Gleaning Facebook: Saturday at NSF

 The fellow who wrote the following Facebook post saw the same three tellers I did in the courthouse tent this afternoon, Susan, Bil, and Andy. I hope he won't mind me sharing his words. I don't believe I have ever seen/heard such consistently good storytelling here before. I miss some of my favorites like Ed Stivender, David Holt, Carmen and John, Elizabeth Ellis, Kevin Kling, Suzi Whaples, Barbara McBride Smith, Jim May... I could go on. But I have met new favorites, especially Peter Cook, a deaf storyteller who is hilarious, creative, and sometimes touching. This afternoon he told of deaf folks and WWII starting with deaf students taking cover in Honolulu as Pearl Harbor was bombed, a deaf guy trying to pass as hearing so he could serve in the army, deaf people collecting money to help supply our troops, and of the German deaf people being liberated after horrible mistreatment by the Nazis.

-------------

Greg Weiss

National Storytelling Festival 2015

Saturday, October 3

What a day, what a day!

Once again, Susan Klein cast a spell over the audience with her first person tellings of Medusa and Beauty & the Beast. She opened Pandora's box or a treasure chest...or both, as she brought a richer, more complex understanding of these "simple" stories to her lucky listeners.

Bil Lepp's stream of comedy consciousness took us on a runaway rollercoaster ride through Half Dollar, WV and the lives of various public officials (the game warden, a chain smoking high school health teacher...), as seen through the lens of his teen posse. Every word of it was God's truth (insert lightning strike here). By the way, he is the first teller I've seen in Jonesborough who was notably disappointed that a train did not roll through town behind our tent during his set...the train tunnel was significant location in his story.

In Nonfiction Andy, a set as poignant as it was mirthful, Andy Offutt Irwin took us on a personal journey that answered the existential question, How did I get here? In this sixty minute memoir, he shared moments from college days, family life, his broad performance background, giving us a deeper appreciation for the person behind the stories. His genuine affection for those here and gone came through powerfully, if at times irreverently, as he impressed upon us the vital importance of extending kindness to all whose lives we touch. This was one of my all-time favorite sets in my 15 years attending the National Festival. By the way, Andy got Bil's train.

After a filling day of stories, I shared dinner with good friends from St. Louis at the Dining Room. Delicious food and delightful company.

And there's more tomorrow.