Pippin - Spring into Summer 2017 1 Vol.21, No.1 A Grandmother's Tale: the story of Dorothea Viehmann by Ruth Danziger If you ever get a chance to follow the fairy tale road in and around Kas- sel Germany, I recom- mend you do it. This article is a result of re- search I carried out dur- ing my recent trip to the area of Hesse-Kassel where the Grimms Brothers lived and worked in the early 18th century and where they met the storyteller Dorothea Viehmann who lived there from 1755 to 1816. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to trav- el in the area and re- search her life, facilitat- ed by the Anne Smythe Travel Grant awarded by Storytelling Toronto in 2016. A likeness of Dorothea Viehmann created by the artist Berahna Massoum. The bust sits in a newly built square in the village of Niederzwheren, now known as the Fairy Tale Quarter of Kassel. There are many families with children "What you receive in the area and the square can be used for outdoor storytelling. from your ancestors, use it, treasure it, enjoy it, and then scribed upon it in old German. The another over the generations and we pass it on to those who come after." writer must have meant the house seldom know much about the tellers - House inscription, 1685 but I thought to myself, "What a who gave us the stories we enjoy In a Hessian village near Kassel great description of storytelling!" It is today. Germany, I came across a frame in the nature of oral storytelling that house with the above words in- tales are passed from one person to (Continued on page 10) A Grandmother’s Tale by Ruth Danziger ................................................. 1 House Concert by Sage Tyrtle ............................................................ 7 Editorial by Dawne McFarlane ............................................................................... 2 My Kind of Storytelling by Chana Mills ........................................................... 8 INSIDE Festival Reflections by Dawne McFarlane ........................................................... 3 Life’s Greatest Burden a story retold by chris cavanagh ................................. 9 Serious Laughs: Alan Shain Workshop by Michelle Tocher ................. 5 Breaking Spells by Michelle Tocher ........................................................................ 14 Telling True Stories by Marsha Shandur & Sage Tyrtle ............................. 6 Events ......................................................................................................................... 15 2 Pippin - Spring into Summer 2017 PIPPIN is the newsletter of Pippin Editorial—Spring 2017 Storytelling Toronto The air has been sweetened with there has been in such abun- the fragrance of purple lilac, pale dance that many have had to The Storytellers School of Toronto is a registered, non- pink apple blossoms, and cas- seek higher ground, a stark con- profit organization that cades of honey locust. Sandy trast to the drought of last year. provides a creative home for country roadsides dotted with All the snow the winter clouds a community of storytellers, listeners, and story-explorers. Our mission white strawberry blossoms are held back has been released it is to inspire, encourage and support now harbouring tiny green ber- seems. The days are long, our storytelling for listeners, tellers and those ries, and woodlands adorned shoulders softer, and spring is who have not yet heard. Since 1979 we have been providing courses and workshops; with trillium are now carpeted unfolding beautifully into sum- holding gatherings, festivals and events to with green. Bursts of warmth mer. Storytelling will move out- celebrate and present the art of have been tempered with long doors, under the shade of trees storytelling; supporting the creative work of cool stretches, inviting the blos- and the sparkle of summer storytellers; and producing publications about storytelling and storytellers. soms to linger. The palette of nights. This editorial looks for- tender and vibrant greens is ward, while this issue reflects more splendid than an impres- back on our Toronto Storytelling Pippin Editor Dawne McFarlane sionist painter could mix. Water Festival feast. Enjoy. Design/Layout chris cavanagh **NOTA BENE** Listings Marylyn Peringer Every Friday night Program Leaders Festival Director: Dan Yashinsky since 1978 storytell- Resident Teachers: Marylyn Peringer, Lynda Howes StoryFusion Cabaret: Heather Whaley and the Backseat ers and listeners Balladeers have been gathering Website: [email protected] in downtown Toron- Board of Directors 2017 to. Each evening is Sarah Abusharar Paul Robert (President) hosted by an accom- Karen Blair Leanne Saldanha Beth Cox (Treasurer) Molly Sutkaitis plished storytell- Kelley Prendergast er. Anyone is wel- Office Director Cristina Pietropaolo come to tell a story. © Storytelling Toronto Every Friday night is (formerly Storytellers School of Toronto) unique. Ph: 416-656-2445 Fax: 416-656-8510 www.storytellingtoronto.org