Conversations With Storytellers

Martin Shaw, poet, storyteller, mythologist. Rooted deeply in the land, performing a vision quest, and following a path to storytelling, Martin Shaw uses language rich and imaginative. His style is deceptively simply but in telling his tales he pulls you in to a place deep within. I was asked to interview Martin by the publisher of his most recent book, "Courting The Wild Twin." I had not heard of this British storyteller, but on looking him up found I very much wanted to add his voice to my podcast. Highly intelligent, incredibly well-read, and very approachable Martin was a joy to spend time with. On listening to the interview as I edited it, I found he spoke on many different levels and realized the sheer depth to what he was talking about. This interview is worth listening to multiple times.

His website is: https://drmartinshaw.com/ and his school of mythology in England website is: https://schoolofmyth.com/

Odds Bodkin, the mythic maker. Odds Bodkin, is not just a medieval curse, but the name of one of America's greatest storytellers. His combination of gravitas, humor and music in his re-tellings of folk and fairy tales, myths and legends is, well, legendary here in America. Odds and I are neighbors and friends, I am lucky enough to say, and this conversation, sitting in his leather chairs, next to a crackling fire with a Christmas tree in the corner, was a delight. The interview was recorded a little bit before Christmas, with the heavy breathing and panting of Odds' dog, Samson.

Ed Stivender has been telling stories for a long time. I first met him at Jonesborough a couple of years ago, and thought he was such a nice man. He came across as a very quiet and private man which was the total opposite to the man I saw on stage. This interview, edited down from two hours, follows Ed's passion and life from when he first started telling tales (about how windows got broken at home) through his introduction to professional storytelling and his beloved Jonesborough, National Storytelling Festival, his books to his plans for future work.

Please enjoy this Conversation with Ed Stivender.

Diane Edgecomb was one of the first people I saw to make a big impression on me on the professional circuit. Part of it was to do with the workshop I took at the same conference and the detail, depth and compassion she has came out in her work on stage and with workshop participants. Although we have known each other for a long time, we have been skirted about each other, not intentionally, just never had the time to sit down together for more than five minutes. I have a lot of respect for Diane and her ethos, and ethics. I have never had a conversation with her that did not make me think, or get me more excited about our craft. So to spend an hour with her, in her home (thanks Tom, for letting me hang out with Diane for a morning) was wonderful! Please enjoy the thoughts and wisdom of Diane Edgecomb.

As I am collecting more conversations for the podcast through December (or at least getting a head start), I did promise some stories.

Here is the first: The Girl in Green adapted from Pu' Song Ling's Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. The book, which contains some amazing stories, was first printed in 1776, sixty one years after his death. It is a collection of literary tales, but are as fairy tale-like (if a little more grown-up, dark and, well, odd) as the work of Hans Christen Andersen.

This is not a story for children as there are adult themes.

The usual program will return in January!

Thanks for listening.

Simon Brooks

Milbre Burch is not just a storyteller, but a dancer, and theatre artist, has studied a lot, and has a remarkable and unshakable sense of humour. I first discovered Milbre for myself shortly after the falling of the Twin Towers on 9/11 in 2001. I purchased her CD Making the Heart Whole Again, a wonderful gift for anyone suffering from hate and intolerance. What she has not done? And what we did not talk about… We talk briefly about the Gullah people, those taken by force from their homes in Angola, to work on the rice plantations of SC way back when. She’s a Grammy nominee (wait til you hear who she was up against, if not sharing the table with), and also a scholar and an artist - so her witt is sharp!

Milbre is a wonderful human being. Her website is Kindcrone.com where you can find all of her CDs.

Tim Jennings and Leanne Ponder were tandem tellers, although to call them that does not fulfill what they really do! As they tell their well crafted stories, they talk over each other juggling with words, and phrases, switching characters. One would think the recorded stories were carefully produced in a studio to make it work, but most of thier recordings are done at live events.

Sadly Leanne has Alzheimer's and does not perform stories with Tim anymore, although sometimes plays music with him. It is incredibly sad that they can no longer perform live together. Their meeting, their working together, and Tim's passion of folk and fairy tales are all here. He talks about his influences, his solo work, Leanne's work and a little of his growing up.

I will be adding more on my Patreon site, but here is the interview, the conversation with Tim Jennings, and a little of Leanne Ponder.

This episode lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes.