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Don't Miss Our Youth Tellers! - Learn More
Don't Miss Our Rising Stars! - Learn More
NATIONAL TELLERS
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Carmen Agra Deedy
has been traveling around the world, writing and telling stories for almost twenty years. She received her most cherished review from a third-grade student named Brad, following one of her classroom storytelling visits. In a handwritten letter, Brad thanked Deedy for visiting his class and wrote, “We ‘lauft’ so hard. Casey’s retainer fell out.”
Deedy was born in Havana, Cuba and emigrated with her family during the Cuban Revolution to Decatur, Georgia, near Atlanta. She spins tales of her unique, dual heritage in heartfelt and animated performances that ring hilariously true to the ear. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls Deedy “an introspective storyteller with a keen insight into the workings of a child’s mind.”
Deedy continues to share her stories with children and adults at festivals, schools, conferences, theaters and museums across the nation and around the world. She has presented her stories on National Public Radio’s “Weekend All Things Considered ” and performed at Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival at Donat’s Castle in Wales; the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.; the Disney Institute in Orlando, Fla.; the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn.; the New Victory Theater on Broadway; and at the 2001, 2002 (where Deedy gave the Friday night keynote), and 2003 National Book Festivals in Washington, D.C. She also appeared at the 2007 National Book Festival, as well.
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Doug Lipman
Doug Lipman, the foremost storytelling coach in the United States, is popular there and abroad as a performer, coach, author, and teacher. Doug's storytelling grew out of his work as a pre-school and music teacher in the 1970's. He has been teaching and coaching storytellers since 1979 and, in the last 10 years, worked extensively in the corporate sector. In addition to his workshops and classes on all aspects of storytelling, Doug has published numerous books and released instructional videos, audiocassettes, and multi-media courses such as the Storytelling Workshop in a Box™ |
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Tim Tingle
Tim Tingle gave his first performance at the National Museum of the American Indian on Saturday, June 23, at the outdoor amphitheater of the Smithsonian complex. An appreciative audience, including dozens of Oklahoma Choctaws, saw Tingle sing "Shilombish Holitopa Ma," play the native flute, and perform "Crossing Bok Chitto," "The Choctaw Way,"and "Turtle Grew Feathers," his latest children's book.
Tingle is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a sought-after speaker and storyteller, and an award-winning author of Native American fiction and folklore. Choctaw Chief Gregory Pyle has requested a story by Tingle previous to his Annual State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering--a celebration that attracts over thirty thousand people-- from 2002 to the present.
Walking the Choctaw Road, Tingle's first book, was released by Cinco Puntos Press in May of 2003. A collection of stories based on interviews with tribal elders, it was Storytelling World Magazine's Best Anthology for 2003. Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma selected WTCR as Book of the Year for 2005, as did Alaska Reads!, marking the first time in the history of the one-book-one-state movement that a single book has been selected by two states in the same year. Tingle completed a tour of eighty Oklahoma libraries in 2005, presenting stories from Walking the Choctaw Road and promoting literacy throughout the state.
In a Governor's Commendation read before the Senate in May of 2005, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry praised Tingle for his "devotion to preserving the Choctaw heritage," and declared May through November as Walking the Choctaw Road months in Oklahoma. |
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The Regional Tellers for the 2008 Texas Storytelling Festival are: |
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Doc Moore
Doc Moore brings over thirty-five years of public school and university teaching experience to the telling of history, folk, ghost, and inspirational stories. A popular performer for the past twelve years at the Texas Folklife Festival, he appears regularly at local, state, regional and national festivals. As a humorist, Doc won the prestigious Austin Liar’s Championship in 2002.
His story, “Pet Rattlesnake” is a crowd-pleaser at folk festivals and fairs. Doc is also well known for his bone-chilling and sometimes funny renditions of popular ghost stories from Texas Folklore.
Moore has taught storytelling classes at the Institute of Texan Cultures, The University of Texas in Austin, the New Braunfels Community Education Program, and Austin ISD. He currently leads week-long summer storytelling camps at the Children's Museum in Bryan, Texas.
His first book, Texas Ghost Stories for the Telling, co-authored with Tim Tingle, is now in its third printing from Texas Tech University Press. A follow-up, Spooky Texas Tales, an anthology written for the younger set, is scheduled for a November, 2005 release.
Moore's publications include "Miracle In The Morning," an original story published in Storytelling World, and "Miss Maude," a short story included in the popular Barnes and Noble anthology, The Noble Generation II.
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Donna Lively
“Donna Lively is a storyteller’s storyteller. She does all her homework to set the story perfectly in its time and place; she hones the action into an exquisite rise and fall, then spins out her tale! ”
Mary Grace Kettner,
Institute of Texas
Over the years, Donna has entertained audiences of all ages in many venues: To name a few:
The 1996 Rising Star Concert, Tejas Festival;
the 1999 Ghost
Story Concert, Tejas Festival;
a prizewinning performance at the 1999 Salado Scottish Festival Storytelling Competition.
2004 Tiger’s Tales, Featured Teller,
2005 Regional Teller, National Storytelling conference,
Featured Teller at 2006 Choctaw Storytelling Festival
Her background in theatre and as a research librarian has given her the tools to translate her love of folklore and the storytelling tradition into memorable and entertaining programs.
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James Ford
James H. Ford Jr. is a writer/storyteller who blends both pathos and humor into his personal history and family stories. James equally loves to tell his originally written tall tales.
In 1989 James was the Co-Winner of the first Annual Houston Storytellers Guild Liars Contest. His contest winning, Johnson and the Red Bandana is now published by August House in the 1995 book "The Best from the Texas Storytelling Festival". James won the contest out right in 1990, 1991, and 1992. James, a past President of the Houston Storytellers Guild, has been a member of that organization since 1988. James was a board member and a past President of the Tejas Storytelling Association. James also was a recent board member of the National Storytelling Association.
He is the 2000 winner of the John Henry Faulk Award given to storytellers for their outstanding contribution to storytelling.
James, a native Houstonian, received a BS Degree in Psychology at Tennessee State University in 1969. He has been married 38 years and has three children.
James presently makes his living as an insurance salesman, but he also brings the experience of other occupations into his storytelling. James was Dept Head of the Commercial Art Dept at Houston Community College and part-time instructor of Advertising Art and Computer Graphics at San Jacinto Junior College. He completed five years in the Air Force with the final rank of Captain and has been in business as a Commercial Artist/Photographer.
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