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.

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.

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.

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!

"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."

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!

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...