackson Theatre on Main Street.

Barbara McBride-Smith will be the MC and I will be joined by Bil Lepp, Shiela Arnold, Andy Offutt Erwin, and Paul Strickland.  

There will be no admission charge, just donations.  The donations go to the Jonesborough Community Chest which is coordinating relief aid to Washington and Unicoi Counties.

Go to any of our Facebook pages for all the details.

The event will be streamed and online contributions can be made.

We hope to see you live or virtually!