Monday, May 10

6:30pm: SAM Feature

6:45pm: Rhyming Stories with Ken Parsons // Workshop
Come and learn to tell stories in rhyme,
It’ll take just over an hour and well worth your time.
Tall tales, legends or personal non fiction,
You’ll learn how to rhyme’em without any restriction.
And no need at all for you to leave home,
Or even get up off the sofa.
Just sign up for May the 10th Zoom Rhyming workshop,
With Story Arts of Minnesota.

Many years ago in Newfoundland Labrador, Canada, poetry and stories were the stand-up comedy of the day. Ken Parsons keeps this Newfoundland tradition alive with his “Recitations from Raisin Arm”, rhyming tall tales & heart warming stories from a fictional outport community.

8:15pm: Black Storytellers Alliance // Showcase
Black Storytellers Alliance focuses on the African and African American experiences; using those experiences as a rich source of the powerful often-humorous stories of a people’s humanity and creativity.

9:00pm: Perspective Stories
Larry Johnson - "The Last Fishing Trip"
At 46, cancer ended my brother's lifetime of mental health challenges. I offered to figure out how to pay later to take him anywhere in the world. His desire, the memorable "last fishing trip", was the lake in Lindstrom where our Grandpa took us as kids.
Larry spent most of his life telling stories to children and teaching them to tell, but he and Elaine Wynne also started the Metro State University course, STORYTELLING AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION ART, to help adults use personal experience stories in their work. They were invited twice to Sweden and Norway to help Scandinavian storytellers work with personal stories. When he turned 61, he did a 61 Mile Hike, and wrote SIXTY-ONE, mostly activist stories for adults. He is a volunteer with Veteran Resilience Project, and a storytelling advocate for better mental health care for veterans and the general population.

Lisa Marie Rude - "Why the Sea Has Salt" - The Impact of a Norse Folktale
Relating the story of a young man whose quest for food teaches him, his brother, and an old sailor the benefits and pitfalls of listening, and how too much of something is sometimes a burden. It further exposes the value of listening to understand, appreciating your circumstances, and letting go.
Lisa Marie Rude is a professor of history at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, MN. Before becoming a teacher, Rude participated in high school and college competitive forensics and coached and judged high school forensics for years afterward. As a history instructor, Rude is able to practice her love of storytelling by making the past come alive for her students everyday.

Sue Searing - It Takes a Village to Make Pork Buns - A True Story
I sign up for a Zoom cooking class and discover that I need a bamboo steamer. Through a neighborhood group I borrow one from a woman I've never met--and ruin it. The pork buns taste good, though, and the power of community brings warmth to our bleak COVID winter.
Sue Searing (suesearing.com) is an eclectic, Minneapolis-based storyteller who delights audiences of all ages with traditional folktales and true stories. Prior to the COVID shutdowns, Sue performed frequently at curated and open mic shows throughout the Twin Cities. In 2018 she took first place in the Great American Story Contest in Park Rapids, and her original stories are featured on “Stay Human,” a weekly program on KAXE/KBXE, Northern Community Radio. She serves on SAM’s board.

Tony Wentersdorf
I will tell how I started singing Bob Dylan songs, attended a very memorable Dylan concert at the St. Paul Civic Center in 1978, and won the 1993 Dylan Soundalike contest at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis.
My name is Tony Wentersdorf and I'm a Minneapolis musician, writer, and storyteller who has been telling personal stories for adults since 1983. I was born in Germany, emigrated to the U.S. at the age of nine, and often use music (especially the autoharp) to enhance my stories. I told stories at Seward Cafe from 1989-1999 and coordinated the Seward Storytelling Calendar from 1992-94. In 1993, I won the 6th annual Bob Dylan Soundalike contest at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis.

Bob Dancer
Bob married his wife, Bonnie, in 2012 when they were both senior citizens. On their honeymoon, they tried to execute a big ruse, that worked very well --- until it didn’t.
Bob Dancer is America’s premier video poker writer and teacher. He has been telling stories for approximately four years.

Tuesday, May 11

6:00pm: From Page to Stage with Katie Knutson // Workshop
Traditional stories pass down generational wisdom and help us reflect on our contemporary lives with historical perspective. Telling a folktale well requires work behind the scenes to bring the story to life. Join professional storyteller Katie Knutson as we practice fleshing out traditional stories to make them your own.

