The Many Moods of a Storyteller

My friend Tom  took these photos while his wife Judi and I were presenting our Celtic program. I thought they were a good example of storyteller's face while telling--and also the fact that a storyteller's hands are seldom still.

Be still for a second, Susanna!

and open your eyes!

One of those audiences where no one wanted to sit in the front row. What's up with that anyway?

I have no idea what part of what story or ballad this was.

But this, yes, I remember, talking about how the term "knock on wood" came about.

And about how the skull of your enemy used to be the vessel of choice for wassail.

Talking about one of the slides we showed.

Singing a sad ballad

same ballad

Remote in hand, talking about slides no doubt

Two of what I wonder?

And the end! Happy to be done, happy it was a good session,
and glad to be presenting it with my good friend Judi Tarowsky.

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

Telling Tales in Philippi

Yesterday was a storytelling day, this time in Philippi, WV for their Arts series.

My program centered around stories and songs from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Usually I present this topic with my storytelling friend Judi Tarowsky, but this time I was on my own, and the program was different too--geared to children instead of adults.

These stories and the folklore of the Celtic region can be a little above the heads of many children. I had to explain things we adults understand, like peddlers and gypsies. But the magic of the stories catches people of any age, and we explored boggarts and selkies and brownies, peat and Brigid's cross and the Welsh love spoon among other things. We started with a short little song that was easy to teach, but the trick with the song is that we sing it faster and faster until it just gets silly.

The flannelboard story and song of Aiken Drum was another hit--I made the flannel pieces years ago and it continues to be popular with every audience I use it with. We sang and put the pieces on his face as we went along.

The program ended with the song and circle dance Old King Glory. Instead of doing it in a circle, I did it by walking through the group and adding children to our chain as I walked--this worked better in the limited space we had to work with. When every child was holding hands in the chain, we walked through the library bookstacks, singing as we went, then came back to the original space and made a circle to end. Great fun!

Telling to children is an art in itself. My style is front porch. In this particular tight space, I sat down to be more on a level with the children so they wouldn't have to crane their necks. I interact with the children as if we are all sitting on my front porch, talking and having a good time. Yesterday one little girl decided to be my helper, and pulled her chair up beside me. Since the other children were okay with it, that's where she stayed. A baby got passed from mother to older brother and we all had to stop and talk to the baby for a minute; he was such a happy little guy. Another little boy was just not having a good day and his mother ended up taking him to another part of the library. These and other things might be called interruptions, but they're just a natural part of children being children.

My hope is that the children will remember enough of the stories to want to explore more, and that the parents that attended will also be intrigued and want to learn more about the culture that was, for most of them, the source of their heritage.

Next for storytelling for me is Appalachian stories for a tour group presentation at the Tamarack Arts Center in Beckley, WV tomorrow night. Today, I am going with a neighbor to help her sort through the estates of her grandparents and aunt.  I am sure I will hear many stories and memories as we work.

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

The Appalachian Festival: A Look Back

The Cincinnati Appalachian Festival is over for another year. This year marked the festival's 50th anniversary, and I was glad to be part of the celebration.

The festival offers something for everyone: woodcarvers, weavers, farm animals, coal and forestry exhibits, games for children, artisans of every kind, lots of good music, dancing, Appalachian region Native American and Civil War encampments, food of every kind and of course, Storytelling.

The weather was not what it could have been: it was cold, and often drizzly and overcast. But that did not deter the crowds who came to celebrate both the festival's anniversary and Mother's Day. For many families the festival is an annual Mother's day tradition and many took advantage of the dinner and brunch offered for the holiday.

 I was there to tell stories, and I had a great time. I told tall tales and family stories, ghost stories and historical tales and sang ballads to an ever-changing audience.

In between my sets I wandered around to see everything I could see. I ran into George Brosi, a seller of Appalachian books, and it was so good to see him again. Fred Powers was there to tell stories of a coal miner,

and Steven Hollen was presenting a variety of characters, from an advice-giving charlatan to a fast-talking politician and more. Steven teamed up with his friend, storyteller Paul Ingham to do a hilarious rendition of Goldilocks using the oddest facemask I've ever seen.

It was a great time, and we hated to say goodbye to Sue Cox, the organizer of the storytelling tent.We took the slightly longer way home so we could travel along the Ohio River, a quieter road than the recommended route, with a lot less traffic.

The route took us through the small town of Ripley, Ohio, where we stopped for a bite at Snappers, the local pub.

This door is no longer used, but it's a sharp reminder of the town's heyday as a tobacco market and auction town. It's nostalgic for me, as we used to grow tobacco and my guys had Pride in Tobacco hats.

We had the best time there--the locals made us as welcome as could be, and between stories and laughter an hour os so passed very quickly. I said something about when I was a girl (meaning when I was young) and the pub owner said, "So when did you have your gender re-assignment?" I was speechless for a moment before I figured out what he meant! So funny.

