FSU Awarded Grant for Storytelling Institute

The West Virginia Humanities Council has awarded a $5,000 grant to Fairmont State University for a new project called the Mountain State Storytelling Institute, sponsored by the FSU School of Fine Arts and College of Liberal Arts.

The Mountain State Storytelling Institute "The Power of Story: Transmitting Culture and Transforming Lives" is a two-day conference planned for April 2008 featuring scholars and storytelling professionals. Fairmont State University, FSU's Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center and the West Virginia Storytelling Guild are committed to the use of storytelling to preserve Appalachian culture. The intent of this institute is to provide academic, professional and personal development for those interested in storytelling as scholarship, art, a teaching tool and a profession or an avocation.

"The West Virginia Humanities Council has graciously given us a grant to support the transmission and preservation of Appalachian culture through oral tradition," said Dr. Francene Kirk, FSU Associate Professor of Speech.

"Through this institute we want to provide participants with tools to preserve the stories of our families, our organizations and our culture and tools to transmit those stories in a meaningful way in a variety of settings. Appalachian culture is no longer isolated from the rest of the world. While we cannot hide from the global nature of our ever-changing world, we can still value our stories, learn from them and preserve them for future generations."

A highlight of the two-day conference will be a Friday night keynote presentation by two nationally prominent storytellers Joseph Sobol and Bil Lepp. Although there will be a registration fee for those attending the institute, this presentation will be free and open to the public.

Sobol will address the preservation of culture through story and storytelling as scholarship. An artist-in-residence for many years in North and South Carolina, Sobol received a Masters in Folklore from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. His book on the American storytelling revival, "he Storytellers' Journey," was published in 1999 by the University of Illinois Press. Sobol is the Director of the Graduate Program in Storytelling at East Tennessee State University.

Bil Lepp will address the preservation of personal history through story. Lepp is a five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest. He tells original, hilarious, tales that will bring a smile to the face of even the most ill-humored person. Lepp has been a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival six times, and at The Smithsonian Folklife Festival. He is the author of three books of tales and four audio collections, and he has had stories published in several national magazines.

Several members of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild will also participate in the conference. The Guild has been a part of the state's culture since October 1996. Formed so that storytellers across the state have a support group of fellow tellers, the guild promotes storytelling and West Virginia artisans across the state. The WVSG, in partnership with Jackson's Mill, has been sponsoring the West Virginia Storytelling Festival, "Voices from the Hills" since 1998.

The following will serve as session presenters:

* Rich Knoblich will address the crafting and adapting of folktales. Knoblich is a member of the National Storytelling Network and a past president of the WVSG. His stories have been published in Goldenseal, Reading Today and Appalachian Life magazines. Knoblich took first place in the West Virginia Liar's Contest in 2002. He holds a B.A. in Education from West Liberty State College and an M.A. of Humanities Literature from California State University, Calif. He is the recipient of a W.Va. Humanities Council Fellowship for his project, Appalachian Culture: Texture, Text, and Context.

* Gail Herman will present "Coal Talk," a community history project. Herman wrote, with help from Elaine Eff of Maryland's Cultural Preservation Office, and directed Coal Talk, an oral history project located in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Maryland. Herman holds a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and has taught at Lesley University, Louisiana State University at Lafayette, Frostburg State University and Garrett College. Herman is a member of the National Storytelling Network and has written "Storytelling: Triad in the Arts."

* Kevin Cordi will examine dialogue, "storying" and literature. Cordi holds an M.A. in secondary education with an emphasis in storytelling and literacy from the University of Akron and is a Ph. D. candidate at The Ohio State University. He has contributed to the Kennedy Center's ArtsEdge, English Journal, Storytelling World and Storytelling Magazine. Cordi received the Ann Izard Storyteller's Choice Award for his book Raising Voices: Youth Storytelling Groups and Troupes.

* Ilene Evans will examine the world of symbolic language and hidden meanings in the African American context. Evans is a professional storyteller, playwright, choreographer, actor, dancer and teaching artist. She holds a B.A. from Trinity College and has done master's degree work in theatre and dance. She is the artistic director of Voices from the Earth, an organization which creates historical works of theatre for schools and community groups. Ilene is known throughout the state for her presentations as Harriett Tubman and Memphis Tennessee Garrison.