Professional Storyteller and Teaching Artist Katie Knutson used to travel the world to tell stories, lead workshops, and teach classes. She has delivered residencies, performances, and classes to around 40,000 children and adults and trained around 400 storytellers to perform online. She has recently completed a MN State Arts Board Grant with Bloomington Public Schools and is the Chair of the National Storytelling Network (NSN). Find out more about Katie and her company, Rippling Stories, at ripplingstories.com.

7:30pm: OUTspoken // Showcase
OUTspoken is a Twin Cities open mic designed to empower queer voices to share their stories through art. OUTspoken is an event produced by queer people for queer people, but all are welcome to attend.

E.J. Schoenborn [they/them] is a white nonbinary trans femme poet & puzzle maker from rural Wisconsin, currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their work has appeared in Button Poetry, Freezeray Poetry, Rising Phoenix Review, Voicemail Poems, and many more. They've competed at the National Poetry Slam, the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational, and the Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam. If you want to know more about opossums, poetry, and the Beale Cipher, send them a message on Instagram or Facebook.

Denzel Belin (he/him/his) is an actor, writer, director, producer, and improviser currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He’s a longstanding cast member and writer at The Brave New Workshop and is a staff writer for AWF Magazine and The Nordly. Denzel writes and performs with the all-queer sketch team Queer Window and is a member of Blackout Improv. He serves as the Artistic Director for Threshold Theater, a Minnesota-based theater company that focuses on producing fresh LGBTQ works.

Alice Paige (she/hers) is a trans woman, poet, and essayist living in St. Paul, Mn. Her writing largely focuses on topics like mythology, queer love, and using joy and an act of resistance. Her work can be found in FreezeRay Poetry, What Are Birds?, Crabfat Magazine, Coffin Bell, and Take A Stand, Art Against Hate: A Raven Chronicles Anthology. She is finishing her MFA at Hamline University and is a co-host for Outspoken, a Queer Open Mic.

8:15pm: Intro to Podcasting with Christy Marie Kent // Workshop
Reach global audiences by embracing the digital world. Storytelling is no longer confined to local theaters and difficult-to-book radio shows. This workshop will teach you how to produce your own independent podcast using equipment you already own and software you can obtain free (or inexpensive pro versions, if you prefer). In preparation, download your favorite podcast on your phone (I recommend the free Podcast Republic app on Android) or your computer and listen to a few episodes of your favorite podcast—I recommend This American Life, American Shadows, or This Imagined Life. Then come prepared to turn your own stories into digital entertainment …. because 2020 changed everything.

Christy Marie Kent is an author, editor, storyteller, and geek. She is the 2016 SlamMN! Grand Slam champion, runner-up in the Twin Cities Moth Grand Slam, and multiple-year Fringe Festival performer. Her books include Moonshine, Madness, and Murder, which was described by a reviewer as “50% murder mystery, 50% southern slice of life, and 100% bonkers—well done,” and Transgression, a transgender psychological thriller. Now that she works remotely full-time as a freelance editor, she is preparing to become a digital nomad, living at least part of the year in her RV as she travels the country, telling the stories of places in America in her upcoming infotainment podcast, History Road Trips.

Wednesday, May 12

6:00pm: COMPAS: Auntie Beverly // Showcase
Join COMPAS Teaching Artist Beverly Cottman (AKA Auntie Beverly) for a family storytelling performance! In this 25-minute video, Auntie Beverly shares a few of her favorite folk tales from African and African American storytelling traditions. Perfect for ages 3 and up.
COMPAS has been putting creativity into the hands of Minnesotans for almost 50 years. We’re not just a non-profit arts organization; we’re a non-profit education organization that teaches through art. Our professional Teaching Artists work alongside students, teachers, older adults, hospital patients, teens, and just about any other community member to spark their imaginations and infuse their lives with creativity.

6:45pm: Telling Social Justice Stories to Children with Larry Johnson // Workshop
This session explores the how and why of telling "important" social justice stories to children, thus creating early inspiration, hope and courage in the midst of inevitable hard times and issues. We'll look at the more "formal" performance spaces like bedtime, classrooms, campfires, museums, and more, but also the spontaneous, anecdotal, stories of the teachable moment. There will be a bibliography of children's books and sources which overtly convey peace, justice, and environmental messages. We'll also look at stories that can be made to do that, using the art of the "embedded message", a close cousin to the phenomenon that gives us hundreds of versions of hundreds of folktales. Finally, we'll use an experiential story circle to practice putting the heart into any story, written or personal, making sure those tales are primed whenever the children in your life are present.

