'Storyslam' helps students relate life's tales

 

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

'Storyslam' helps students relate life's tales

March 24, 2011

'Storyslam' helps students relate life's tales

By Lynne Hendricks
Staff Writer
—

NEWBURYPORT — If you don't know your own story or are unable to tell it, someone will tell it for you. And with that in mind, the Newburyport High School junior class, with the help of English Department Chairwoman Susie Galvin and the massmouth program, is endeavoring to learn how to spin a compelling, real-life tale that will captivate audiences.

They've started from scratch, with little experience in sharing their innermost secrets to their entire peer group. And along the way, some have understandably experienced a wee bit of anxiety about the public portion of the program, Galvin said.

But Galvin and other English teachers say they have been blown away by the effectiveness of the nonprofit educational group's program in getting students to open up and express themselves.

"One young man in front of his class told the story of his first kiss, and it was very raw because it was the first day," Galvin said. "But he told it with a humor that really was sweet, and certainly, the kids could relate to it.

"Another boy told the story about being in a foreign country and getting separated from his mother and his grandmother and how he was able to find them, and there was a nice twist to that story."

It's not just the most successful students who have been the most open and animated in this workshop-based series of classes, Galvin said.

"You don't have to have theater qualities or acting qualities or exhibit the necessary speech intonations, although that naturally evolves and the kid gets comfortable telling their story," Galvin said. "You get the feeling the stronger students would grab onto it, but that's not really been true."

Guided by representatives of the StoriesLive organization, which is implemented by massmouth with grant funding from Masshumanities.org, students have been learning for several weeks how to organize their thoughts and learn how to construct a story others will want to hear. They met with massmouth storytellers yesterday for the third time and those who were ready to read stood up and tested their material in the classroom environment.

"They're telling personal narratives," Galvin said. "What they have to learn is they do have stories to tell. There is a uniqueness to who they are."

Those who have struggled are encouraged to use the tools offered by massmouth to foster and cultivate the creative spark within, she said.

"We had a boy say the other day I don't have any stories," Galvin said. "The teacher said you are 16 years old — yes, you do. You have stories. You just have to take these exercises and allow yourself to express it."

Students will select some of the best stories to come out of these classroom "slam" workshops to be presented in an end-of-year slam on stage before the entire junior class, Galvin said. Those storytellers who are voted the best of that bunch will go onto a state slam.

But even those who don't end up on stage will reap benefits from participating in the project when it comes to crafting the kind of effective, individualized essays required in their application this year to colleges and universities, Galvin said.

"They try to get the kids to understand what a story needs to have in order for it to be interesting," she said. "The kinds of stories that they do activate that kind of thinking."

Students are forced to ask themselves what the audience can learn from their story, what the message is that their story is sending and how they portray themselves.

In the end, the inaugural program is experiencing tremendous success, she said.

"It's been working out well. The feedback has been great. The kids are having fun with it," Galvin said.

NewburyportNews.com Newburyport, MA

SHARING THE FIRE

The Northeast Storytelling Conference 2011

"Healing The World......

One Story At A Time"

March 18th - 2oth 2011

 Crowne Plaza, Warwick, Rhode Island

STF NSC is more than just a conference which provides workshops, performances, round table discussions, vendor exhibits, mind provoking Keynote Speaker and an Annual business meeting. This Conference provides an inviting and supporting atmosphere where both seasoned veterans and beginning storytellers and their audiences may share the warmth provided by a great tale being told. Whether the story is told at a swap, featured performance or over a cup of coff ee in some obscure corner this is not your average 

Storytelling Confere nce.

Old memories will be shared, and new memories will be made; come be a part of our story!

                                                           
  Barbara Lipke You WIll Be Missed!

Barbara Lipke, storyteller, founding mother of the Boston area LANES, a shaker and mover in the Storytelling Revival of the late 1980s  was celebrated by family and friends in a beautifully organized memorial service on Saturday, FEB 12th, 2011. We were gathered together at UMass Lipke Auditorium, named after her beloved husband Herbert. Tony Toledo wrote this poem for Barbara...

