Tuesday, November 27, 2012

December meeting cancelled

If you had noted on your calendar that the Guild was meeting this coming Sunday...
it was but now it isn't.
Time is flowing past too fast for us.

Watch for announcement of rescheduled opportunity to get feedback on your stories.

Friday, October 26, 2012

What if it rains????

The FESTIVAL OF GHOST STORIES will still go on!
Even if it is a dark and stormy night on Friday Oct. 26 at 7:00 pm!
BUT NOT OUTSIDE!
How do you know if we'll be outside at Bryan Park or inside at the Monroe County Public Library???

Call the Community Events Hotline at 349-3754
or the Monroe County Public Library at 349-3228.


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Time for the Annual Festival of Ghost Stories


The days grow short and the time comes again for spooky stories told in the long dark night...

Join us for the Annual Festival of Ghost Stories,
Friday, October 26, from 7 to 8:30 pm
in Bryan Park by South Henderson Street in Bloomington.

A Halloween-time tradition for more than 30 years, the Festival of Ghost Stories features haunting tales of ghosts and horror that will tingle the spine. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, dress warmly, and avoid the chill as seasoned storytellers spin their tales in the dark.


 Best suited for adults, teens, and older school-age children. Not appropriate for younger children.

In case of inclement weather, the Festival of Ghost Stories will be held at the Monroe County Public Library. For weather updates, call the Community Events Hotline at 349-3754.

This community partnership event is presented by the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department; the Monroe County Public Library; and the Bloomington Storytellers Guild.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Fall Season starts!

Time for our Fall Storytelling Season to start!

We'll begin by getting together:

Sunday

September 16

5:30 - 7:30 pm

Monroe Room
Holiday Inn,  1710 North Kinser Pike, Bloomington, IN.

This is the first meeting of our "year" - so we'll be doing some planning and organization as well as sharing information from the summer workshop and a story or two.

Come find out what exciting things will be going on this year!


Sunday, August 19, 2012

"Mise-en-abymes"

"People have wanted to narrate since first we banged rocks together & wondered about fire.  There'll be tellings as long as there are any of us here, until the stars disappear one by one like turned-out lights.

   Some such stories are themselves about the telling of others.  An odd pastime.  Seemingly redundant, or easy to get lost in, like a picture that contains a smaller picture of itself, which in turn contains--& so on.  Such phenomena have a pleasing foreign name: they are mise-en-abymes.

  We have just had a story of a story.  Tell it yourself, again, & story of a story in a story will be born, & you will be en route to that abyme.  Which is an abyss."


Friday, August 10, 2012

Fall is coming

The new Parks and Recreation Program Guide is out.
On its cover - there we are!
This is last year's Festival of Ghost Stories as photographed by Scott Higgins.



Inside the Guide you'll find the first official announcement for this year's Festival.


Time to start planning!

Monday, July 23, 2012

The Inaugural Summer Storytelling Workshop

The day of Storytelling workshops was full of conversation.


We talked about stories,


we told stories,


 we got to know new people 



and to reconnect with some old friends.
We listened...






and we were listened to.
We were inspired by Mary Hamilton.
She said: "Tell a story you love."
She said: "Learn the story, not the words."


And that "inaugural" bit in the title of this post?  Yes, we want to explore having a regular Summer Storytelling Workshop.  Stay tuned for more...

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Everything you need to know...


...about a day of
Storytelling workshops

FEATURING national storyteller and story coach,
Mary Hamilton

 When: SaturdayJuly 21

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church, Bloomington
2120 North Fee Lane, Bloomington Indiana 47408


What:
Beginner’s Storytelling Workshop.  
Inspiring and entertaining lecture-demo on the essentials of storytelling with activities for learning to shape retellings.  This workshop will be useful for anyone getting started in storytelling and will be interesting to advanced storytellers who might want to lead workshops themselves.

Master Class featuring advanced storytellers. 
Space limited.
This session focuses on ways that storytellers can help each other work through the process of preparing a story for performance. The session engages the audience and other tellers in learning response techniques to help colleagues develop and improve their stories and storytelling.  Workshop includes options to respond or simply listen and observe.

Schedule:
9:00 - 9:30 a.m.      On site registration and coffee
Fellowship Hall

9:30 - 11:30 a.m.    Essentials of Storytelling: A Beginner’s Workshop
Fellowship Hall

Lunch: (optional) eat and chat with Guild Members in Fellowship Hall,  Brown bag OR you can order sandwiches at registration for small additional fee.  

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.      Master Class  (space is limited)
Library, 2nd floor

HOW TO REGISTER:

Registration available at the door if space is available.
Advance registration is preferred.
Questions, email libyq@yahoo.com or call 812-829-4770.

To Register
Send an email
To:   libyq@yahoo.com
INCLUDE:
1.  your name
2.  mailing address
3.  email address
4.  phone number
5.  Sessions you plan to attend:  Morning, Afternoon, or BOTH
6.  Are you new to storytelling, just starting, or a practicing storyteller?

Payment (check or cash)
$25.00 FEE
Make checks payable to:  Stephanie Holman
1.  Mail your registration fee to: 
          Bloomington Storytellers Guild
          Stephanie Holman, Treasurer
          713 Bass Haven Lane
          Spencer, IN  47460
2.  OR pay at the door

Confirmation
You will receive a registration confirmation via email



Monday, July 2, 2012

Word is out!