Larry started telling stories in the 60s at camps he ran for socially challenged children, then did many storytelling school assemblies in the 70s. In the late 70s he started the Children's Hospital patient TV channel to make TV behave like a storyteller, and was invited to do a workshop in D.C. with Misterogers ("I Want To Talk With You About Important Things"). Larry spent 20 years as a Storyteller/Video Specialist in the Minneapolis schools, and taught numerous storytelling courses and workshops for teachers. He's been an environmental/social justice activist since the 60s and currently writes a monthly SUN POST column on the how and why of telling social justice stories to children.

8:15p Center for Hmong Arts // Showcase
CHAT exists to nurture, explore, and illuminate the Hmong American experience through artistic expressions.

9pm How Did You Get Here? Stories
Kanute Rarey - "Snow Sledding on Water Tower Hill"
When sheer delight turns to potential disaster as we try to re-capture what should be left behind.
Kanute Rarey is a story teller, poet, writer and teacher. He is the founder and producer of the monthly OPEN MIC Night - Stories on the Square in his hometown, historic Hayeville, North Carolina. He has lived in mountains of Georgia, North Carolina and Alaska combined for over thirty years. Kanute has been a storyteller since 2015 though family and friends would say “he has been telling stories all his life”.

Richard Munchkin
Richard ventures to Las Vegas after college with brilliant career plans that only a 22 year old can conceive.
Richard Munchkin is a writer, director, and performer. He is the author of "Gambling Wizards," and cohost of the podcast, "Gambling With an Edge."

Elaine Wynne - "Peter, our Veteran 'Good Uncle'"
Peter was a Family Fiend in Alaska. When her family left for Minnesota, Peter gave her the gift of a Gold nugget necklace, panned in the Alaskan Bush Country. One of her brothers nick named Peter "the Good Uncle"...
Life adventures in Alaska as a child and young adult led Elaine Wynne to meet indigenous tellers. She and Larry Johnson created Metro State's course, STORYTELLING AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION ART, teaching adults to use stories in their work. On their 2 storytelling tours in Norway & Sweden, she taught Scandinavian Storytellers and Therapists how to use personal stories for healing. Elaine, an EMDR Therapist, is Founder of Veteran Resilience Project where they tell stories to advocate for EMDR trauma therapy for Veterans.

Gwendolyn J. Napier - "Wings Too Heavy To Fly"
Personal Narrative. Story of Triumph, Defeat, Resilence, and Change during times like these "The Pandemic". Learning, Embracing, Challenging, and Discovering the "New Norms" of the 4-W's of Who, What, When and Where.
GWENDOLYN J. NAPIER, Storyteller for 15 years, Native of Atlanta, Teaching Artist for the Georgia Council for the Arts Teaching Registry. Retired Educator, Member of Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia, SOS, NABS, SAM, and others.

Thursday, May 13

6:00pm: Blue and Green Planet with Carol McCormick // Workshop
Carol believes everything and everyone are part of a living, loving Mother Earth. Storytelling can awaken, inspire, connect, and motivate people to act towards creating a healthy, safe planet. Folktales of individuals, communities, and governments who are restoring the ecology of our planet and mitigating the effects of Climate Change build courage and hope. Songs can also influence behavior. Carol will share a Resource Bibliography and Action List to heal and preserve our planet habitat and its life forms.

When Carol McCormick moved to Minnesota over 40 years ago she couldn’t find a fulltime teaching position. After attending a Career Clinic, she launched herself as an entrepreneurial Professional Storyteller. Carol views storytelling as powerful Discovery Learning. It can trigger heart-a-cracks, feed souls, spark imaginations, build community, create empathy, evoke compassion, and transport listeners to childlike joy, wonder, and imagination. www.carolmccormick.net

7:45pm: Strike // Showcase
Strike is a unique theater in Northeast Minneapolis that is dedicated to Storytelling, Spoken Word and Sketch Comedy. Strike plays in the places inside, outside, and bending these genres together. We are committed to the truth that everybody has a unique voice, and we believe in giving those voices space on our stage.

8:30pm: Recipes for Story with Richard Rousseau // Workshop
Recipe for Story Workshop examines the guidelines for telling stories to people with memory loss and how this experience increases understanding of the art of storytelling.