What Barbara Lipke Left Behind

by Tony Toledo

Her trademark storytelling vest.
An empty theater seat.
A half eaten box of Chilmark Chocolates.
A bathing cap.
An old beat up beach bag.
A dog eared book of Norwegian folk tales.
A welcoming home of brick and laughter.
Toast that sits when it wants to fly.
A simple straight forward salad.
Schencken.  (Who knew snails knew German?)
Figures, Facts and Fables.
A hole in Martha's Vineyard.
An empty potluck pan.
World's longest 3/8 of a mile.
A Chilmark floor yearning for her footsteps.
Waves at Windy Gates wondering when she'll be back.
36 years of Herb's good night kisses.
Binky and Bobby, nicknames un tethered.
A certain bend in the road that holds her voice.
The last time I saw her.
10 great grand children.
7 grand children.
4 children with her chin. (and heart)
New England Storytellers (who miss her terribly)
A world of admiring friends.
One less skinny dipper.
One less storyteller.
One less teacher.
One less friend.
Her laugh.
Her grin.
Her love.
A ripple in the water.

Barbara Stix Lipke

Inspired by the Charles Coe poem What He Left Behind (for his father).

Barbara Stix Lipke was a storyteller, an activist, and a self-proclaimed “news junkie’’ who believed strongly in freedom of expression and loved music and theater. Mrs. Lipke, a former public school teacher in Brookline and Baltimore, died Jan. 3 in her Newton home after a brief illness. She was 85. Mrs. Lipke was born in Cincinnati to Tom and Regine Stix, who were strong role models, said her son Paul of Montague. “Mother’s mother was a public health physician. She got into medical school, which opened to women due to [World War I], and was a lady of enormous energy. Mother certainly inherited her energy, drive, and commitment to excellence.

“Mother’s father was a radio agent . . . and Eleanor Roosevelt was one of his clients,’’ Paul continued. “Mother was very much a ‘New Dealer’ and was committed to that larger sense of one’s obligation to society. We grew up with a lot of news and media in the house, and news was considered to be important.’’

Mrs. Lipke grew up in New York City and graduated in 1943 from the High School of Music & Art in Manhattan. In 1947, she received her bachelor’s degree in English from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. A year later, she married her longtime sweetheart, Herbert Lipke, an entomological biochemist who was a founding faculty member of the biology department at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

“My parents were a team,’’ said Marni, of Martha’s Vineyard, the couple’s only daughter. “They had a very good, comfortable marriage full of humor. They passed on to us children that enormous capacity for humor and a respect and tolerance for our fellow travelers. . . . My father didn’t care whether you were the prince of England or the janitor. He just wanted to know who you were and what you did. Our parents instilled that in all of us.’’

The Lipkes insisted their children maintain stellar academic records. But once their homework or studying was done, they allowed their children to have fun.

Perhaps his mother’s love of music and theater is why she required her children to learn to play musical instruments, said her son Alan of Tampa. Alan played the flute; Peter, of Brooklyn, N.Y., played the trumpet; Paul played the French horn and cornetto. Marni played the piano but mostly danced ballet and modern dance.

Judy Holshouser Tizon, a close family friend who was an au pair for the Lipke children during summers on Martha’s Vineyard, said Mrs. Lipke was unique.

“She had a great sense of humor, and she was very loving,’’ said Tizon, a retired anthropology professor at the University of Southern Maine.

“She was like a younger, second mom to me. . . . She also taught me how to sail, and she was a real stickler for all of the nomenclature.

Thoughts For A storyteller During the Holidays
By Angela Davis reprinted from http://www.creativekeys.net/StorytellingPower/article1079.html

1. Find answers in stories.

Embrace stories from all walks of life. As you go about your daily chores eavesdrop on stories not to listen to conversations, but purely for the advantage of taking a message from the story you are hearing and see how it pertains to your life. Fascinated the way a main character in a children's novel went to a public place to eavesdrop on conversations, I’ve made use of this technique with intriguing results.

The story line was his mother was dead. So he had a regular ritual of going to a particular counter in a shopping mall to “hear” what advice his mother might give to him. It didn’t matter what the person speaking said. What mattered was his take on what the person said. Almost, always he got a sensible and meaningful response to his question. Try it for yourself and see what "answers" you might find.

2. Start a new story tradition this year.

Give the gift of story all season long. Each time you prepare a potluck dish for the many social gatherings you’re invited to, share the story of how the dish’s recipe came to be one of your culinary specialties. Or when giving a gift, imbue the receiver with the tale of how the gift came to be chosen. Either way carries on the wonderful tradition of sharing stories all throughout the holiday season.

