March 7, 2021 @ 4:00pm PDT/7:00pm EDT
- Lani Peterson
Known for her personal tales of heart and wisdom, psychologist and story coach Lani Peterson began her storytelling career over twenty-five years ago by telling stories to her four young children. Now that they are grown and gone from the house, she continues to tell at festivals, schools, organizations, hospitals, prisons, community centers, or anywhere anyone has a love of being transported by a good story. - Laura Simms is a storyteller, author and teacher working worldwide. She is a senior teacher of mindfulness-awareness, is trained in Council, and the SALT method of working in community. Laura studied with traditional teachers, epic singers, Tibetan Buddhist teachers, Joseph Campbell and Margaret Meade. She is a contributing editor for Parabola Magazine. Presently she is completing a new book -WILD ROSE: SUMMONING THE RESTORATION OF THE WORLD.
- Michael McCarty
A professional storyteller since 1992, Michael McCarty specializes in stories of African and African-American history and culture, and multi-cultural stories. Since 2014 he has worked in California prisons as part of the Arts In Corrections program teaching inmates how to find, develop and tell their stories. He has been a student activist, Black Panther, US Army martial arts instructor, acupuncturist, world traveler, spiritual seeker, construction worker, storyteller, husband, father, and crazy friend. Never a dull moment!
Emcee
Sara deBeer has performed in libraries, senior centers, hospitals, parks, museums, classrooms, theaters, school auditoriums, and daycare centers. Along with being a featured artist at the Connecticut Storytelling Festival in New London, CT the Three Apples Festival in Harvard, MA., and Hartford’s First Night, she is listed in the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism’s Directory of Performing Artists, Connecticut’s directory of outstanding performing artists. An experienced classroom teacher with degrees from Yale and Bank Street, Sara offers workshops for tellers at every level of experience.
Format: The story session opens with a concert of tellers sharing prepared stories with themes of kindness. During the second half of the gathering, audience members are invited to share a story, moment, or reflection about kindness that emerged for them as listeners.
Purpose: We all need a little more kindness in our lives. Perhaps a story can take us there.
