July, 2010

Just had a great return visit to the CRY Festival in Columbia, MO, an event that I helped start in the 70s, and for which I was a songleader for 17 years. Some of my songs are still in use; and some of the traditons still in place.

The DVD recording session of a live storytelling concert went well. Thanks to all who shared in the afternoon. I will let everyone know when the editing and dubbing is finished and copies will be available.

May, 2010

What a fantastic Spring! I was able to tell at the Cape Girardeau, Mid Missouri, and St. Louis Festivals. I was honored to be featured teller at St. Louis, and I think tell to my largest audience ever--800 people at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL. And, it was a special privilege to tell with some great national tellers. I have some new stories that are developing as they are being told; and hope to have a recording session in June. More about that later.

November, 2009

What a wonderful October, with the opportunity to share 13 individual performances, including the Kansas City Storytelling Celebration. I enjoyed all the scary tales, including my gig at the Columbia LIbrary and my 5th annual telling at the Howard County Library (and booked for next year). I was inspired to create two new stories this fall; and now beginning to think about a new CD and/or DVD this coming winter.

September, 2009

The last KOMU-TV Pepper and Friends show was Friday, Sept. 18 (I appeared on a taped interview), and my last appearance live was Sept. 15. Kids Korner has been a wonderful run for over 15 years, and now an end of era. I will be appearing on Radio Friends with Paul Pepper, a new KBIA radio show that will be podcast. Listen and watch October 14 8:50 a.m., and December 24--keep posted.

August, 2009

The August House Book of Scary Stories is now out. I am honored to have a story in a collection with so many great Tellers! Check out the August House site on Facebook. As summer is ending and school season is upon us, I am looking forward to engagements for fall. October has always been great for scary and mysterious telling.

June, 2009

The Seamless Storytelling Summit at Pigeon Forge, TN was a great time for planning what we storytellers need to do to tell other institutions about the importance of storytelling (education). Wilderness Road Festival in Reeds Spring, MO was once again an adventure in telling for an audience connected to the historical development of the region. When I was telling "Jack and the Haunted House" at the Diabetes Camp at Hickory Hill a real storm hit a the time of the storm in the story--the kids asked if I planned it? Of course. . .

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May, 2009

What a wonderful time at the Mid Missouri and the St. Louis Festivals, telling to all ages and a diverstiy of settings. And I had the opportunity to hear some great tellers as well. I also really enjoyed sharing a story in the worship service at Olivet Christian, for Arts Sunday.

March, 2009

Just got home from a tremendous "Going Deep" Retreat in Bethlehem, IN, where we focused on the long traditional story. Well worth the time, and I will attend next year. I am looking forward to the Mid-Missouri, St. Louis, and Wildernesw Road Festivals. Maybe see you there?

January, 2009

The RAPS Winter Retreat (Chicken Festival) was again a great success. It always is a chance for experienced and novice tellers alike to share in the adventure of telling in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Great work, folks!

November, 2008

Seems like Fall is going fast, but had a terrific October, with 17 individual concerts, including several performances in the Kansas City Celebration, a whole day with Premier Bank, and a wonderful scary evening in front of the castle at Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Thanks everyone, for giving me such a wonderful array of venues for my scary and mysterious tales. I now look forward to Tellebration at the Cherry Street Artisan and the Christmas concert at the Corbin Theatre in Liberty. See you there!

September, 2008

Summer seemed too short, but had a great experience at the National Storytelling Conference in TN. After some vacation time and getting back into school, I now look forward to the exciting concerts in Sept. and Oct., especially the ghost telling that has become so popular in October. On the the horizon: the Storytelling Celebration in KC, and a Christmas concert at the Corbin Theatre in Liberty.

June, 2008

StoryClub has been going quite well; each of the young tellers are creating new stories and improving their skills. Once again the Wilderness Road Festival proved a great experience; I added two new Jack Tales to the program. Looking forward to the National Conference and my continued involvment with Storytelling In Higher Education.

February, 2008

I had a great experience at the National Storytelling Network/Storytelling in Higher Education Leadership Summit in TN. Our meetins dovetailed with the Smoky Mt. Festival and the National Youth Storytelling Showcase. I witnessed som e wonderful youth tellers--looks good for the future of Oral Narrative!

Fall seems a long ways off, but I am booking scary tales for October already--so if you need a program, don't hesitate to contact me.

January, 2008

December was a productive month for sales of my "Christmas Presence" CD, and I shared the stories of Christmas Carols several times. My thanks to James Mouser of KOMU-TV Kids Korner for asking me to write a song for the end of the year program. Check out their video downloads of the shows.

November, 2007

October and November were my busiest months this year with performances for the PALS clubs in Columbia and Jeff City, my third annual appearance for scary stories at the Fayette Library, Graham Cave State Park, Campbell Middle School in Lees Summit, and the Sedalia Dinner Club. In addition, I told with the MOST tellers for a concert at the Lighthouse Theatre and Tellebration at the Cherry Street Artisan. My youth tellers of StoryClub told at Lighthouse and Tellebration--they did very well. And good news for MOST--we will be negotiating with a program director for KOPN, the local community radio, for a potential weekly storytelling program.