3. Celebrate and renew your life through story.

Find a meaningful story for yourself and make it your story for the year! When you’ve found just such a tale, frame it and hang it in a place of honor in your office or near your bed. Let the story source your life with inspiration throughout the year and here's the fun part: Share your story spark with others throughout the year letting it inspire and move others too!

4. Give yourself the gift of solitude with story!

Take time during all the holiday hustle and bustle to escape into the solitude of story. Give your imagination and intuition free reign to decide what story you’d like to embrace. Is it a warm story from your past, or a new story you’re creating in the future? Perhaps you’ve decided to settle on a traditional tale from the season. There are many customs that add rich foundation to your life. Choose one and give it new life with your own additions and family customs.

5. Invite storytelling buddies over for an evening of sharing holiday customs, traditions and stories.

Light candles, play music you absolutely adore, hang colorful chimes where you can hear them and burn aromatic incense, to help your heart be merry and light. Extinguish the momentary distractions that get in the way of being present to yourself and others. As you each present a cultural melee of fun hand out specially purchased holiday ornaments to add to your treasure trove of holiday memories!

6. Bring the world together through the powerful world of story.

Ever been curious about another culture? Become a nomad exploring places you’ve longed to visit. Immerse yourself in the stories of that region's holiday season. Locate a storytelling buddy in that part of the world. As the shortest, coldest days arrive exchange heartwarming tales and as an added bonus share the fruits of your labor locally gifting children and adults with stories you've collected from that part of the world. Emphasize how stories bring us together and share a bit of how you collected the tales.

7. Expect the best.

Things have a way of working out for the best in the long run. Act as if the best story is waiting for you to discover it. A story that will be your signature piece for years to come wants your stamp of originality on it! Following in the footsteps of true storytellers, craft the tale into your very own, marking it in a totally memorable way that feels right for you. Expect the best story every month of the year!

8. Uncover the five best things about being a storyteller.

We each have our own reasons for being a storyteller. Why do you do what you do? Is it the joy you bring to others? Perhaps it is that marvelous feeling of having done a thing well. Maybe you like being a creator and changing story parts to fit your storytelling personality better. It could be telling stories feeds a part of your soul that nothing else can in just the same way. Whatever your reasons take the time to mine your precious jewels and make them known to your heart. (As always, it would be fun to share with others too!)

9. Bring only your best storytelling self into the New Year!

Decide what parts of your storytelling persona will make the trek into 2011. Light a candle, write what parts you like least about your storytelling and simply decide to leave them behind. To symbolize your new decision burn the written discarded parts. Now, acknowledge the best and the brightest of who you are first and foremost and the world will follow suit!

10. Honor the remarkable storyteller in yourself and in all people everyday!

This year if you lost everything, what would be left? The 2005 Story Success newsletter heralded the theme “The Year of the Storyteller.” This year choose to embrace stories that bring out the best in yourself and others. Each day is “Another Storytelling Day.” Everyone has a marvelous story to share - some incredible thing about them worth passing on. Not a day passes for you to miss seeing what a wonderful world we live in through story. Live purposefully - listen to the amazing and astonishing stories that fill our world.

Angela Davis, The Yarnspinner, is a teller of myths, folklore, fables, dramas and legends. As an entertainer and recording artist, she offers a variety of stories guaranteed to nurture the hearts and minds of children of all ages. To find out all about Angela visit her website at http://www.yarnspin.com/ or e-mail her at yarnspinner@mindspring.com

From Kathy Henson's A Storied Career

Applied Storytelling vs. Performance/Traditional Storytelling

By

Katharine

I’ve been periodically running excerpts from the first part of storyteller Eric James Wolf’s interview with me, along with the second part of the Q&A (both published over the summer). In this excerpt, he asked me how applied storytelling is different then performance storytelling or traditional storytelling. My response:

          I think storyteller Sean Buvala’s definition of storytelling provides
         a good starting point for   
         answering this question.He writes:

“Storytelling is the intentional sharing of a narrative in words and actions for the benefit of both the listener and the teller.”… ‘intentional’ means that not everything we do is storytelling. Storytelling is a planned activity and process. ‘Narrative’ means what is being talked about has a beginning, middle, and end. ‘Sharing’ means that there is an audience in front of the teller which can be one person or thousands. ‘Benefit’ means both the listener and the teller leave the sharing of story as a changed person.”

