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It's that wonderful time of the year when the leaves tuck the
earth in for a long slumber. But as some things go to sleep, other things
awaken!
Pumpkins, apples, little tricker-treaters, the smell of
baking, hot cocoa, and of course...stories around the fire.
As you head towards the holidays, take time to stop in the
midst of the busy, busy, busy - and find somwhere to fit in a story.
Awaken in the listener something new!
Enjoy this edition of VASA Vistas!
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Colonial Williamsburg Storytelling Festival
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Our VASA tellers wowed the crowd at the
Colonial Williamsburg Storytelling Festival!
Denise Bennett, Kim Weitkamp,
Linda Goodman and Ralph Chatham were invited to perform this year.
Great job!
www.history.org
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Richmond Hill Retreat
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There are a few rooms left for the Richmond Hill
Retreat, scheduled for November 2nd & 3rd. For more
information and to register, call Les Schaffer at 804.560-5567
www.richmondhillva.org
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The Gathering 2008
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April seems a long way away...but the holidays will go
quickly and your calendar will fill up even quicker!!
Make sure you mark off April 4-6 for The Gathering 2008,
to be held in Richmond
at the Roslyn Retreat Center.
www.roslyncenter.org
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An Introduction to TELLABRATION!
From the NSN Web Site--
Tellabration! is a worldwide benefit evening of
storytelling. It creates a network of storytelling enthusiasts bonded
together in spirit at the same time and on the same weekend.
Tellabration! originator J. G. Pinkerton envisioned this
international event as a means of building community support for
storytelling. In 1988 the event was launched by the Connecticut
Storytelling Center in six locations across the state. A great success,
Tellabration! extended to several other states the following year, and
then, in 1990, expanded nationwide under the umbrella of the National Storytelling Network (then called
NAPPS, and later the National Storytelling Association).
Tellabrations in Virginia:
Fredericksburg, VA on November 17, 2007 at 7:30 pm
at the Wounded Bookshop, 109 Amelia St. Suggested donation: $10;
benefits VASA and Fredericksburg Athenaeum. For more
information contact Megan Hicks at (540) 371-6775 or by email
at megan@meganhicks.com.
Or contact Lynn Ruehlmann at (757) 624-6742 or by email at ruehlmann@erols.com.
Virginia Beach, VA on November 16, 2007 from 7:00
pm to 9:00 pm at 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd. For more info contact
Cynthia Cordes at (757) 385-2605 or by e-mail at ccordes@vbgov.com
or contact Norris Spencer at (757) 428-8501 or by e-mail at tellspence@cox.net.
Hague, VA on November 17, 2007 at 7:00 pm at
Cople Elementary School (804) 472-2081. For more info contact
Daisy Howard-Douglas at (804) 472-2744.
Williamsgburg, VA on November 17,2007 at 7:00 pm at
Williamsbury Library. For more info, contact Andrew Smith at (757)
259-4050 or by email at asmith@wrl.org.
Falls Church, VA on November 17, 2007 at 8:00pm at
the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. For more information contact Margaret
Chatham at (703)698-5456 or by email at margaret.chatham@verizon.net
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Teller Showcase
In each newsletter we will be showcasing a national teller
as well as a Virginia teller. In this edition we are proud to present to
you David Gonzalez and Louise Tucciarone.
David
Gonzales
 This year in Jonesborough
I had the pleasure of experiencing the work of David Gonzalez. One of the
things that impressed me was his audience. A very young, hip crowd.
Something we need to see more of if we want to pass the telling torch.
David was mesmerizing with his jazzy rendition of Orpheus & Eurydice.
One of the best Orpheus tellings I have ever seen. He also did a
fresh adaptation of "The Lions Whiskers," an Ethiopian
tale that he put a modern twist to. It was quirky, heartwarming and
funny. Seeing David was a true artistic experience and after
catching him once...I scurried around trying to catch him again...and
again...and again! You can learn more about David at www.davidgonzalez.com
Louise
Tucciarone
Louise
comes from Rustburg, VA. Her background includes several
years as an elementary school teacher, as well as sixteen years as a
librarian with special focus as the preschool storytime coordinator.
