Conversations With Storytellers

Welcome to part two of my conversation with British storyteller, Amy Douglas. If you haven’t listened to part one, I would recommend you do. It will introduce you to Amy, and how she ended up here. Amy lives in Shropshire, England, and has been telling stories since she was a wee lass. In this, part two, of my conversation with Amy, we talk about Duncan Williamson, the Norse myths, in particular,...

Amy Douglas and I met on-line during the COVID pandemic, and then I went to visit her on a recent trip to the UK.  We got on really well, and I felt that people out there, really need to hear her voice and know more about her.  Amy Douglas was introduced to storytelling at a very young age. She was telling stories to strangers by the time she was 14, and after college and a career in colour polyme...

This Conversation is with Mary Hamilton who is a storytelling veteran of 42 years at this point (2025). She has written a book on Kentucky folk tales, through a fellowship, and has won a number of awards, including the Kentucky School Media Association for her work in schools. Mary is not just a storyteller but also a producer. We talk about hard stories, and braiding stories and self-reflection....

It's smoking hot today, Tuesday 24th. For June we are breaking all records so far. It's 33 degrees C, 92 degrees F. Although the humidity started high at 77%, it has dropped down to 50 % for which the pets and myself are thankful. Moe and I did not get to do a big walk because of this, however, we did find a pool which kept us cool, at least for a while! This old folktale "Three Heads in the Well"...

Hello friends! Here we are with our latest episode of Conversations with Storytellers. I think/hope you will like this episode, and if you are traveling this weekend, it will keep you, hopefully, entertained for a little more than an hour. And if you are not traveling, same thing applies! Margaret Read MacDonald - what isn't there to say about her - storyteller, writer, librarian, inspiration, sou...

Csenge (pronounced Chen-gah) Zalka, is one of our younger storytellers, but also one of those whose work goes deep. Csenge is from Hungry and she works with primary source, archival material to create the work she presents. Csenge is the first International Hungarian storyteller, she spent a year in the USA studying storytelling, had published her book at age 27, created an international festival...

Ben Haggerty is one of the premier storytellers from the UK, one of the founders of the London based Crick Crack Club. He has run and created festivals and was a major force in helping the UK storytelling renaissance. He has mentored many tellers, and even written a graphic novel. He brought Duncan Williamson, Scottish traveller storyteller, to English audiences, amongst others. I don’t want to sp...

Hi friends, I am moving my other podcast, this podcast, Lindyline, a story podcast to this channel. A sort of two for one. It began as a very long story then turned into short episodes of stories and poems for children, and adults who wanted to unwind (so I have been told)! This episode is a very gently changed (for the telling) Timothy Tabbycat a story first published in 1947, written under the p...

Dan Yashinsky is a self-proclaimed ex-hippy, originally from California, he is young at heart and has been telling stories for as long as he can remember. His interest was telling stories for adults and because if you don’t have a venue for telling stories, one needs to make one. Dan created several venues for telling. He has written and edited books, won countless awards and is a very well-respec...

Shonaleigh comes from an old Jewish tradition.  Hailing from Britain, she is a Drut'syla (pronounced Dreet-zella). who was taught around 3,000 stories by her Bubbe, Eldith Marks. These stories are told traditionally in cycles. Some stories are short, but some are incredibly long. They make the Odyssey look like a Saturday morning cartoon. Shonaleigh was a delight to chat with, and I hope you enjoy...

Antonio Rocha has created a masterful piece of storytelling about a slave ship called Malaga. There is a connection between the ship and Antonio and this plays into his telling. I cannot wait to share this conversation with you. Antonio began life as a mime, then became a storyteller. In 2020 he discovered a story about a slave ship which was built in Maine, where he now lives, and operated betwee...

I have been seeing and bumping into Fran Stallings for a long while and have had one or two conversations with her and we have talked about doing this for a long time. On this episode, unfortunately there is a popping sound from, I think, Fran's microphone. It came over on the recording and I couldn’t always get rid of it. Apologies for staticky tech! Also, we talked about suffragettes and I mis-s...

