Rainbow Tales, Too

Stories from every culture and time come full of meaning and mystery. We hope that the stories herein unfold hours of questions, discussion, and enjoyment. It is, after all, what the spoken word is for.

Rainbow Tales, Too (and its sister volume Rainbow Tales) bring together some of America's premier storytellers to celebrate both the diversity and the commonality of our storytelling tradition. From Lake Wobegon to the Cape Verdean Islands, from remembrance of a Cajun childhood to remembrances of Mother Jones' march for children, from the classic "Little Red Hen" to Brother Blue's spontaneous street raps, from Hawaii to a little French Canadian border town, this exhilarating collection fairly shimmers with delights for children and adults alike. Winner: 1997 NAPPA Gold Award; National Parenting Publication Association.

Recommended for ages 8–100.

The storytellers, writers, and publishers of Rainbow Tales, Too have donated their profits to benefit Grassroots Leadership, a non-profit organization that, since 1980, has worked to help people and communities in the South learn how to work together for a better world. Rainbow Tales, Too will specifically benefit Grassroots' Barriers & Bridges program which works to help us all understand and do something about the prejudices and hatreds which divide us from each other. To learn more about Grassroots Leadership and the Barriers & Bridges program or to make your own tax-deductible contribution, please write:

Grassroots Leadership
PO Box 36006
Charlotte, NC 28236
Phone: 703/332-3090
Fax: 703/332-0445
http://www.grasslead.org/

To learn more about storytelling: contact the National Storytelling Association, a national non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting and perpetuating the art of storytelling.

National Storytelling Association
PO Box 309
Jonesboro, TN 37659
Phone: 800/525-4514

Personnel: Melissa Barkin / Jeannine Pasini Beekman / Brother Blue / Carmen Agra Deedy / Garrison Keillor / Ramona King / Syd Lieberman / Olga Loya / Michael Parent / Roadside Theater / Sparky Rucker / Jay Silverheels / Jackie Torrence / Clara Yen

Formats

Compact Disk: Rounder CD:8034 Cassette: Rounder CS:8034

Produced by John McCutcheon
Year Released: 1997

Against the Law told by Sparky Rucker

James "Sparky" Rucker joined the Civil Rights Movement as a seventeen year old student and, over thirty years later, is widely recognized as one of the leading performers and commentators on African-American folk culture. His work with the Highlander Center, the Southern Folk Cultural Revival Project, the John Henry Memorial Foundation, the Labor Heritage Foundation, and Sing Out! magazine have kept him connected and committed. He has recorded nine albums and appeared at every major folk festival in North America.

"Against the Law" is a Brer Rabbit tale, with a musical interlude based on the old Mississippi Sheiks' "Bootlegger Blues." Thanks to Kentucky Educational Television for providing this recording.

For booking and recordings contact:
James "Sparky" Rucker
PO Box 5443
Maryville, TN 37802
Phone: 423/977-1994

The Hungry Goddess told by Olga Loya

Olga Loya is a Latina who lives in San Jose, CA. Her stories are rich with the folklore of Latin America and family stories about growing up Mexican in the United States. Her musical and spoken presentations have been featured throughout North America and she has repeatedly been a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival.

The Hungry Goddess is an Aztec creation myth.

For booking information contact:
Olga Loya
PO Box 6482
San Jose, CA 95150
Phone/fax: 408/297-3550
E-mail: olgaloya@aol.com

String of Trout told by Michael Parent

Michael Parent grew up in a bilingual French-Canadian family full of singers and storytellers in Lewiston, ME. He taught high school English before deciding to launch a lucrative new career as a professional storyteller, musician, writer, juggler, and rollerblader. Since then he has performed throughout North American and Europe telling original and traditional stories, especially those from his French-Canadian family. His storytelling has been likened to "sitting down with a special friend who quietly tells you their most secret and magical stories." Some of his stories are not so quiet.

Michael has recently authored a book, along with Julien Olivier, entitled Of Kings and Fools, Stories of the French Tradition in North America (August House). He now lives in Charlottesville, VA and was instrumental in assembling the storytellers you hear on this collection, as well as its sister recording, Rainbow Tales (Rounder 8033).