The owner told us he used to be a professional turtle hunter, hunting the big snappers that lived in the creeks that emptied into the river. I told him about a huge mud turtle I once saw on our road. I had stopped to look at the turtle,who seemed kind of annoyed at having to walk across the road. I pulled right up beside him and rolled down the window, and talked to him. Something like "What are you doing out here, big boy?" I can't remember exactly what I said but evidently the turtle didn't like it because he reared up and literally rammed my car so hard he made a dent in the door! You can believe I rolled up the window in a hurry, telling the turtle, "Well if you're going to be that way!"

So that's the story I told the pub owner, and when I finished, he looked at my husband and asked, "Where did you find her?!" I guess he didn't believe my story!

We heard about local history, an old h,ouse where odd things happen, about a ferry across the river we didn't know about and much more. One of the funniest moments happened when the plumber, who was working on one of the restrooms, brought in a new toilet and left it near the bar. Of course there were comments about that--how convenient, etc. Lots more laughter ensued.

Voila'!

We left regretfully, still laughing, but we still had a long drive ahead of us and it would soon be dark. But we will surely go back to visit this friendly little town. This was our second visit there (click here to see photos of our first visit) and I think a third one just might happen this summer. The stop was a strong reminder that stories--and storytelling--can happen anywhere.

We came home to a chilly house, as we'd left the windows open, so we hustled to get them closed and a stove or two turned on. Bedtime came early, and wake-up time this morning was late. But what a good weekend it was, full of stories and friends, both old and new.


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

Storytelling Storytelling: Plants, Rain, Wales

Yesterday was a storied day, with tales ranging from the story of the violets and bloodroot, to rain weatherlore to a Wales exhibition and Appalachian stories.

Peter Stevenson of Wales, Mary Morgan Smith of Pittsburgh, Jo Ann Dadisman of Morgantown, Judi Taroesky of Weirton, and me at the Welsh art and storytelling exhibition at the Monongalia Arts Center in Morgantown.

We were up early to make the drive to Beech Fork Lake State Park in Cabell County, WV. The morning threatened rain but thankfully it held off. We arrived early enough to browse the vendors' wares and bought some lucscious tomatoes and strawberries. There were arts of all kinds too, but I restrained myself and just admired from a distance.

My storytelling session had a good attendance of people who were interested in the topc: nature folklore. We ranged from discussion of the sweet violet to my vowed enemy ground ivy to sassafras, trees associated with the Crucifixion to a long list of weatherlore about rain. I wove stories throughout the session, and we could easily have gone on for another hour or more. I am excited about this new addition to my repertoire and plan to continue growing this program.

One thing that happened is a good example of why it pays to over-prepare. The park had a sound system and so I didn't need to bring one--but I decided to bring along my little portable system just in case wires got crossed, as can easily happen when people are planning a new event. As it happened, they had a good system, but the microphone wouldn't work. They even tried a different amp with no luck. So my little system came in very handy.

We set out for Morgantown after this session, and I admit it was hard to leave. Such good people! But time was pressing and we had a 3 1/2 hour drive ahead of us. The rain continue to hold off, and we arrived in Morgantown with about 10 minutes to spare before showtime. I crowded a lot of visiting into that ten minutes!

The Morgantown event was a collaboration showcasing the bridge between Appalachian and Welsh cultures. It had been a full day event, with an evening storytelling and other things the evening before. How I wish I could have been there for the whole thing! Our storytelling guild's concert was the final event of the exhibit, with Appalachian stories as the theme. We heard old favorites like Old One-Eye, Lazy Jack and Sody Sallyratus from Mary Morgan Smith, and Ashpet, and a unique story of the Maiden of Monongahela told by Jo Ann.  Since Ashpet is the mountain version of Cinderella, I had to follow up with my cracked version, Rindercella. I sang a couple ballads and told my original story Gracie's Cabin. It was a good session with excellent examples of Appalachian stories and storytelling.

We were home late, tired and satisfied. Today we are both slugs. Larry is napping and I am messing about with glass, identifying antique pieces and listing a few things. Tonight will be dinner with my #3 son for a late celebration of his birthday.

All in all, a pretty perfect weekend.


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

Tellabration! Athens, Ohio

Coming this Sunday!  I'll just be back from my workshop at the WV Writers Fall Conference, and ready to tell some tales and sing a song or two.

See you there!

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

Back on the Ghost Hunt

This evening is the last ghost walk for this year. Showers in the forecast, but unless it's pouring, we'' be on the hunt for Ripley's spooks. Civil War, frontier times, murders, drownings, suicides, and strange events are all on the agenda for our hike.

7:00pm tonight, starting at the courthouse in downtown Ripley, WV!