Joseph Bruchac is one of the preeminent Native storytellers in the USA. He is part Slovak and part Abenaki. He is a keeper of Native traditional tales, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., told poetry with Robert Bly and is one of my favourite storytellers and writers. Did you know he drove (and maybe still drives) a Harley, and taught in Ghana? Now you do! Find out other fascinating things about...

Raised in Clayton, New York, Regi Carpenter came from the school of scrappy, studied music, but became a storyteller! Although steeped in folk and fairy tales, myths and legends, she also tells deep personal narrative. Digging deep in the well of truth she brings her love of language to all the tales she tells, and shares with us her two very different processes on learning stories, whether it’s a...

I had been hearing about Doug for a while, and then heard his harmonica at a festival, then briefly met with him at said festival. I bought one of his CDs and loved what he did, and decided we should hear his voice here! Doug is a humble man with a deep knowledge of the woods, marshes, swamps, rainforests and a deep desire to show the human connection with the world about us through storytelling....

I first heard Michael D McCarty, laugh. It was in a far off room so I followed the sound and listened to him impart joy and happiness upon all around him. There was, and is, some sort of magical aura he gives off, and it is quite wonderful. Originally from Chicago, and now of Los Angeles, Michael first wanted to be a physicist, or an astronaut, and became a Black Panther, an acupuncturist, and sto...

Eldrena Douma (pronounced Dow-MAH) is of the Tewa, Hopi and Laguna people of the South West. This, part two of another two part interview, covers Why Native American stories should not be told by those not within their community. Over the course of the two episodes we talk about story and what story means to the Pueblo people. Eldrena also talks about her (great?) grandmother who pretty much saved...

Eldrena Douma (pronounced Dow-MAH) is of the Tewa, Hopi and Laguna people of the South West. This, part one of another two part interview, covers a lot of history of Eldrena's upbringing, and growing up between Winslow and First Mesa. Over the course of the two episodes we talk about story and what story means to the Pueblo people and why some First Americans do not like their stories told outside...

This is part two of the Conversation with Joel ben Izzy. If you haven’t listened to part one, please do so, as you won’t know what’s going on. The last episode ended on a cliff hanger! Joel hales from the West Coast, living in California. He’s been telling stories for a long time. Then he lost his his voice with thyroid cancer. This is part one of his journey, process and love of tales. Filled wit...

Joel ben Izzy is a storyteller from California and has been telling stories for a long time. Then he lost his his voice with thyroid cancer. This is part one of a long conversation of his journey, process and love of tales. Filled with stories, compassion and a lot of joking around, this is part one of two episodes with Joel. Joel’s website: https://www.storypage.com/

Sebastian Lockwood is not British, although he sounds VERY British. Sebastian is one who tells the Epics! From the Odyssey and Gilgamesh to Beowulf and beyond. Sebastian raised an owl, talks about getting into trance when storytelling and about being twice born. Our conversation took place in a small cabin in New Hampshire sitting next to a stove, crackling away and amongst all this we also talked...

In this episode we conclude the conversation with Alton Chung, a Japanese-Korean storyteller who grew up with the stories, superstitions, and the magic of the Hawaiian Islands. If you missed part one, please go back and have a listen, it is fascinating. Tales about World War II fighters from the Asian-American people, and people of Hawaii, amongst other things like ghost stories. In this episode w...

Alton Chung is a very funny guy, a scientist, an computer guy, theater tech but really a storyteller! We’ve only met once or twice and I have always enjoyed his company.  Alton is a Japanese-Korean storyteller who grew up with the stories, superstitions, and the magic of the Hawaiian Islands. Our conversation led us through the history of Japanese-Americans and Hawaiians in WWII, ghost stories and...

Judith Heineman and I met years ago at Sharing the Fire, the North Eastern Storytelling Conference and bonded over dark chocolate. It was at a time when I always had some and some other person let her know! Judith began her career as a poet and actor, and has gone deep with her work as a storyteller. She's worked with musicians and museums! We talk about research, books, kids, energy, and the jitt...

Lorna and I have bumped into one another at a few conferences and festivals, but I heard her play her harp and tell stories at Sharing the Fire, here in the North East. She blew me away. Awardwinner, author, musician, and storyteller, Lorna is one of our gems. Join me to hear about how families need to be held together and how healing can work. And how you can begin learning a musical instrument a...