2010 Azalea Storytelling Festival featuring Nationally Acclaimed Tellers:

Willy Claflin:
http://www.willyclaflin.com
Willy grew up on Lake Winnipesauke in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.  An introverted boy, he spent his days dreaming and wandering through the woods.  At bed time, his father told him stories, and each night Willy worried about the wolf under his bed.  By high school, he had extroverted himself into a rock and roll singer, fast on a guitar and given to high jinks.  He also learned hundreds of folk songs.

At Harvard University (1961-66), he studied American and French Literature, but made time for performing music and comedy in the Boston-Cambridge folk music scene.

Mary Gay Ducey:
A descendant of generations of Southern women who treasured spunk, independence and a sassy mouth.  Ducey, from Berkeley, Calif., tells stories from the Southern Appalachians as well as tales from a wide range of cultures and traditions.  She has performed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as well as numerous festivals and other venues around the country.





Lyn Ford:
http://lynfordstoryteller.com
Fourth-generation storyteller Lynette Ford shares "Home-Fried Tales" rooted in her family's multicultural African American storytelling traditions.  Lyn's programs are enhanced with rhythm and rhyme, history and mystery, humor and heart.  

Lyn is an Ohio teaching artist who has facilitated workshops for literacy, early childhood education, storytelling, and diversity events across the country.  Lyn has also provided opening and closing activities for storytelling conferences and various types of retreats.

Lyn calls her stories "Home-Fried Tales" to honor her father, who was a terrible cook (the only things he consistently made well were home-fried potatoes and barbecued ribs doused with Lyn's mother's special sauce), and the best storyteller she ever heard.  Lyn learned to "stir up, season, and simmer" her folktale adaptations and original stories while sitting knee-to-knee with elders who passed on their own special gifts from the oral tradition.

Dan Keding:
http://www.dankeding.com
Dan Keding, storyteller of international acclaim, is well known for his telling of traditional world folktales, personal narratives of his boyhood in Chicago, ghost stories and dark tales, and superbly crafted original pieces. As a child he learned the traditional stories that his grandmother brought to this country from Croatia. A well-respected ballad singer, he accompanies himself on guitar, banjo and spoons. This combination of dynamic storytelling and powerful ballad singing has made him a festival and concert favorite throughout the US, Great Britain and Ireland, endearing him to audiences of all ages. In the summer of 2000, in recognition of his artistic achievements and his contributions to the art of storytelling, Dan was presented the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network.

Master of Ceremonies, Carol Cain:
The master of ceremonies will once again be Hogansville native Carol Cain, who was named the 2000 Troup Teacher of the Year and was a 2001 Georgia Teacher of the Year finalist. Cain became involved in storytelling more than 20 years ago when asked to present at LaGrange Memorial Library's summer story time. Since then, she has performed for numerous school and civic audiences, often as Rosie the Riveter. Carol lights up the stage with her zany folktales, family stories, and award-winning historical monologues.