For booking, recordings, and books contact:
Michael Parent
PO Box 40
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: 804/971-1829

King Solomon and the Smell of Bread told by Melissa Barkin, of the Roosevelt Troupe of Tellers

Melissa Barkin, is a middle school student at Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, OR. Melissa is a part of the Roosevelt Troupe of Tellers, a 25 year old tradition, founded and directed by storyteller Bob Rubinstein. During the last quarter century, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students have told stories to some 70,000 students in the Eugene-Springfield-Bethel, OR area. Additionally, they have given presentations and conducted workshops throughout the Northwest. Melissa's story comes from her Jewish heritage.

Bob Rubinstein. is the founder and director of the Multi-Cultural Storytelling Festival, the only one of its kind. Responding to racial and religious attacks on members of minority communities in his region, Rubinstein. founded the Festival as a positive approach to racial and religious differences.

For information about the Roosevelt Troupe of Tellers and the Multicultural Storytelling Festival contact:
Robert Rubinstein.
90 East 49th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97405
Phone/fax: 503/344-8176

Leopard's Birthday Bop told by Ramona King

Ramona King has performed for storytelling festivals, television, radio, public and private organizations for many years. Her stories express a diversity of cultures, especially within the context of the African diaspora. She is a Young Audiences performer, a member of the National Association of Black Storytellers, the National Storytelling Association, and the Houston Storytellers Guild.

Her inspiration for "Leopard's Birthday Bop," an Anansi the Spider tale from the African Ashanti people, is drawn from West Indian tellers in her native Queens, NY. Anansi, the trickster, is portrayed differently in the West Indies and Central America. Many stories in Central America portray Anansi as a character who gets what's coming to him...i.e. "don't do like Anansi." In most West Indian traditions Anansi is a beloved character who simply involves himself in the game of outwitting others.

For booking information contact:
Ramona King
6701 Hendon Lane
Houston, TX 77074
Phone: 713/776-2075

Little Fish Story told by Angie DeBord, of Roadside Theater

Roadside Theater is a community-based, professional, ensemble theater located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountain coal country of southwest Virginia and east Kentucky. Since 1975, it has been writing, producing, and touring original plays drawn from the rich history and culture of its mountain home.

Roadside's performers and writers, all rooted in the Central Appalachian region, have called upon their traditions to develop a theatrical form that combines a natural storytelling style with acting and music. This kind of theater allows Roadside to speak to its audience in a forthright and intimate manner.

For booking information contact:
Roadside Theater
306 Madison Street
Whitesburg, KY 41858
Phone: (606) 633-0108
Fax: (606) 633-1009
E-mail: RoadsideTh@aol.com
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Appal/rstabt.htm#info

Miss Wonderlick written and told by Brother Blue

Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill, writer, storyteller, actor, street performer is known and loved the world around as "Brother Blue." Blue received his doctorate from the Union Graduate School by presenting a show entitled Soul Shout in a prison accompanied by a musical band of over twenty inmates. Since then prisons, schools, conferences, radio, film, and street corners have been his milieu. In addition to his many original stories, Brother Blue includes many stories from western cultures, folk stories and spiritual stories from Asia and Africa, as well as one-man street versions of Shakespeare's plays.

A recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers, he was also a frequent contributor to National Public Radio's All Things Considered. Brother Blue is the official storyteller for both Boston and Cambridge, MA.

For booking, recordings, and books contact:
Ruth Hill
PO Box 381315
Cambridge, MA 02238-1315
Phone: 617/491-8399

Trouble with Windows written and told by Carmen Agra Deedy

Carmen Agra Deedy was born in Havana, Cuba and emigrated to the United States with her family during the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. She grew up in Decatur, GA, and her combined Latin American and Southern heritage has had a rich influence upon her work. She is a frequent contributor to National Public Radio's All Things Considered.

Besides charming thousands of children and adults alike with her performances at festivals, schools, bookstores, museums, and trade shows across the nation, she is also the author of the best-selling books, Agatha's Feather Bed, Treeman, and the recording. Growing Up Cuban in Decatur, GA, a winner of the Parent's Choice Award.

For bookings, books, and recordings contact:
Robin DeFoe
384 McGill Place
Atlanta, GA 30312-1049
Phone: 404/521-3579

Coyote and the Frost Giant told by Jay Silverheels

Jay Silverheels is a Native American storyteller, radio and television actor. He is best known for his role as Tonto in the series, The Lone Ranger. This story appears on Indian Wisdom Stories (Canyon 532).

