A Working Month: Interview, Projects and Plans

Uuually January is a quiet month for me as far as storytelling but this year is proving to be the exception. I'm not on the road telling stories but there is a lot happening anyway. Even though the weather is fairly frightful--snow, rain, mud, cold, and repeat--and I continue to take care of Larry and do his chores as his knee mends, there is plenty to keep me busy on the storytelling front.

First, this excellent article on WV Explorer with David Sibray. He asked me about my 5 favorite ghost stories, and our conversation became an article. Click here to read it in full.

Photo from wvexplorer.com

Next, Celtic Storytellers is up and running! We have a blog and several performances scheduled for this spring. We've limited ourselves a bit as my partner in this project is moving in March so she has some big priorities right now. But here's the schedule so far:

March 2: St. Albans Public Library, 12:00 noon.
March 12: Moundsville Public Library, 6:00pm
April 10: Serenity Coffee House, Vienna, WV, 6:00pm

We are adding Celtic Ghost Stories and Celtic Christmas to our offerings, so stay tuned for details about that.

And then there's the Mountain Magic series, a collaboration between Step by Step and Kanawha County Public Library, funded by the WV Humanities Council. I will be performing at one of the Kanawha County libraries this spring as part of Mountain Magic. The schedule has not yet been announced, so again, stay tuned!

  I'm also working on plans for my weeklong workshop from June 23-29 at Allegheny Echoes. Echoes, as it is known, is a study and celebration of West Virginia and Appalachian heritage and culture. Echoes is held in Marlinton, WV, in the heart of some of West Virginia's most beautiful mountains. For information on registering, visit the Echoes website.

A nature walk will be part of this year's activities. We'll be looking for edible wild plants, discussing folk remedies and old wives' tales along the walk, concluding with writing time.

For my workshop, poetry and storytelling will be joining hands in a weeklong exploration of both disciplines. Field trips, writing, and a workshop with Athens County Ohio Poet Laureate, founder of WomenSpeak and the Women of Appalachia Project Kari Gunter-Seymour are just part of the week's planned activities..  Kari will also be at the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace to present a workshop the following day, June 27.

Creative Writing teacher and poet Kirk Judd shares a poem
at the Master's Concert at Allegheny Echoes. Photo from
Mountain Music Trail.

One of the most exciting parts of the week is the student concert, where students get the opportunity to share their work at a concert at the Marinton Opera House. There's always a big crowd for this event, and it's a wonderful opportunity for students to present their week's best effort in public.The following evening the week's teachers--of old-time and bluegrass music and the writing master--are on stage for a rollicking fine concert. Evenings offer a square dance, a wild meat cookoff, and music jams all over the Echoes grounds. What a week it will be!

I am looking forward to all these exciting events!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.