So, in my mind, many types of storytelling that DO NOT fall into that definition can be classified as “applied storytelling.” (I should note that Sean would not agree; he feels that if a communication does not fall into his definition, it’s not storytelling. For example, he does not consider digital storytelling to be storytelling.) Storytelling that is missing one or more elements from Sean’s definition is still storytelling in my book, but it’s applied storytelling. Examples of applied storytelling include: organizational storytelling/business narrative, journaling/memoir writing, blogging, social media, digital/multimedia, transmedia storytelling, journalistic storytelling, visual storytelling, fictional storytelling, storytelling for movies and TV, comic-book storytelling, and more, including my personal crusade, storytelling in the job search. Not every bit of communication in these venues is storytelling, but storytelling is possible within these venues.
I once proposed that all storytelling can be broken down into just three purposes: storytelling for identity construction, storytelling for change, and storytelling for sense-making/learning. Even performance storytelling can fit into this rubric in that the audience changes from an un-entertained state to an entertained (or enlightened, moved, etc.,) state.
Storytelling for identity construction can range from storytelling in social media to storytelling to establish a brand identity for products and services. Storytelling for identity construction is also what I advise job-seekers to do to make themselves stand out memorably to employers.
Storytelling for change is often the impetus behind business narrative — using story to help workers cope with and buy into organizational change.
Storytelling for sensemaking is what we automatically turn to when we seek to make sense of unexpected, tragic, or confusing events. Similarly, storytelling is effective for learning because stories are so good at illustrating concepts and making them memorable (Annette Simmons notes that “Story helps the brain remember.”)

Fairytales and Myths

by Laura Packer

 As you know, over the last month or so we've been exploring different ways of telling stories. We've looked at tall tales, personal stories, hero stories and scary stories. This last installment will explore fairy tales and myths.

I know that clumping fairy tale and myths together may seem like sacrilege. These ancient  forms of story serve different purposes and volumes have been written about their meaning. Bear in mind, from a telling perspective, you need to do some similar work to tell these stories, so I thought it would be easier to talk about them in the same post.

Myths and fairy tales capture the whole range of human experience. They help us understand our lives and how our individual experiences are more alike than different. They give us a roadmap to use as we travel our lives. They are the stories that ripple through our cultures and our lives, giving us a common language with which to understand the world.

• Just because it's a fairy tale doesn't mean it's a simple story. Many of the these stories are dark, frightening, or at a minimum explore some of the more challenging times of life (childlessness, parental abandonment, learning who you are, adolescence, etc) so spend some time with the story and decide how you want to tell it. Do you want to focus on the happy endings? Are you more interested in the voice of a minor character?
• Understand where the story comes from. Myths come with a cultural context, so you should have some understanding of where the story comes from and what it means in context. Some myths are still considered sacred stories, so think carefully about where you stand on telling a story that has sacred meaning to other people. Always tell living myths respectfully.
• Explore why the story appeals to you. Myths and fairy tales are rife with symbols, so it's worth spending some time understanding why a particular story appeals to you, what the symbols mean to you. This can be the work of years, so please tell the story, but just don't be surprised if it has unexpected meaning for you.
• If you change the story do so carefully, without stripping the heart out of the story. The Disney version of The Little Mermaid overlooks her death at the end, entirely changing the meaning of the story; if you choose to change a story make sure you understand why you're doing it and how the meaning will be altered. Be especially careful about changing myths, since these may be living sacred stories. If you modernize the story make sure you honor the original text in whatever way makes the most sense to you.
• Select the right story for the audience. This is a tenet no matter what kind of story you're telling. Be wary of using accents unless you're very good at them, and if you choose to tell stories from a particular culture to that culture and you're not of that culture make sure you treat the stories with utmost respect and be prepared to get some feedback.

Fairy tales and myths are among the most enjoyable stories you can tell - they are deep in our psyches and convey experiences we can all relate to. Who hasn't been lost in the woods or undertaken a journey from home? Enjoy telling these stories. They are part of our human heritage. Just don't forget to do the same work you would for any other kind of story.

And remember, there are several local opportunities to learn more about storytelling. Check them out here. And don't forget the 2010-2011 Story Slam season is about to start - you can see the schedule here.

Next week we'll take a little breather with a link round-up, then we'll spend some time looking at the ethics of storytelling. Keep telling!

Telling topics - tall tales  by Laura Packer

As you know, over the last few weeks we've been exploring the different kinds of stories you can tell. So far we've looked at personal stories, hero stories and scary stories. Today we'll look at tall tales.