For ordering information contact:
Canyon Records
4143 North 16th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602/279-7835

Riccitello and Riccitella told by Jeannine Pasini Beekman

Riccitello and Riccitella comes from the Italian-American tradition that also produced storyteller Jeannine Pasini Beekman. Jeannine is known throughout the country for the wit, passion, and integrity of her work. A professional storyteller since 1975, Jeannine is the 1991 recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award for Outstanding Contributions to Storytelling and the 1992 recipient of the Anne Martin Book Award for Contributions to Literacy, the first storyteller to be so honored.

She is a frequent performer at the National Storytelling Conference, serves on the advisory committee of the National Storytelling Center, and a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival.

For booking and recording information contact:
Jeannine Pasini Beekman
10606 Clematis Lane
Houston, TX 77035
Phone: 713/728-3655

Little Red Hen told by Jackie Torrence

Jackie Torrence is quite possibly the best known storyteller in the English language. Born in an African American community in Salisbury, NC, Jackie went through school, including college within a few blocks of her home. She also grew up hearing her grandparents, children of slaves, tell "more stories than anyone I knew." She became an assistant librarian and reluctantly filled in for a storyteller in her library that didn't show up one day. She overcame a childhood speech impediment and went on to become one of America's best loved storytellers.

Over the past few years, she has been featured in major publications, from the Wall Street Journal to Parade Magazine, and on radio and television from the Good Evening show to David Letterman. Jackie was included in I Dream a World, Brian Lanker's celebrated photo essay on African-American women who have made important contributions at a national level. Her stories come from every imaginable source: from Appalachian, African, West Indian, even Asian sources. Her musical voice and measured delivery cross all ethnic boundaries, weaving a spell that brings listeners in and a web that binds them together. She has three albums on Rounder Records.

For booking and recording information contact:
John Ullman
Traditional Arts Services
Phone: 206/367-9044
Fax: 206/364-2390
E-mail: jullman@wolfenet.com

The Wooden Sword told by Syd Lieberman

Syd Lieberman still lives near his native Chicago, IL. He left there long enough to get an undergraduate and a masters degree from Harvard, teach in Sierra Leone in the Peace Corps, and come back to settle into a high school teaching job in Evanston, IL. "The Wooden Sword" is one of many Jewish tales that Syd tells.

In the years that Syd has moonlighted as a professional storyteller he has traveled around the world, produced six audio tapes, two books, and two nearly grown children. He has been awarded numerous honors, including four American Library Association honors and two Gold Awards from Parent's Choice magazine.

For booking, recordings, and books contact:
Syd Lieberman
2522 Ashland
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: 847/328-6281

From Good to Bad told by Clara Yen

Clara Yen heard her first story when her father told her what happens to little girls who don't brush their teeth. She told her first story to get out of trouble when she whacked her brother on the head with a checkerboard. Since those early years she has been collecting and sharing family, folk, and fairy tales with schools and libraries around the country. She has conducted workshops in her native Chinese American culture for colleges and boards of education.

She studied improvisational theater with Sue Walden & Co. and storytelling with Gay Ducey. Her first picture book, Why Rat Comes First, was published by Children's Book Press in 1991. The story, "From Good to Bad," is from Sweet and Sour Tales from China by Carol Kendall and Yao-wen Li (Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books).

For bookings contact:
Clara Yen
1391 Moselle Court
Livermore, CA 94550
Phone: 510/455-5816

Meeting Donny Hart at the Bus Stop written and told by Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor has been credited with almost single-handed introducing more people to the art of storytelling than anyone else. His weekly National Public Radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, is heard by 1.8 million people a week on over 310 stations and is the most successful show in the history of public radio. Through his books, live performances, and recordings he has introduced millions more to his mythical hometown, Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, "the little town that time forgot and that the decades cannot improve." Part of the magic of Keillor's telling is his ability to take his listeners in captivating near-slow-motion through the quirks and characters common to small-town life.

In addition to A Prairie Home Companion (on the air since 1974), Keillor also hosts The Writer's Almanac, a daily poetry program, distributed by Public Radio International. He has written for The New Yorker and The Atlantic. In fact, it was an article he wrote for The New Yorker in 1974 about the Grand Old Opry that inspired him to create a variety show for radio. And the rest, as they say, is history.

For information on Garrison Keillor's appearances and products contact:
A Prairie Home Companion Catalog
Minnesota Public Radio
PO Box 64067
St. Paul, MN 55164-0067
Phone: 800/755-0387
E-mail: phc@mpr.org
http://www.phc.mpr.org/