By: Karyn Page-Davies
Stone Soup Story Telling
The Stone Soup Storytelling Institute has some stories for you. Stories of legends, folklore, fairy tales, fables, mythology… and stories that extend into history, personal narrative, education and information, self-revelation, and transformation. Stories that may present in the form of narrative and spoken word or music, art, dance, or theater.
A little history: Education has always been an important aspect of the Woodruff community. The first branch library in Spartanburg County, The Timrod Library- a “reading room”- was built in Woodruff. A piece of history still standing- next to the Woodruff Branch of the Spartanburg County Library. Local resident Dixie Page, one of the Timrod librarians and a storyteller, can tell us about the Timrod Library, growing up in Woodruff, and how she became a storyteller.
Dixie Page is one of the matriarchs and icons in our local storytelling community. Dixie reminds me of two remarkable storytellers- Jackie Torrance and Elizabeth Ellis.
Jackie Torrance was the queen of “Jack” tales. Elizabeth Ellis is one of the pillars of personal narrative.
Stories are powerful and many times impact our lives. Here is what stories can do, follow along…
Jackie Torrance grew up in North Carolina. Jackie heard stories from her grandfather that were told to him by his own father, a former slave. Her grandfather shared the Br’er Rabbit parables and other African-American tales that had been passed along from generation to generation by descendants.
In 1972, Jackie substituted as a storyteller for a librarian at a local library, and “a star was born.” Jackie’s reputation ballooned!
With a treasure chest of well-versed tales from her Appalachian, Cherokee, and African-American heritage, Jackie told ghost stories, tall tales, “Jack” stories about adventures of Jack and the Beanstalk fame, Uncle Remus tales and “jump” stories that would make you jump out of your seat.
What a success! Jackie appeared on Late Night television with David Letterman and CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt. (You have to go way back a way to remember these guys.) Corporations like Disney Productions, Steven Spielberg’s Dream Works SKG, IBM, General Motors, and AT&T hired Jackie to inspire their creative teams and salesmen.
Then, there are those like Elizabeth Ellis that may change someone’s life with a story. Designated as an American Masterpiece Touring Artist for the National Endowment of the Arts, Elizabeth was interviewed this past year at the 50th National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, to talk about storytelling as an art form and a career. During the interview, Elizabeth asked a question- When you plant hope, hope grows; if you plant despair, it grows.
SO, WHERE DO YOU PLANT HOPE? Elizabeth Ellis plants hope in the ear of every listener, wherever she tells, and in future generations of tellers. Elizabeth plants hope by inspiring us all to tell our stories because we never know what story someone needs to hear.
Where will you plant hope? We will see you at the 2023 Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, April 21-22!
Author: Tracy Sanders