* Susanna "Granny Sue" Holstein will share Appalachian and British ballads through performance and discussion and will explore puppets as storytelling partners. Holstein holds a B.S. in Education (Secondary Social Studies) from West Virginia State College and an M.L.I.S. from the University of South Carolina. Holstein was a featured regional teller for the 2000 National Storytelling Network National Conference. She has been a speaker/workshop presenter for West Virginia Dept. of Education, West Virginia Read Aloud, Family Resource Network and the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council. She has contributed chapters in several books including "Storytelling with Puppets" in Telling Stories to Children published by NSN Press.

* Suzi Whaples will discuss the use of the body to bring stories to life. Whaples, known professionally as "Mama," is a national storyteller, humorist and conference speaker with 30 years of experience in public speaking, teaching and entertainment. She organized the "Mountain Women," and in 1998, Mama & The Mountain Women, a troupe of Appalachian storytellers, were chosen National Storytelling Champions. She has appeared at hundreds of schools, libraries and churches in 19 states across America telling stories and teaching workshops.

* Andy Fraenkel will examine stories across cultures and in healing. Fraenkel holds a B.A. degree in Theater & Film from Richmond College (now College of Staten Island) of The City University of New York. A professional multicultural storyteller, Fraenkel has presented programs and workshops at schools K-12, colleges, libraries and museums. He is a member of National Storytelling Network and the co-founder of "A Voice We Bring" an organization which brings storytelling to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities.

* Jo Ann Dadisman will examine using storytelling as precursor to written narrative. Dadisman holds a bachelor's degree from Shippensburg State College (in Pennsylvania) in Secondary Education. She holds a master's degree in English Education from West Virginia University and has done post-graduate work there, with an emphasis on Appalachian Studies. She has taught for Potomac State, University of Charleston and WVU. She joined the WVU faculty as the English 102 and English 103 Coordinator for the Center for Writing Excellence. She is also a Consultant/Teacher for the National Writing Project at WVU.

* June Riffle will examine preserving community history through mixed media storytelling. Riffle graduated from Fairmont State with a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education. She then earned a master's degree in Reading from WVU. A student of folklore, she also acquired a folklore minor from Fairmont State University. Riffle performs with JoAnn Dadisman as "Mountain Echos." They have told stories to families at the Appalachian Studies Conference, Sumpter campus of the University of South Carolina, and presented at the Popular Culture Conference in 2002.

* Judy Prozillo Byers will discuss story sources, collections, the components of the oral (folk) tale, tale types and the analysis of the context (cultural) behind the tale. Byers is known for her work as a folklorist, workshop director, English education consultant and storyteller. She is executrix for the folklore estate of the late Dr. Ruth Ann Musick and the archivist for the vast collection which includes the holdings of the West Virginia Folklore Society, housed at FSU. She is the director of FSU's Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center and is an Abelina Suarez Professor of English and Folklore.

* Noel W. Tenney will examine ways to preserve family stories.Tenney serves as Cultural Specialist for The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center and Assistant Professor of Folklife Studies at Fairmont State University. He is co-editor of Traditions: A Journal of West Virginia Folk Culture and Educational Awareness, and the children's journal Hillchild. Tenney served as Director of Museum Education for five years, as well as General Director for one year at Fort New Salem, Salem College, Salem. He taught in the public schools of West Virginia and has authored five texts on local history.

* Francene Kirk will talk about "A Sense of Place," a readers' theatre project based on local history. Kirk teaches storytelling, puppetry and creative drama at FSU. She is a member of the National Storytelling Network, the WVSG and the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. Kirk has directed numerous theatre productions, and she supervised the creation of "A Sense of Place." Kirk holds an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from WVU.

Other FSU faculty members who will be assisting with the conference are the following: Dr. James Matthews, Associate Professor of English; Dr. Sharon Smith, Associate Professor of Education; Dr. Gwen Jones, Assistant Professor of Education; Jeffery Ingman, Assistant Professor of Theatre; and Dr. Connie Edwards, Assistant Professor of Music.

For more information on the Mountain State Storytelling Institute "The Power of Story: Transmitting Culture and Transforming Lives," call Dr. Francene Kirk at (304) 367-4170 or e-mail her at fkirk@fairmontstate.edu.