Thanks to our friends at Storytelling Arts of Indiana for passing on the word about Mary Hamilton's upcoming workshops in Bloomington!
Here's a link:

http://www.storytellingarts.org/116.html


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

"Letting Characters Listen"

"Most storytellers quickly learn that giving characters voice – whether expressing inner thoughts aloud or speaking to other characters in the story – enlivens a telling and provides opportunity for vocal variety. But how many of us allow characters time to listen?"
-from an article by Mary Hamilton

Come learn from Mary Hamilton in our workshops on July 21!

Monday, June 18, 2012

You're a natural..

"...That's how I remember things, anyway. I remember stories.  I connect the dots and then out of that comes a story.  And the dots that don't fit into the story just slide away, maybe.  Like when you spot a constellation.  You look up and you don't see all the stars.  All the stars just look like the big fugging random mess that they are.  But you want to see shapes; you want to see stories, so you pick them out of the sky.  Hassan told me once you think like that, too --that you see connections everywhere --so you're a natural born storyteller, it turns out."
from An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Kentucky Folktales

Check out Mary Hamilton's new book:

Then sign up for her upcoming workshop in Bloomington!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Setting the stage

Here's the same storytime space set for three watery themes:
 Under water;
 In the Rain;
and Bath Time.
Preschoolers love guessing the themes while they wait for stories to begin!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Workshop coming!

Guild to Host Community Storytelling Workshops.  Sign up today! 

Storyteller and story coach Mary Hamilton




The Bloomington Storytellers Guild brings national storyteller and story coach, Mary Hamilton, to Bloomington for a beginner’s workshop and a master class.

2 Storytelling Workshops set for July.
Saturday, July 21, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church
2120 North Fee Lane, Bloomington Indiana 47408
___________________________________________________

Workshop Descriptions.
Beginner’s Storytelling Workshop.  Inspiring and entertaining lecture-demo on the essentials of storytelling with activities for learning to shape retellings.  This workshop will be useful for anyone getting started in storytelling and will be interesting to advanced storytellers who might want to lead workshops themselves.

Master Class featuring advanced storytellers. Space limited.
This session focuses on ways that storytellers can help each other work through the process of preparing a story for performance. The session engages the audience and other tellers in learning response techniques to help colleagues develop and improve their stories and storytelling.  Workshop includes options to respond or simply listen and observe.

Fee and Early Discount
$25 in advance, or at the door
$20 Early Registration Discount - Registration received before July 7.
          *Registration is a single amount and covers the entire day.  Choose to attend one or both workshops for the same fee.  Please be sure to indicate which sessions you plan to attend.


Workshops Schedule
Location:  Unitarian Universalist Church, Bloomington

9:00 - 9:30 a.m.      On site registration and coffee
Fellowship Hall

9:30 - 11:30 a.m.    Essentials of Storytelling: A Beginner’s Workshop
Fellowship Hall
 
Lunch on your own  brown bag or travel to nearby restaurants

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.      Master Class  (space is limited)
Library, 2nd floor


Reserve a Space.  Register Now
Registration available at the door if space is available.
Advance registration is preferred.
Questions, email libyq@yahoo.com or call 812-829-4770.

To Register

Send an email
To:   libyq@yahoo.com
INCLUDE:
1.  your name
2.  mailing address
3.  email address
4.  phone number
5.  Sessions you plan to attend:  Morning, Afternoon, or BOTH
6.  Are you new to storytelling, just starting, or a practicing storyteller?

Payment (check or cash)
Make checks payable to:  Stephanie Holman
1.  Mail your registration fee to: 
          Bloomington Storytellers Guild
          Stephanie Holman, Treasurer
          713 Bass Haven Lane
          Spencer, IN  47460
2.  OR pay at the door

Confirmation
You will receive a registration confirmation via email


Sunday, April 22, 2012

More than just a meeting

Our spring meeting included, as promised, stories - amusing, thought-provoking and inspiring.  And snacks - a table full of various goodies.  And more than that-- it became an enthusiastic planning session and those in attendance became:
your newly formed Guild planning committee!
Just keep watching for all the exciting things we have coming!

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Spring Meeting!

It is time for our Spring Storytellers Guild meeting!

Put this on your calendar:

Friday, April 20, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

At the Unitarian Universalist Church on Fee Lane, in the Library (second floor).  Easy access from rear door.

Stories, snacks, some summer planning...see you there!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Stories have changed...


“Stories have changed, my dear boy, " the man in the grey suit says, his voice almost imperceptibly sad.  “There are no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue.  Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case.  There are no longer simple tales with quests and beasts and happy endings.  The quests lack clarity of goal or path.  The beasts take different forms and are difficult to recognize for what they are.  



And there are never really endings, happy or otherwise.  Things keep going on, they overlap and blur, your story is part of your sister’s story is part of many other stories, and there is no telling where any of them may lead.  Good and evil are a great deal more complex than a princess and a dragon, or a wolf and a scarlet-clad little girl.

 And is not the dragon the hero of his own story?  Is not the wolf simply acting as a wolf should act?  Though perhaps it is a singular wolf who goes to such lengths as to dress as a grandmother to toy with its prey.”
From : The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern