Wednesday, September 12, 2007

storytelling in southwestern ohio

One of the two classes I am working with (on? for?) this term is a brand new course , Public Stories.

This past week has been an eventful period for the students. On Saturday, we trundled to Chillicothe, Ohio for the annual Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival. We heard professional and novice tellers share many stories; most were personal accounts, but at least one was a re-telling of an African folktale, or it was a parable set in Africa? The professionals included Tim Tingle, Bill Lepp, and Barbara McBride-Smith. We also watched and listened to local people take the stage during the Story Swap. (I took a chance to recount "Ho Ho Ho?," the one about my father as Santa at Langston Terrace.) It was a good outing for the students...we met at the Oxford Farmers' Market early in the morning and made away two hours across the state by university van.











Yesterday, the students of 301 joined people everywhere in remembering the sixth anniversary of September 11. Inspired by The September Project, we collaborated with librarians on campus and staged a makeshift living room in front of the campus' main library, King. So much more to type on this, but here's a snapshot of what we were up to and some of the local press coverage.










I have much much much more reflecting to do on why and how this pair of projects worked this term, but I need to run off to yet another lecture.

... to be continued ...

Here's how some of the local press covered the event.