50th Anniversary Posters now available

The commemorative posters for the 50th Anniversary of the Festival of Ghost Stories have arrived!

You can pick up one at the October Guild meeting this Sunday, October 5th, ( 12:15, MCPL, Room 2C - see previous post for details)

Our poster was designed by Connor Stelle.  You'll be seeing more of his amazing artwork at the Festival of Ghost Stories (7:00 pm, Bryan Park, October 24)  

 

October Guild Meeting

It’s the season for spooky stories!

We know you have a favorite - maybe the tale that terrified you at camp?  Or the one that kept you from sleeping at a slumber party? A true tale that you heard at a family gathering?  Your favorite one from “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”? The tricky one that made you gasp – and laugh?

Come share your story at the October meeting of the Bloomington Storytellers Guild:

Sunday, October 5

Monroe County Public Library, (on Kirkwood) Room 2C

12:15 to 1:45 pm

 

As you get ready to share a story remember:

            Keep it short (7-10 min)

            Don’t read it – tell it

            Practice telling it out loud before you come

            Let us know the source of your story

 

Love to listen to scary stories?  Stay tuned, there will be many opportunities this October!

Mark your calendar for the 50^th annual festival of Ghost Stories in Bryan Park on October 24^th!

Summer Memories, 1

In everything we do this year, we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Bloomington Storytellers Guild.

Ginny described the beginning of the Guild in 1975, and shared the newspaper announcement of the first open meeting --which was published in both the morning and the evening paper.

The old woman in Dana's story first got what she wanted --

and then what she deserved!

Summer jobs? Clayton has had them!

Hard work pays off in Patty's hilarious version of Obedient Jack.

Dakota shared an original story that we could imagine as an animated cartoon.

People! You are in for a treat when Faridah tells a tale.

No end to Christina's tale of "Never Ending Jack"

Laura organized Summer Tales (Yay, Laura!) and told a tandem tale with Ginny of "No News"

And we all had a fun time!

Thanks to the library for sponsoring us, to CATS for recording the event, to all the tellers - and especially thanks to the folks in the audience who laughed and gasped and clapped at just the right time.  

We are so grateful to still be sharing stories with you after 50 years!

If you missed the performance, remember that you will be able to watch it on CATS, the library's Community Access Television Services.   Check their listings at: https://catstv.net/index.php

 

Summer Tales 2025

 It's time for Summer Tales!

The Monroe County Public library has invited the Bloomington Storytellers Guild to share our summer tales for families, tweens, teens, and adults on July 18th -- and we're inviting people who are interested in joining us to  try out a story at Auditions on June 23rd!

 Auditions are JUNE 23, in the Monroe County Public Library(Indiana) auditorium, from 6:30 to 8 pm.

Interested?

Contact Laura Clavio

 lzclavio@gmail.com  

if you have a story you would like to try out.

Beginning our 50th Year

 We began our anniversary year in February with a splendid Wintertelling at the Monroe County Public Library.

Patty opened with a true tale "Amazing"

In Faridah's tale the giant crocodiles were outwitted by the tiny mouse deer.

In Ken's original tale all the colors of the world were stolen.

Dakota gave us a chilly tale with polar bear and arctic fox.

Jonathan's tale of transformations featured a most unusual hat.

A contemplative, serious note as Clayton sang of "Three Women".

And Kellen took us to the cold of a Russian winter with a folktale about animals trying to survive.

Wintertelling 2025

 Every year we invite you to Wintertelling, a special program of stories and songs featuring a variety of  tellers

This year you are invited to join us for an evening of tales:

Friday  February 21st

7:00-8:30 P.M.

Monroe County Public Library, Main Branch

FREE

Adults and teens

Library will be closed, come in the Kirkwood Entrance.  Doors will open at 6:30 pm

You'll hear some old stories, some new stories, a few folktales, a true story, a made-up story, and even a song-story..  You'll hear some familiar voices and some brand-new ones.  We hope you enjoy the tales we've gathered this year!

Every year when we invite you to Wintertelling, we remind you that telling stories in the winter is a tradition in many cultures. 

Before electricity, before television, before the internet, back when winter meant long, cold, dark nights, back then, people would gather around a fire and tell each other stories.  

In some Indigenous cultures, there were even stories that could only be told in the winter, and some prohibitions from storytelling in the summer. 

We began Wintertelling with these traditions in mind.

Please join us!