September, 2007

The fall is shaping up well with several ghost and mysterious tales concerts. I will be privileged to tell with fellow MOST members in two concerts in November, the first at the Lighthouse Theatre on Nov. 3 and the second for Tellebration at the Cherry Street Artisan in Columbia on Nov 17.

August, 2007

It was a privilege and honor to be able to tell on the stage of the Regional Concert at National Storytelling Conference this year. The audience responded well to "Rebecca," a ghost story set in Stone County, MO about one-hundred years ago.

Dr. John Parker arranged for a "Missouri Chautauqua" at Osage Beach, and although I and others delivered academic presentations, I was given the opportunity to do an evening concert of stories and songs.

My storyclub of middle schoolers has been doing well over the summer and currently are preparing a legend to tell. They have been asked to perform at the Columbia Tellebration this coming November.

Useful Experience --Larry Brown

I was privileged to tell a couple of stories and a brief workshop on using storytelling in the classroom for 150+ secondary and college Geography teachers the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I was there with these colleagues scoring 29,000 essay exams for High School Advanced Placement in Human Geography. Although our days, June 11-19, were spent in grading, we had a couple of evenings for professional development and a lesson "jamboree."

I passed out copies of Storytelling magazine, information on NSN, the SHE [Storytelling in Higher Education]-SIG [Special Interest Group], Storytelling, Self, and Society journal, and the upcoming National Conference, local guilds, etc.

Two things worth noting: first, that there was a good deal of interest in the use of storytelling, particularly when it gets nods from academics; and second, that we all have opportunities to promote storytelling in our various professional and daily encounters, whether or not we are telling in a festival setting.

http://www.storyraps.org/news_letter.htm

June, 2007

For the third year I had the opportunity to tell at the Wilderness Road Festival, this year in its new location at the Wild Eye Ranch near Reeds Spring, MO. It was a delightful experience to tell my Jack Tales in Stone County which are set in Stone County about a hundred years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the stage with other tellers and musicians and look forward to next year's Wilderness Road Festival.

May, 2007

I had a wonderful time at both the Kansas City Storytelling Celebration (as a featured teller) and the St. Louis Storytelling Festival (as a regional teller). I introduced "The Mothman of Point Pleasant," "Canoe In The Rapids," and "Celia" with good responses. I look forward to the Wilderness Road Festival later this spring. at its new location near Reed Spring in the Branson area. Did land some nice pieces in "Inside Columbia" and "Mature Living" magazines, and a story in the "Columbia Missourian."

January, 2007

River and Prairie Storyweavers again hosted another great winter retreat, The Chicken Festival, and as is my custom, I came prepared with a new Chicken story. This year i it was a "theological treatise" on the importance of chickens in the Biblical narrative and Christian symbolism.

December, 2006

Pepper and Friends Kid's Korner again asked me to create a song for the last show of the year, which provided background for the video review of favorite scenes of 2006!

November, 2006

October was one of the best months ever for storytelling gigs from St. Charles to Arrow Rock to Columbia. The Missouri River Festival in St. Charles was especially great; telling with Elizabeth Ellis, Loren Neimi, Steve Otto, and Ron Adams. Scary!

StoryClub presented their first stories to the MOST meeting--good job, kids!

September, 2006

Nebraska StoryArts held a wonderful Moonshell Festival at Mahoney State Park outside Omaha, NE. I was privileged to tell with Dayton Edmonds, Awele Makabe, and Susan Klein. Thanks all for great hospitality and appreciative audiences.

Our Columbia, MO StoryClub is hoping to present their first stories to the MOST meeting on Nov. 5. A concert for family and friends will be arranged later.

August, 2006
The Omaha tellers (OOPS) sponsored me in a series of 7 concerts in 4 days at libraries, retirement centers, and a clown organization. The gigs went very well; lots of good comments.

I am leading an elementary school age story club in Columbia, MO which began in July. The group of 5 has been working on story origins, types, construction, and presentation skills.

January 20, 2006
Angel of River Road, The Missourian
"I was very disappointed, in fact angry, that I could not attend my Great Grandmother Hageman’s funeral. I remember her as this tiny old lady with tight white curls of hair, and little round spectacles on her face, who would sit in a rocker in the front room of my Great Aunt Bessie’s house. Read More

December 20, 2005
Our Columbia newspaper, "The Missourian," gave our local storytelling guild, MOST, the opportunity to publish seasonal stories in the new "My Missourian" online newspaper.  I was privileged to have the first one, front and center, Tuesday, December 20.  The featured story is "The Crystal Horse."  Check it out at www.mymissourian.com.  You will find this story on my CD "Christmas Presence."   -Larry