We're also enjoying a visit from my youngest sister, who came all the way from Virginia to take the walk with me. I know some might think, well, Virginia borders West Virginia so how far could it be? About six hours, actually--because I live on the extreme western edge of our state. So we've had a fine time talking, enjoying the firepit and looking at my glass collection because this sister loves old glass almost as much as I do.

I'm off to make breakfast right now. Then we shall see what mischief Julie and I can get into.

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

Travevling West Virginia: Through the Hills to Mannington

I have this thing: I like to take different ways to get to places that have a "usual" route. Usually the different way takes longer. Sometimes a lot longer. But often the time is worth it.

So yesterday we took the long way to Mannington, which is in the north-central part of West Virginia, not far from Morgantown and Fairmont. Not far mile-wise, but quite a distance in many other ways. Normally we'd take Route 50 east across to Route 19 and then head north. But while I've traveled almost the entire length of Route 20, there's one stretch we've never driven. So that's the way I wanted to go. To get there meant driving north on Route 2 along the Ohio River for a ways--one of my favorite drives anyway. There were a lot of barges on the river but this time I didn't try for photos. I wanted to get on to the "new" road.

As it turned out there is still some of Route 20 we've missed! The route we took had a little shortcut at the beginning, and then turned off of 20 for yet another shorter route towards the end. One day I'll catch those two pieces.

We were surprised to see another Joe's Run! That's the name of our road. I like the old schoolhouse beyond it too--it's in the midst of renovations, looks like.

 This church is prepared for evil! Blue paint on windows and doors, even the roof!

Colorful homes along the way.

Loved the name of this road.

 

It was a beautiful day for a drive, hardly a cloud in the sky. The road was, well, rough. And busy. We were in the heart of gasline country, and there were signs of the activity everywhere. I should have taken some photos--it really is disturbing how much the landscape is being altered, and not for the better. Large clear swaths travel up and down the hills, pipes and mud and trucks are everywhere, and there are big stations, for lack of a better word, with all kinds of pipes and machinery. Electric lines and big towers crisscross and well, it just ain't pretty. There are pipelines being built across my county too, and I am concerned that this area too will soon be scarred by this booming industry.

There were still pockets of rural beauty, and we thought about how far people in this back country have to travel for groceries, health care and other necessities. Even though the road was two-lane, it took us two hours to drive from the river to Mannington and there were no towns in between. There were some small communities, a few Dollar Generals, gas stations, drug stores, and convenience stores but no grocery of any size that we saw.

This was once coal mining country and there were still some homes that looked like they'd once been coal camp houses but as far as I could tell there were no mines operating. The gaslines seemed to be the major source of work. But there was much to see, much that harkened back to simpler days.

Mannington itself has seen its share of ups and downs. The Depression really hurt this town, and it has been years recovering. A major fire in the downtown area in 2010 or 11 destroyed some historic buildings. I have been to Mannington before and this trip I noticed that the town has grown and improved a lot since my last visit. We stopped to eat in this restaurant/bakery that was in an old bank building. The food was superb, the service the same.

I think they must have some very small employees.

The town is full of historic homes. We didn't have time to take photos of them and need to make another trip soon. This one intrigued me though.

More buildings in the town, and just out of town. The old railroad depot, and the amazing round barn. They give tours of the barn but unfortunately they were closed when we got there.

I've spent hours researching a few stories about this town and a few of its past citizens--some honorable like the Looman family's ghost, some notorious like the evil Ernie Yost, some mysterious like Serilda Jane Whetzel who is believed to have been a witch. I had enough of each of those stories to be able to tell a short story about some of them and continued my research today because I am fascinated and don't want to let go of them yet.

The storytelling was fun--we were outside and it was windy and a bit chilly and the chimes in the schoolhouse were v-e-r-y long. I was glad of my long warm coat! Children came in costume, parents came bundled up, everyone enjoyed hot chocolate and popcorn. Every event has its challenges, but we all had a good time and I was glad to be there to share stories and just be there with these good people. And of course, I met people who told me even more stories.

Today I'm back into research. Larry's a good man--he does the basic cleaning when I'm in this busy season, and does some of the cooking too. I keep up the laundry, pay the bills, and do some cooking when I pull my head out of books and computer. Tomorrow I'll be on the road again to Petersburg, WV and more stories at the library there. So back into studying I go!

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

Now Buy My CDs on eBay!

I decided to make it simpler to buy my CDs. Just click on this link to get my newest CD, Beyond the Grave II, 

and on this link to get my first ghost stories CD, Beyond the Grave.

I will add the others soon. eBay accepts credit cards, debit cards and Paypal.

Lots of great, spooky stories from West Virginia! Like the one about the boy who was buried 3 times, how some places got their names by not the most savory means, and even a tale of exorcism.

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