Day 4

Next week class will be conducted by guest storyteller/instructor, Gwenda LedBetter. In 1961 Gwenda LedBetter began work as a professional storyteller in Asheville, North Carolina. She worked as storyteller-in-residence for the public library and on local television as 'the story lady.' She has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival many times. In 2007, she was awarded the Circle of Excellence from the National Storytelling Network.

For class with Gwenda, please read the following stories from Joanna Cole, Best-Loved Folktales of the World:

Beauty and the Beast, page 8

Eros and Psyche, page 180

East of the Sun and West of the Moon, page 287

Class Notes for Tuesday, Feb. 2 "Ground Hog Day"
In class last night, we learned some basic string figures. The story of Cat's Cradles which goes along with the string game plus a couple of string "catches."

We also listened to most (not all) of the storytelling recording "Groundhogology" by Doug Elliot. For more on Doug, go to his website: www.dougelliott.com. To find a recording of Groundhogology and other recordings and books by Doug go to: http://www.dougelliott.com/products.html

As we go on into fairy tales, consider the following:

1. Pattern recognition. We use stories to think with and to create understanding by recognizing relationships among the stories we know and the experiences we face. The more stories you know, the more patterns in stories you will begin to recognize.

2. Patterns from the environment. In our consideration of the origins of narrative and the influences on our earliest ancestors, we discussed the notion that the contact with, experience of, and attention to the natural surroundings greatly influenced narrative thinking. In the processes of the environment we find the basic shapes of stories: caterpillar metamorphosis, seasonal cycles, and so on.

3. Patterns from the self. As we explore fairy tales, takes this consideration of the patterns in nature and extend it to include the patterns within - patterns from your own outer and inner life.

4. Spelling. Magic requires spelling. To release a "spell" you must put the right elements into the right relationship. This is what we do with letters. An example from class was to rearrange the 3 letters, T, R, A. From them we get: "Tar" "Rat" "Art" three radically different ideas ("spells") are created by the arrangement of the same elements. Storytelling requires an ability to "spell" with the patterns (motifs, tropes) that make up our stories.