She is ever alert for ways to expand her artistry by taking storytelling
classes at John C. Campbell Folk School and by membership in such
organizations as VASA. It has been said that with her
large blue eyes and shock of pure white hair she has an expressive face
made for telling stories. As a youngster, she loved to listen to her
father tell stories. Now she uses her own innovative stories to
entertain her audiences. Classic fairytale's and family stories are her
forte.
You can contact her at storyforge@yahoo.com
or
by calling 434-821-7626.
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VEMA Conference Wrap Up
Williamsburg, Virginia--
VASA
was a big hit at the 2007 VEMA Conference. We have already been asked back
for 2008 and all the evaluations from our showcases were enthusiastically
positive. Our VASA tellers outdid themselves, and we thank each one of
them! We distributed VASA information during the entire conference and
began building great new relationships.
Charlottesville storyteller Jim Weiss once said
something to this effect; The only competition you need to fear is bad
storytelling. Good storytellers create an appetite for more good
storytelling. Thanks to all the VEMA tellers!
And a special thanks to those of you who volunteered your
time at the VASA information table.
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Performing Member Takes Top Honors
Stafford, Virginia --
Cindy Roser's storytelling traditions go way back. Further
than the Appalachians, further than the founding of Jamestown, further than
the discovery of this continent by Europeans. Cindy goes all the way back
to the bardic tradition of Wales. In true bardic tradition, she recently
competed in an event called The Istedvaad -- a storytelling and poetry
competition held at the annual North American Festival of Wales. The
festival, held this year in Washington D.C., drew 1200
attendees from the U.S. and Canada. The program included
lectures, dances, instruction, and the Istedvaad.
Cindy
held her audience spellbound with a telling of "The Golden Harp"
and a recitation of Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into
that Good Night." She took top honors in the event. The adjudicator's
comments included the word "mesmerize," and one critic summed it
up like this: "There was Cindy, and then there was everybody
else."
How do you say "mazel tov!" in Welsh?
(Next year's North American Festival of Wales is scheduled for Labor Day
Weekend in Chicago.)
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Review: Slash Coleman's Marketing Dog
--Kim Weitkamp
Normally, in this little space, I review a book or CD. This time I am
going to review a web site. The reason I have decided to do this is because
I have used this site with positive results. Plus, I love Slash Coleman and
think he is a very witty, artistic guy.
Now, follow these directions.
Get a nice hot cup of coffee, make sure you have
an ample slice of time to go surf: www.slashcoleman.com.
After you get done admiring the cool photos of Slash,
scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find a little dog with a
banner that says "Get Bit" above his head.
Click on it.
Read the free marketing ideas to the left.
Do what what they say.
Enjoy success.
I kid you not! I actually applied a lot of what I found on
the Marketing Dog site and it worked. Becoming a member is free and it
unlocks even more great articles. There are a lot of resources out there
like this, but I prefer Slash's for several reasons.
1. He is a Virginia artist and a VASA member.
2. He is an artist doing what I want to do. Full time
performing
3. He has been successful in what he does.
4. He thinks outside the box and is edgey.
You may or may not like what you find on this site.
Whether I review a book, cd, or web site, not everyone is going
to enjoy my pick. But that is the beauty of art.
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Just A Reminder!
* Want to know what is happening in your neck of the
woods? Be sure to check out the VASA Calendar of Events at www.vastorytelling.org. If you have an item you would like to see put on
the calendar you can email your submission to calendar@vastorytelling.org.
* There
will be a board meeting on Saturday, November 3rd after the
retreat. VASA board meetings are open to the public. If you are interested
in attending and need more information contact us at info@vastorytelling.org
* News
items for the next newsletter need to be turned in by the end of November.
If there is a storyteller you would like to see featured in the next issue,
send us their name and contact information. We cannot guarantee that all
submitted items will be used in the upcoming newsletter. Some items may be
held for future use. newsletter@vastorytelling.org
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