Great story tellers are dying breed. They used to be the mainstay of society. As they held people spellbound with the images they created, people remembered their roots. The stories told of traditions held dear, of battles won and lost, and explained the origins of the Universe. The storyteller was historian, teacher and entertainer all in one.
A good story told well has the power to move us in ways that even books cannot. Today I spent the afternoon listening to one of Canada's great storytellers, Stuart McLean. For many of you that name won't mean anything. However, if you are interested you can google CBC radio and listen to podcasts of The Vinyl Cafe. Stuart McLean takes the ordinary situations of life and looks at them humour. An afternoon of laughing is good for the soul.
More important to me even than the laughter was listening to how he strung the words together. Listening for a turn of phrase, noticing the pacing taught me something about how to engage people in the story. Everyone in the place was fully present and everything outside of the theatre disappeared for those three hours. What a gift to be able to give, to be able to gather people in and take them on journey outside of themselves. Even better when the laughter bubbles up and cannot be contained. It refreshes the spirit. It beats a nap!
To the storytellers of our age, particularly Stuart McLean, thank you for telling us stories. Thank you for taking us to places only you could image and sharing them with us. Our lives are richer for the stories you tell!
A good story told well has the power to move us in ways that even books cannot. Today I spent the afternoon listening to one of Canada's great storytellers, Stuart McLean. For many of you that name won't mean anything. However, if you are interested you can google CBC radio and listen to podcasts of The Vinyl Cafe. Stuart McLean takes the ordinary situations of life and looks at them humour. An afternoon of laughing is good for the soul.
More important to me even than the laughter was listening to how he strung the words together. Listening for a turn of phrase, noticing the pacing taught me something about how to engage people in the story. Everyone in the place was fully present and everything outside of the theatre disappeared for those three hours. What a gift to be able to give, to be able to gather people in and take them on journey outside of themselves. Even better when the laughter bubbles up and cannot be contained. It refreshes the spirit. It beats a nap!
To the storytellers of our age, particularly Stuart McLean, thank you for telling us stories. Thank you for taking us to places only you could image and sharing them with us. Our lives are richer for the stories you tell!
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