Richard Rousseau has been employed as an actor, director, playwright, and storyteller. Richard also has extensive experience working as a teacher and as a trainer and has utilized his storytelling techniques as an Interpreter for Mill City Museum. Rousseau was awarded the National Storytelling Network's Oracle Award for Creative Excellence.

Friday, May 14

6:00pm: Marshall Area Tellers // Showcase
The Marshall Area Story Tellers (MAST) are a group of local community members who share live storytelling performances. Since 2015, MAST has held shows in various venues around Marshall. Stories range from the mundane to the outrageous, from side-clutchingly funny to heart-wrenchingly profound. For more information, follow MAST on Facebook or check out our website at themast.org.

6:30pm: SAM Feature

7:00pm: Stories for Children Concert
Carol McCormick - “Care for the Earth”
“Care for the Earth” is a story Carol McCormick created to inspire children to be environmentalists.
When Carol McCormick moved to Minnesota over 40 years ago she couldn’t find a fulltime teaching position. After attending a Career Clinic, she launched herself as an entrepreneurial Professional Storyteller. Carol views storytelling as powerful Discovery Learning. It can trigger heart-a-cracks, feed souls, spark imaginations, build community, create empathy, evoke compassion, and transport listeners to childlike joy, wonder, and imagination. www.carolmccormick.net

Ingrid Bohn
Three butterfly brothers set out to play on a beautiful, sunny day. Suddenly, it starts to rain and they're getting wet. What should they do? Let's find out where they try and find shelter to stay dry.
Ingrid Bohn, an Interactive Theater and Storytelling performance artist, has engaged audiences of all ages through story, song, dance, and poetry. Her repertoire wields a vast array of folk & fairy tales, and mythical stories. Mrs. Bohn has performed in PA & NJ at a myriad of venues & festivals, conducted school workshops, and has appeared in several virtual stateside & global programs. Her career spans nearly a decade.

Vickijoan Keck - "The Story of Thornywalls"
Old man Thornvald is better known as Thornywalls because of the sharp briar bushes he plants around his yard to protect himself from the Mischief Makers. Things change after a child named Ruby gets her hair caught in the briars, creating an unlikely friendship.
Vickijoan Keck calls herself Vickijoan the Rainbow Lady when performing. She loves whimsical poetry and rhyme, play acting, and of course, storytelling! She also partners with The Baron of Bubble as his First Lady of Foam and does balloon twisting at festivals and events.

Teri Lott
The animals are in trouble! The rains have stopped. Plants are dying and the streams and rivers have all but dried up. What can they do? Who can help? Listen to The Turtle’s Gift to find out.
When Teri retired from teaching in 2013, she needed an outlet for her gift of gab and storytelling seemed to be a perfect fit. Then came 2020 and no live storytelling performances. So Teri embraced the virtual world and has now shared stories with folks as far away as India! She also collected some of her favorite stories and published two books – Lots of Tales and Lots of Tales, Too – which she sells on her website as well as on Amazon.

Phuoc Tran - "Why Ducks Sleep On One Leg?"
Have you ever wondered why ducks stand on one leg when resting or sleeping, while tucking the other up under their feathers? They also have the habit of sleeping with their heads turned around backwards and nestling into their feathers with one eye open, watching for predators.
Trần Thị Minh Phước is the first Vietnamese librarian in Minnesota. She shares her experiences and knowledge of Vietnamese culture at cultural events, storytelling programs, conferences, libraries, colleges and schools throughout the US. She is the author of the award-winningVietnamese Children's Favorite Stories, My First Book of Vietnamese Words and the upcoming All About Vietnam (July 2021). She lives in Minneapolis.

8:00pm: Annual Members' Meeting

8:30pm: Social Space

9:00pm: Festival Concert

Laura Packer
Laura Packer knows that the best way to the truth is through a good story. Whether folktale or true, epic or flash, her stories captivate, enlighten, and amuse audiences. She is the author of the award winning "From Audience to Zeal: The ABCs of Finding, Crafting, and Telling a Great Story", and has won multiple awards for her performance, coaching, and leadership including her 2020 induction into the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence. Laura has told, taught, ranted, raved, coached, consulted and considered storytelling around the world for almost 30 years. For her story and more, go to www.laurapacker.com.