Let's face it - we all lie. But when you tell a tall tale you can lie with impunity. Your audience expects it, wants it and is looking forward to how boldly you lie. A tall tale is a story with wildly exaggerated elements - the tall man becomes a giant, the small fish becomes a huge one, the harvest is over-run with giant vegetables - and it's usually witty or clever. Some common examples of tall tales include Paul Bunyan stories and shaggy dog stories. You can find some other examples here. But you can make up and tell your own tall tales out of your own life too. Here are a few tips and tricks to consider:

• Start with something commonplace. A walk through your town leads you to a local person with some unusual characteristics. Playing a game of football leads to a player who can throw a ball so high you have time to go inside, watch tv, eat dinner and do your homework before you have to catch it. 
• Use your imagination. Tall tales require exaggeration. If something was big it becomes enormous. If someone was strong they become the strongest person in the world. 
• Don't hesitate to use outlandish examples and comparisons. The fish was bigger than a six-car train. It was so big that the hook we used to catch it was made from a piece of steel my strong uncle ripped out of a nearby building. 
• Keep it relatable. Whatever it is that happens, your audience should have had a similar, though smaller experience. They should have at least heard of fishing if it's a story about a giant fish that got away. They should have at least seen football on tv if it's about someone with an amazing throwing arm who eventually is asked ot throw a space shuttle into the sky.
• Keep it fairly short. If it goes on too long your audience may get tired of being asked to suspend their disbelief.
• Try to end it with the possibility of another story. I don't know where he is now, but last I heard NASA had hired him for some other emergency mission. I keep watching the news to see if he'll turn up.
• And have fun! You should enjoy the story just as much as your audience.

Don't forget, there are several local opportunities to learn more about storytelling. Check them out here. And don't forget the 2010-2011 Story Slam season is about to start - you can see the schedule here.

Next week we'll wrap up this series with a look at fairy tales and myths. Keep telling those stories!

(c) 2010 Laura S. Packer

Telling topics - scary stories by Laura Packer

Monday, August 23, 2010

by Laura Packer

Telling topics - scary stories

Cross-posted from massmouth

Over the last few weeks and for one or two more we’re taking a look at some of the topics you can explore as you expand your telling repertoire. Last week we took a look at personal stories while the week early we looked at hero stories. Today we’ll look at scary stories. I'd hoped to cover tall tales today, too (alliteration!) but scary stories turned into a long post.


In the context of this blog post scary story means a story with some kind of supernatural or horrific element (haunted house, movie-style killer) rather than a story of real-life horror (bank foreclosure, natural disaster, real-life murder). These stories are meant to give your listeners a delightful chill, not a lingering dread.


Whenever I tell stories with kids and ask them what they'd like to hear, they always ask for a scary story. It seems to be what kids are most familiar with in a "storytelling" context, maybe from camp or from other media sources. Because these stories have such deep appeal for children I'd recommend that you have several in your repertoire that are appropriate for younger people. You can always tweak details to make them more appropriate for adults.


The single most important element in telling a scary story is you, just as it is in all storytelling. You have to believe what you're saying; it's even better if you think the story is creepy. If you are insincere your listeners will know and won't be drawn into their own imaginations. You can increase the intimacy and believability of scary stories by lowering your voice, lowering the lights, looking around as if you're nervous and telling your listeners that you don't usually tell this one, because it scares you.


Some other common elements in effective scary storytelling are:

• Locale. It really helps if you can include regional details your listeners will recognize. It will make the story more believable. Yes, this means changing the story. As long as you're telling a traditional story (more on where to find these momentarily) or making it up yourself, that's okay. If you're telling someone else's story then you have already gotten permission and discussed the alteration with them. If you are a region you don't know, so can't make the story local, then make it local to you. It happened in your neighborhood, near your school or at your summer camp. If it's a traditional story where the locale must remain distant, make sure you set that context appropriately. "This is a story from ancient Japan. People still tell it around campfires and they know it's real."
• Eye-witness accounts. If appropriate, for example when telling an urban legend, tell them you heard the story from the person it happened to. This increases believability. If it's something that happened to you, tell them.
• Vocal control. If you're telling a jump-tale (a story that ends with a bang so your audience jumps) make sure you don't broadcast it ahead of time. Keep your voice at the same volume right up to the yelling part.
• Select the right story for your audience. Remember who you are and who they are. This goes back to basic storytelling technique. If you can't do an accent well, don't do it, your listeners will be distracted. If you're a white, middle-aged man don't pretend to be a young black woman if you're telling about a haunted place in the 'hood. You can always say you heard the story from a student. Additionally, select the right level of creepiness for your audience. Kindergartners don't need to know all of the horrible details, while college students might revel in them.
• Internal logic. Be aware of logical holes in the story, especially when telling with kids. If everyone dies in the story then how did you hear it? Kids will ask you about it.
• Practice. You will be a better storyteller if you practice your craft and approach it as work worth investing yourself in.

