USD Magazine, Fall 1995

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to realize that storytelling celebrates the fact that every storyteller has his or her own style." Reed makes sure students see a num– ber of styles by selecting a wide range of storytellers to address the classes. Many a.re full-time professional storytellers like Ferlatte, who performs at schools, libraries, workshops and storytelling festivals. "In the last 20 years, there's been a real resurgence in storytelling," says Reed. "The classes are about helping people see the diversity of storytelling and helping them develop their personal experiences and their own stories." The classes began seven years ago, when Reed and the Storytellers of San Diego, a local chapter of a national story– tellers organization, approached USD with the idea of co-sponsoring story– telling concerts on campus. After the resounding success of the first concert, the university asked the organization to develop a class to go along with the con– certs. Now the 13-week class, offered in the fall and the spring, is enlivened by four concerts that are open to the public. "The guest presenters teach the class on Thursday and then offer the concerts the following Saturday," says Rennie Block, an administrator in the continu– ing education program. "With the classes and concerts, USD has become the head– quarters for storytelling in the area." Although many of the class attendees are teachers seeking to improve them– selves professionally and earn continuing education credits, the cross section of students indicates that storytelling is an art that almost everyone can use.

"Our classes include businesspeople who want to make better presentations, speech pathologists who use stories with speech therapy, nurses, nannies and even bankers," Reed says. "We also get par– ents and grandparents who want to pass on stories or just be better storytellers for their children." Reed picks a different theme for each semester, enabling students to learn something new each time. Last semester's theme was "Heroes and Heroines: Stories for a Culturally Diverse Society." Past classes have touched on stories about science, moral issues and values, and also have explored folk tales and the relationship between the spoken and written word. "All human beings are storytellers," Reed says. "Even in today's high-tech world, the power of the spoken word is still important." For more information about USD's story– telling classes and concerts, call the School of Graduate and Continuing Edu– cation at (619) 260-4585. Storytelling concerts are scheduled for the Saturdays of Oct. 21, Nov. 18, and Dec. 9, 1995, and Jan. 20, 1996.

s professional storyteller Diane Ferlatte speaks, the class just sits there, eyes unfocused, jaws

slack, totally still. Although they look almost catatonic, they're not bored. In fact, they're more involved than students in most classes. "Storytelling is a whole brain activity. That's why you see that look on people's faces," says Vicky Reed, who for seven years has coordinated storytelling classes for USD's continuing education division. "You need half the brain for the words, the other half to convert the words into pictures. You have to be totally involved or else you'll lose the thread of the story." There's not much chance of the stu– dents losing that thread while Ferlatte speaks. As one of the dozen or so story– tellers that Reed brings in to address the storytelling class each semester, she teaches by example. While the students watch Ferlatte wind her way through several tales, alternately speaking in the voices of different characters, creating sound effects and even pantomiming, they also are learning the techniques that make up successful storytelling. "We're teaching students what makes a tellable tale," says Reed, noting that the way a storyteller speaks and moves is as essential as the plot, the setting and the characters. "The students come

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