The Apple Seed

The last months of the year are marked by a pretty special spirit of generosity. As the leaves fall from the trees and the snow piles up on the sidewalks, there’s something in the air that reminds us to be giving. The best way to warm ourselves against a dreary winter is to see the good in the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson once advised, “cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” Stories included in this episode: 

Harvest

Every year, a young Kevin helps his grandparents prepare for the Fall Harvest feast. To learn more about Kevin Kling visit www.kevinkling.com

The Grateful Life

A song about having an appreciative eye toward life performed by The Yellow Room Gang. To find more of their music visit yellowroomgang.com

So-and-So and Son

A Thanksgiving anecdote from Sam Payne himself.

Abundant Blessings

Davy Crockett, sibling rivalry, sweet potato casserole help a little boy learn about getting far more than you deserve in the Thanksgiving story about Abundant Blessings. To find more of Dolores Hydock's work visit www.storypower.org

A Baker's Dozen

An Italian tale about preparing for the most wonderful time of the year, and a reminder that a little generosity goes a long way. To learn more about Antoinette Griffin visit www.storieswithantoinette.com

The Gift

A bilingual English/Spanish tale about a long time ago when the sun went away and how people learned to be more mindful of the world around them. To learn more about Michael Katz visit www.storytellermichael.com

Stories about children learning about life from adults. Included in this episode:

Learning From Grownups

The most poignant lessons we can learn often happen in quiet, simple situations. To learn more about Sheila Arnold's work visit www.mssheila.org

Winning and Losing

There is pride to be had in winning and wisdom to be found in losing. To learn more about Donald Davis visit www.ddavisstoryteller.com

Stories included in this episode: 

Mrs. Lunchroom Lady

What was your favorite school lunch? Learn more about Bill Harley and find more school stories by visiting www.billharley.com

The Great Blizzard of 1888

The Great Blizzard of 1888 was one of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the United States of America. Referred to as the "Great White Hurricane," many men, women, and children banded together to survive after many local, nationl, and emergency services were lost. To learn more about Pippa White and find more historical stories visit www.pippawhiteonecompany.com

Come with Me and Be Free

From a collection of stories called "People Who Made a Difference, Vol. I," Kate Dudding shares the story of good people setting an example and a precedence for generations of children. To learn more about Kate Dudding visit www.katedudding.com

Moving Day

A song that captures the melancholy of a youthful move. Find more Bill Harley songs by visiting www.billharley.com

Stories included in this episode:

Hogeye

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To learn more about Kevin Carr, visit www.kevincarr.org

Evergreens

A story that breathes new life into some of our favorite plant pals. To learn more about Odds Bodkin visit www.oddsbodkin.net

Cracker Jack

Baseball is America's pastime. To learn more about Adam Booth visit www.adam-booth.com

Hairyman

An Appalachian tale about a well-known cryptid. To learn more about David Holt visit www.davidholt.com/storytelling

The Correctional Academy

Geraldine was once the chaplain of one of the largest men's prisons in Maryland. To learn more about Geraldine Buckley visit www.geraldinebuckley.com

According to Forbes.com in an op-ed article, "Storytelling has become a top-of-mind issue in recent times, as technology has democratized the power to share our stories with the world. The fact that it continues to be a pressing issue in today’s age of collaborative commerce is no surprise. What is, however, is the attention it is finally getting as a business competency that drives emotional engagement and resulting enhanced business performance."

In this episode, listen to conversation between business storytellers and entrepreneurs who utilize narrative in their practice. Interviews included in this episode:

Daxson Hale, Head Writer at Big Door Productions

Big Door is a creative agency for startups and young companies needing product launch videos and clever commercial work. They have locations in both Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah where technology and innovation are rapidly rising. Their staff is made up of a creative bunch who aim to fascinate the world. Daxson Hale is their Head Writer. Visit www.bigdoornetwork.com to learn more.

Karen Dietz and Barry Releford, Business Storytellers

Karen Dietz, PhD., owner of Just Story It is a consultant, facilitator, trainer, and story coach who works with leaders and executive teams to cultivate and tell their most compelling stories in their organizations. Karen is the former Executive Director of the National Storytelling Network. Learn more about business storytelling by visiting www.juststoryit.com.

They say that in this life, it’s not about the destination it’s all about the journey. So today, we’ve got some stories about travelers who, despite being worn and weary, find delight in the journey as it goes off the beaten path and turns into something much more. Stories included in this episode:

Stay on the Road

If this were a superhero comic, this would be his origin story. To learn more about Tim Lowry visit www.storytellertimlowry.com

Night at Water Oaks

A story about a vacation that turned out to be a little more work than relaxation. To learn more about Beth Horner visit bethhorner.com

If you’ve been around long enough on this earth, you learn pretty quickly that there are at least two sides to every story—maybe even more! So on today’s episode, we’d like to offer you some lesser known insights on classic stories and let you decide for yourself which version of “the truth” suits you best. There are always multiple perspectives to any story. In the end, who is right? Stories included in this episode:

A Tale of Curses, Blessings, and Bee Stings

Blessings and curses can be two sides of the same coin. Joel ben Izzy tells us why. To learn more about Joel ben Izzy visit storypage.com