So where can you find some good scary stories to tell? Folklore is rife with scary stories. This is a good resource as is the urban legend database. Remember to tweak those details to make it local. I tell a version of the vanishing hitch-hiker that I always change to include wherever I am: In the Northeast you're never far from a cemetery, I bet wherever you are you can find something spooky nearby. 

Folklorist Alvin Schwartz has collected many American folktales in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Boxed Set. Another good book is The Ghost & I: Scary Stories for Paticipatory Telling; I especially like this one because it includes both telling tips and stories for adults as well as kids. Additionally, the authors have given permission for storytellers to tell these tales. 

I'm sure you can find many more good resources at your local library or bookstore. Just remember to ask permission to tell other people's stories. For those in the Boston area, I'll be teaching a storytelling class at the Brookline Center for Adult Ed starting in September. I'd love it if you came and told with me!

Have fun telling these tales. Scary stories are among the most dramatic and playful of stories you can tell. I'm sure you'll enjoy experimenting with them. Next time we'll take a look at tall tales. See you soon!

Tall tales: Meet the storytellers spinning edgy new yarns for the digital age

Spinning a good yarn is the most ancient of entertainments – but thanks to the iPod generation, it's getting a new lease of life

By Lena Corner

Sunday, 22 August 2010

PAL HANSEN

The Spoken Ink group was set up two years ago to perform modern short stories for contemporary audiences, with tales from authors such as Neil Gaiman and Angela Carter in its repertoire

Listen to this - The Boston Globe

Listen to this - The Boston Globe

Posted using ShareThis

Winners of the Brother ( Hugh Morgan) Blue and Ruth Hill Award, 2010

Today, the winners of the 2010 Brother Blue and Ruth Hill award met to celebrate and install their plaque at Toscanini’s in Central Square Cambridge. “This is where it all started” said the massmouth founders, (from top left) Norah Dooley, Andrea Lovett, Stu Mendleson and Doria Hughes. "Toscanini's has been so good to us. They've donated "office" space, performing space, ice cream, a prize for the Big Mouth Off and sponsored our videos at cctv as well," said Dooley. She comes from the same borough of NYC as Gus and Mimi also was at the Boston Museum School at the same time as Gus Rancatore. All the Brother Blue winners are loyal fans of Toscis ice cream, the amazing baristas and the excellent coffee.

The massmouth team reminisced about how Brother Blue and Ruth had attended and performed at the first massmouth event at Toscanini’s in August of 2008. "He is missed but he lives on in the stories, " they said. Each year LANES.org honors those who “give their lives to storytelling” at their annual conference, Sharing the Fire.

Excerpt from this massmouth blog:

"On Saturday, March 20, 2010, massmouth founders Norah Dooley, Doria Hughes, Andrea Lovett and Stu Mendelson were awarded the Brother Blue and Ruth Hill Award by the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling in recognition of their extraordinary commitment and efforts to promote a broader understanding of the art of storytelling and the support of storytellers in the development of their art. It serves, as Brother Blue (Hugh Morgan Hill), has said, “To honor those who give their lives to storytelling to change the world.”

When the award was announced the crowd rose to their feet and cheered, in delighted recognition of all that massmouth has done to build storytelling in Massachusetts." - Laura Packer, Storyteller

The massmouth founders have been having an eventful year –in October they started a series of story slams in Greater Boston. Ms. Dooley helped secured a not-for-profit umbrella agreement with The National Storytelling Network, so that any donations can be tax-deductible and Ms. Lovett has been profiled by The Boston Sunday Globe. Doria Hughes served as a judge at the last Cambridge slam in addition to many local gigs. And Stu Mendleson has been traveling in Africa, teaching drumming and hosting massmouth open mics, with Doria Hughes, for over a year.