WLM | art
As a special feature, Spencer Bohren will perform
his nationally acclaimed “Down the Dirt Road
Blues,” 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m., Sunday, August 7,
in the Storytelling Tent. Bohren uses historic music
instruments as he tells how one song moved from its
African roots to blues to rock and roll.
“Hear Me Now” is free and of interest to all ages.
Visitors can “come sit a spell” and — if you are so
inclined — you can even add your own tales — true or
otherwise — during the open microphone opportunities.
After all, if you don’t tell your favorite story, who will?
Marilyn Braaten, Thermopolis, and Jennisen Lucas,
Cody. The group recently formed the Big Horn Basin
Storytelling Guild to promote the art of storytelling.
Ellen Sue Blakey of Thermopolis is a textile artist, rug braider,
author, musician and occasional storyteller. You can hear and see her
story about rug braiding and Depression-era women on youtube. If you
attend the Storytelling Circle, look her up, say the magic words “Uncle
Charlie”; she may just tell you the story of Charlie, the sheriff’s hat, a
blackberry pie, and how he came to Wyoming.
Echo Klaproth, Shoshoni, former Wyoming poet
laureate, and Dick Hall, Thermopolis, cowboy poet,
will bring poetry into the tent. Mike Hurwitz, who
will be performing at the Big Horn Basin Folk Festival
during the weekend, will drop by with his own brand
of Western stories. Karl Milner, who specializes in
mountain man skills, will add a story or two from
the mountain man era. Annie Hatch, Wyoming Arts
Council folk arts specialist, will give a bit of historical
perspective on the art of Wyoming storytelling. Miss V,
sometimes called “The Gypsy Cowbelle,” will talk about
her adventures homesteading in Wyoming.
STORYTELLING IN OUR DIGITAL AGE
In our electronic age, storytelling may seem like a dinosaur
from the past. But it is thriving around the country -- embraced
not only by senior citizens but also younger and coming-of-age
generations. Public and school libraries promote reading and
storytelling with children’s hours. Thousands flock to annual
storytelling festivals. There’s even a National Storytellers Network
to educate storytellers.
Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion that played on public
radio has kept homestyle storytelling alive and well for 42 years.
The Center for Digital Storytelling (now StoryCenter), formed in
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1993, has helped individuals create 20,000 stories harnessing
audiovisual and digital tools. The Moth, founded in 1997, is
wildly popular in urban centers with their award-winning Moth
Mainstage, StorySLAM, and Moth on the Road. Since 2003,
National Public Radio’s StoryCorps Project has recorded 60,000
family stories with over 100,000 participants.
And, of course, there are still those who sit on porches and decks,
docks and campgrounds, spelling out stories of magical creatures,
gory “haints” and family characters, knitting together our own
stories with the footfall of a Wyoming summer’s dusk.
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