The Rahjah's Question

The story of the blind men and an elephant originatied in the Indian subcontinent. From there it has widely diffused and teaches about perceptions. The parable has crossed between many religious traditions and is part of Jain, Buddhist, Sufi, Hindu, and Baha'i lore. To learn more about Odds Bodkin visit www.oddsbodkin.net

Hansel and Gretel

In 1812, the Brothers Grimm published the German fairytale, Hansel and Gretel. Over the centuries the story of a young brother and sister has been retold and adapted into various media—most notably, the 1893 opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. This is a revisionist approach by Ed Stivender. To learn more about Ed Stivender visit edstivender.com

Hansel and Gretel

In 1812, the Brothers Grimm published the German fairytale, Hansel and Gretel. Over the centuries the story of a young brother and sister has been retold and adapted into various media—most notably, the 1893 opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. This is a postmodern approach by Ingrid Nixon. To learn more about Ingrid visit www.ingridnixon.com

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

This Norwegian fairy tale was collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr, first published between 1841 and 1844. This is a classic telling of the story by Jim Weiss. To learn more about Jim visit www.jimweiss.com

Under the Bridge

This Norwegian fairy tale was collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr, first published between 1841 and 1844. This is a postmodern retelling of the story by Anne Rutherford. To learn more about Anne Rutherford visit www.annerutherford.com

The number of stories within our collection-- housed in our beloved CD cabinet and an enormous hard drive-- is well into the thousands. This episode covers all kinds of genre conventions, and today’s hodge-podge of stories is a great survey of childhood anecdotes, folklore, and fairy tales. Stories included in this hour:

Bottle Rockets

A classic Bil Lepp yarn that is, in part, about the consequences of good intentions. To learn more about Bil Lepp visit www.leppstorytelling.com

Doodies Revenge

An anecdote from a collection entitled "My Bad Bad Dog and Other Neighbors," this story is about glimpses into universal truths about childhood bullies, sledding, and siblings. To learn more about Norah Dooley visit www.norahdooley.com

Little Bread Riding Hood

A track from The Storycrafters that combines two of our favorite things: carbohydrates and fairy tales! To learn more about The Storycrafters visit www.storycrafters.com

Azeban and the Rock

An Abenaki tale about a trickster figure who comes in the form of a raccoon named Azeban. To learn more about Jim Bruchac visit www.jamesbruchac.com

In the first part of this hour, singer-songwriters Lacey Williams and Debra Fotheringham sit down with Sam Payne to discuss songwriting, storytelling, and give us other behind-the-scenes insights to their premier performance of "The Maybelle Series." This singer-songwriter series, highlighting the work of female musicians particularly, had its first performance at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo, Utah. Other stories and songs included in this episode:

Streets of Sarajevo

A song from John McCutcheon, a master at music and narrative, about creating art in the midst of turmoil and conflict. To learn more about John McCutcheon visit

Mama Said

An original song performed by Kim Weitkamp & The Broken Bucket Band at the National Storytelling Festival from the folk operetta "The Ballad of Ronnie Calloway." (Click here for part 1. Click here for part 2.) Learn more about Kim Weitkamp by visiting www.kimweitkamp.com

Product of the Past

A Utah native and descendant of Mormon pioneers puts his heritage into song.

Denis Zwang's Saxophone Prayer

Sam Payne shares a story about friendship, connecting through story and song, and memory.

In Studio 6, ghost and ghouls gathered for an evening of stories perfect for the month of October. For this episode, Sam Payne was joined by Suzanne Christensen of The Acting Company, and Acting Company members and alumni, Noah and Leah Kershisnik, to breathe life into frightening fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, Giambattista Basile, and Andrew Lang. Sam Payne & company, and our live studio audience were joined by musicians Julianne Brough and Rachelle Griffiths who serenaded us with spooky songs and murderous music.

Stories and songs included in this episode:

The Elf of the Rose

First written by Hans Christian Andersen, this fairy tale was translated from Danish to English in 1930 by M.R. James. "In the middle of a garden there grew a rose tree which was quite full of blossoms, and in one of these, the prettiest of them all, lived an Elf: he was such a little tiny thing that no human eye could see him...."

Julianne

This folksong, made famous by the New Christy Minstrels, is about a spurned lover and performed Julianne Brough and Rachelle Griffiths. "Have you seen her in the moonlight, silver rings upon her hand? Now she wears a crown of sorrow and her name, and her name is Julianne."

Long Black Veil

This country ballad, told from the point of view of an executed man falsely accused of murder, has been covered by a variety of artists in country, folk and rock styles. You might know it best as it is sung by Johnny Cash. "Ten years ago, on a cold dark night, someone was killed, 'neath the town hall light..."

The Young Slave

This Italian literary fairy tale was written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone. Variants of this story include Sleeping Beauty, The Glass Coffin, and even elements of Snow White are present in this classic fairy tale about a little girl named Lisa.

The Princess and the Chest

This Danish fairy tale was included by Andrew Lang in The Pink Fairy Book in 1897. Variations of this archetypal story include The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Kate Crackernuts. Sam Payne and company utilize handmade foley materials to produce sound effects that bring the story of the princess and her sentinel to life.

Shadow

An original song for the autumnal season written and performed by Rachelle Griffiths and Julianne Brough.