Jim Stowell
IN MY WORK THERE IS ALWAYS LOVE, HUMOR, DANGER AND HOPE. Jim Stowell is an award winning professional actor, director, playwright and storyteller for fifty years. He has written and directed eleven full cast plays including, two children’s plays, three book adaptations and a Spanish language play. His book Traveling Light was published by Milkweed Editions. He wrote the book for a musical comedy running non-stop somewhere in America since 2005 and has grossed over $8,000,000,000, so far. His work has also been performed on National Public Radio, seen at The Sundance Film Festival, The Toronto Film Festival and 300 other venues around the USA and Canada. His adaptation for the stage of Tim O’ Brien’s book The Things They Carried has been produced in seven states including the state of New York in New York City in November 2019. “In 1990, The New York Times called Tim O’Brien’s ‘The Things They Carried’ essential fiction about Vietnam…moving beyond the horror to examine with sensitivity and insight the nature of courage and fear…” Jim Stowell’s adaptation accomplishes this and considerably more. His incisive writing brings O’Brien’s story to explicit, harrowing life.” Jim Stowell jrstowell@msn.com 651-380-8769

Danielle Daniel
Danielle is an actress, storyteller, author and educator. She believes creative arts can build strong learning communities. That our stories validate who we are, and connect us to our world. Through our stories we pass on our wisdom, values, courage, and faith to our children. She has performed in England, Germany, Italy, and Africa, and has been featured as a keynote speaker at many events. She is a roster artist with the Minnesota State Arts Board, Young Audiences, COMPAS, The Givens Foundation, Vocal Essence, and has completed The Kennedy Performance Arts Center "Artist as Educators" program, presented by Northern Iowa University.

Anne Shimojima
Anne Shimojima has been telling stories from her Asian heritage and around the world for over thirty-five years at such venues as the National Storytelling Festival and as Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center. Her family’s World War II incarceration camp story is her most requested work and she was invited to perform it in Tokyo in 2019 by the Japanese government. You can hear some of her favorite Japanese folk tales on her award-winning CD, Sakura Tales: Stories from Japan.

Nestor “the Boss” Gomez
Was born in Guatemala and came to Chicago Undocumented in the mid 80’s. He told his first story at a Moth story slam to get over the stuttering that plagued his childhood, since then he has won more than 60 Moth Slams. Nestor also created, host, produce and curates his own storytelling show 80 Minutes Around the World a show that features the stories of Immigrants and refugees from different parts of the world, their descendant and allies. 80 Minutes Around the World is also available as a Podcast. Nestor also published a collection of stories detailing his experiences driving for ride sharing title “Your Driver Has Arrived” To listen and subscribe to the podcast, to buy his book and to learn more about Nestor visit his website Nestorgomezstoryteller.com.

Saturday, May 15

TRACK 1:

9:30am: The Language and Literature Heritage of Somali Communities with Abdu Mahmud // Workshop
Do you know about the poet nation? In this informative workshop Abdu will explain and explore the history, heritage and traditions of literature and language in Somali and East African communities. All your questions answered!

Abdurrahman Mahmud is a storyteller and the founder of Twinist - a platform that advocates for and connects minorities and immigrants to millions of job opportunities - through volunteering and personal brand development, and an immigrant advocate in Minneapolis. Also he is the founder of City of Nations Storytelling Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota with the help of Mixed Blood Theatre. The studio uses theatre, film and storytelling devices to empower the residents of Cedar-Riverside of Minneapolis to be advocates for their health care, create a dialogue about community health and use art as a means for overcoming stigmas and obstacles with healthcare. Abdurrahman has a decade of management experience in various areas, including public health, humanitarian assistance, and human rights, as well as designing and implementing community-driven development initiatives.

10:30am: Green Card Voices // Showcase
Green Card Voices is a Minneapolis based, nationally growing nonprofit that connects immigrants and their communities through multimedia storytelling. We record the first person narratives of immigrants, and publish them in books, online and in traveling exhibits.

11:15am: Collecting Community Stories with Julie Walker // Workshop
We know and love the power of stories in our lives, but we don’t always consider the ways storytelling can be used to change inequitable structures disenfranchising marginalized community members. In this workshop, we’ll talk about a community organizing initiative recently started in a rural Minnesota town aimed to bring social change, all through the power of the story.

Julie Walker (she/her/Mx.) is a professor of Communication Studies, the assistant director of forensics, and the director of the Women’s Center and the LGBTQ+ Center at Southwest Minnesota State University. When she’s not teaching or coaching, Julie is doing community organizing work, starting (but often not finishing) projects around her home, and playing with her five rambunctious children. Julie is the co-founder of the Marshall Area Story Tellers, and she is constantly listening to storytelling podcasts to broaden her world.