Suggested donation: $5.00 Time: 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 601 Christie St., Suite #173 Toronto On M6G 4C7 Innis College Café 2 Sussex Street, Toronto. (corner St. George, one block south of Bloor St. www.1001fridays.org [email protected] W. St. George Subway - St. George St. exit) Pippin - Spring into Summer 2017 3 Festival Reflections by Dawne McFarlane into Karima Amin’s (Buffalo) rap for light or warmth or love. Dan Though snow swirled around us be- social justice. “You see something Yashinsky said “the more stories you fore and after the festival, spring was that needs to be changed- stand up, know, the more of a compass you surely heralded in with the great speak out, and do something about it have for navigating these times.” warmth generated at each festival - even if it’s a little bitty something.” Kung Jaadee, a Masset Haida, re- gathering. Friends new and old and Karima’s storywork in prisons has minded us “the land knows us- the remembered were greeted with gen- emphasized for her the importance land loves us unconditionally.” Her erous cheer. The richness of our of intervention language is dying. own community is always illuminated “on the front Her people were for me as we welcome artists from end,” in the almost wiped out afar. The diversity of local tellers and early grades after first contact, stories at the Gladstone Hotel made for children in from 10,000 to that clear, and many of us bemoaned traumatic situ- 500 people. She not being able to attend each other’s ations. During told us when she events when simultaneously sched- her first prison was seriously ill, uled. Nonetheless, encouragement storytelling gig she returned to rather than competition filled the she saw three Haida Gwaii and hallways, giving us all the opportunity of her former the land healed to appreciate this supportive com- students (she her. When I told munity. Hearts spilled open, sharing was a school my son about this, the unexpected catharsis and won- teacher) and he said he had der that unfolded after stories were neighbours. heard someone on told. “To deny their Karima Amin from Buffalo the radio say that The feast continued with an abun- humanity is to the epidemic of sui- dance of offerings from guests who deny ours...all stories speak of our cides among indigenous young peo- had travelled far and wide to join us. humanity and vulnerability.” ple is not a mental health issue, it is a For me it was difficult to choose the This theme continued to emerge reconciliation issue. nourishment I most needed, so here throughout the week. Heidi Ron Evans, a Metis elder and hon- are some delicious morsels from my Dahlsveen (Norway) said “telling ourary festival elder, said “the my- experiences to add to yours. Reflec- stories is giving life skills...the Norse thology is us.” He asked Jose Brown tions help me to di- mythology is depend- to sing an honouring song after his gest and integrate ent on our lives for “workshop;” her voice and the drum these gifts. Charlotte meaning.” She told us filled the chapel of Trinity St.Paul’s Blake Alston of the time when the church. Kung Jaadee’s singing and (Philadelphia) spoke gods wanted to build drumming filled the sanctuary with a of the griot as diplo- a wall around their welcoming song, and the rotunda at mat between fighting realm of Asgard, and the Royal Ontario Museum with a factions. “When you a stranger offered to song honouring salmon.The beauty personalize the expe- build it for the price with which they filled these grand rience, eyes are of “the sun and the religious and government edifices of opened in a different moon and the god- colonization was profound, as we way.” Not a dry eye dess of love.” As the gathered together on the traditional in the room when she wall was being built, land of the Mississauga people. showed us how she they realized not only Scientist Katy Payne (Ithaca) and does this with poetry would the wall keep musician Michael Pestel and song. Charlotte others out- it would (Connecticut) asked a different kind brought the beatbox keep them in, without of listening of us, as they gave voice Charlotte Blake Alston from Philadelphia 4 Pippin - Spring into Summer 2017 to humpback whales, ele- phants, and ex- tinct birds. “We live in a tiny box of our own per- ceptive abilities,” Katy said. As a girl she sang in a choir in front of a pipe organ. When the notes descended low enough she could no longer hear them but could feel their vibra- tions. This is how she “heard” the elephants calling, below the regis- ter of human hearing. How to address the con- stant threats to Kung Jaadee from Haida Gwaii the whales, the elephants, the natu- “music shimmered from his fingers.” bourfront the next day! A feast in- ral world? “Whatever you can do- And then- there was more at Har- deed. do it!” was her hopeful response. Michael’s response seems to be be- coming a bird, as he composes “Catalogue of Extinct Birds” and conjures the birds before us with his sounds and actions.