12:15pm: George Floyd Memorial Square Video // Showcase
After the murder of George Floyd, there were a lot of questions bouncing around. It is really easy to sit back and judge any situation from afar, and I knew that the answers would be with the people close to 38th and Chicago. This video project provides up-close conversations with those who were impacted directly. These stories echo the love that is needed in Minneapolis, MN, and across our world.

1:00pm: Stories for Lobbying with Ben Walker // Workshop
To make changes in our communities we must approach problems from a variety of perspectives. One of the most effective ways to enact change is to lobby elected officials to craft legislation that helps your community. Doing this is not easy but the key is to gather a blend of statistical information with stories from community members and present it to legislators. Bringing the human element to problems can make legislators see the need for change. This workshop will outline the process of taking concerns of Minnesota citizens to a legislators by focusing on stories. Discussion will be encouraged.

Ben Walker is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies and the Director of Forensics at Southwest Minnesota State University. Ben lives in Marshall, MN with his spouse and kids.

2:00pm: #storyseeds, games, and other creative sparks
Did you know that play boosts creativity, connectedness, and problem solving in adults as well as kids? Everyone needs to play. Join Laura Packer for 90 minutes of creative play, games, improv and #storyseeds. You don't need a story, an idea, or anything other than a willingness to try something a little silly or new (although paper and pencil may be useful!). We'll have time to talk, share ideas, and get to know each other, too.

Laura Packer is a Minneapolis storyteller who believes that few things build bridges, break blocks, and create community like play. She has been practicing play, coaching creatively, telling improv and crafted stories, and spreading #storyseeds for almost 30 years. Find out more at laurapacker.com

3:45pm: Closing Story Circle
Bring your favorite seven-minute (or briefer) tale and your listening ears. Don't have a story to share? We invite you to watch and listen!

All stories are welcome, including traditional tales and original true stories. Both experienced and new storytellers are welcome. We ask that you offer content warnings if the story might be challenging, and that you let others know if they can retell it.

TRACK 2:

9:30am: Betwixt and Between Stories
Julie Walker
Being a parent never goes how we plan, but becoming a parent can be just as wild of a journey. Learning your newborn needs an surgery to correct a skull defect really goes outside expectations. Join Julie as she learned to trust her body and let her guard down.
Julie Walker (she/her/Mx.) is a professor of Communication Studies, the assistant director of forensics, and the director of the Women’s Center and the LGBTQ+ Center at Southwest Minnesota State University. When she’s not teaching or coaching, Julie is doing community organizing work, starting (but often not finishing) projects around her home, and playing with her five rambunctious children. Julie is the co-founder of the Marshall Area Story Tellers, and she is constantly listening to storytelling podcasts to broaden her world.

phillip andrew bennett low
This is the story of how I performed the ritual of bai san (hiked up a mountain by my ancestral village and performed a pig sacrifice to my ancestors at my great-grandfather's grave) punctuated by reminiscences about my childhood, about drinking with show-business colleagues, and about the ridiculous contrast between this ancient ceremony and my very westernized upbringing.
phillip andrew bennett low is a Chinese-American playwright and poet, storyteller and mime, theatre critic and libertarian activist. His solo performances have won acclaim from Minneapolis to Atlanta, New York to LA -- even as far as Melbourne, Australia. He was the co-founder of the Rockstar Storytellers (a supergroup of bestselling Twin Cities spoken-word artists), founder and producer of the touring theatre troupe Maximum Verbosity, and founder and host of the country's only recurring open-mic dedicated to speculative fiction, The Not-So-Silent Planet, and its associated podcast. He has published two humor collections, Indecision Now! and Get Thee Behind Me, Santa.

Ahmay Ya - "The Two Leaders: One Wise and One Foolish"
This story is a traditional Karen Folktale going to the heart of how personal responsibility and environmentalism is viewed in the Karen Culture.
Ahmay came to the US in 2009 as a refugee from Myanmar. Ahmay has worked tirelessly to support the Karen community and Minnesotan families. Ahmay earned her Masters of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is a social worker with Ramsey County Social Services, an author, a community leader and an activist, helping families in Minnesota to obtain safely, well-being and stability. In Ahmay's free time, she is a writer, photographer, hiker, bike trail rider, and community support advocate/activist.

Loren Niemi
It was the fulfillment of a life-long dream right up to the moment he fastened the safety belt and started the engine for the 4th of July demolition derby. The next five minutes were everything he had witnessed and nothing like he had imagined.
Loren Niemi is an innovative storyteller, poet and author who has been creating, collecting, coaching, directing, performing, teaching and writing about stories that matter for over four decades now. His work has been called “post-modern,” “with a dark beauty of language that is not ashamed of poetry.” In 2016 he received the National Storytelling Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award. For more Info: www.lorenNiemistories.com

10:30am: SAM Game
Some stories are told over time by more than one person. Story Arts MN is inviting you to participate in a story building game using postcards to share prompts and responses. It's as simple as sending out your piece of the story and getting another back. Or is it? Tune in and find out....

11:15am: Comfort Stories
Richard Rousseau - "Cures"
My personal story, Cures, recounts my journey to connect with my long-lost uncle and in the process of improving his eyesight, two people gain their vision.
Richard Rousseau has been employed as an actor, director, playwright, and storyteller. Richard also has extensive experience working as a teacher and as a trainer and has utilized his storytelling techniques as an Interpreter for Mill City Museum. Rousseau was awarded the National Storytelling Network's Oracle Award for Creative Excellence.

Howard Lieberman - "Dr Lieberman Meets Covid"
Nationally known storyteller Howard Lieberman moved from Brooklyn to bucolic Stillwater MN in 1990. His jaded yet surprisingly tender style has made him a favorite on the storytelling scene.

Mary Bemker - "Who Me? Yes, I'm the Nurse"
We often have experiences that make us grow, and many times we are not aware of the differences we can make in others' lives and our own. For this telling, the focus will be on the impact of little things fom my nursing career that made major differences. Too often we think of blessings as major feats, and yet small exchanges can lead to monumental outcomes.
Mary Bemker has been a nurse for over 30 years. She has worked in hospitals, community and education. Mary enjoys storytelling as a way to thread change, understanding and community between individuals.

Gregory Pickett
Originally from Chicago, IL, Gregory Pickett is a Minneapolis-based poet, storyteller, writer and educator known for turning the difficult events of his adolescence and early adulthood - homelessness and substance abuse- into engaging, accessible narrative that bridges the gaps between us. After studying writing at Chicago State University, he has gone on to win several awards which include: first-place finalist in the 2019 National Storytelling Festival Story Slam, 2019 Twin Cities: The Moth Storytelling Grand Slam Champion, 2019 and 2017 Minneapolis SlamMN! Storytelling Grand Slam Champion, 2014 and 2009 Rootabaga Poetry Slam Champion in Galesburg, IL.

12:15pm: St. Kate's Storytellers // Showcase
Enjoy a showcase of stories told by students in Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen's Storytelling class in the Master of Library and Information Science Program at St. Catherine University. Featuring four stories spanning roughly 20 minutes, this compilation can be categorized into non-fiction, horror, and fantasy. Fascinating characters featured in these stories range from a wily cat, a home intruder, a magical chair, a bear (bare) man, and more!

1:00pm: Show Don't Tell with Amy Salloway // Workshop
NOTE: This workshop requires a separate (still free) registration. Register here for this workshop.
“Show, don’t tell” is the #1 favorite piece of narrative advice from writing and storytelling instructors everywhere…but why? What does "show, don't tell" mean? In this workshop, we’ll learn the value of “showing” (creating immersive action); the neurological science behind its effectiveness; and we’ll practice the craft through in-class exercises, readings and discussion. This workshop is guaranteed to be fun and free of intimidation!

Amy Salloway is known for using humor to strip the stigma from experiences we don’t like to talk about. Her award-winning autobiographical solo plays have toured the US and Canada, and she’s a regular on the national podcast "Risk!" Since 2015, Amy has been the Midwest instructor for The Story Studio, where she offers both public and corporate storytelling workshops as well as one-on-one coaching for every type of narrative work. Feel free to visit Amy’s under-updated website www.amysalloway.com, or the much more current www.facebook.com/awkwardmomentonstage.

2:30pm: Not-So-Silent Planet: A Speculative Open-Mic // Showcase
Have you ever imagined a world whose laws of physics differed from our own? Welcome to the country's only recurring open-mic dedicated to speculative fiction: fantasy, sci-fi, and supernatural horror! Tune in, and hear about places of which you've never dreamt.