Johnny Thomas Fowler

Vixi enjoys telling ancient faerie tales as well as sharing her own style of original rhyming faerie tales. She often reminds people that she is friends with faeries, elves, leprechauns, and all sorts of little people. This story, "Enchanted" is a story poem about a little girl visiting the land of the wee people.

This story, I Want My Big Toe, has been around for many generations. Folklorist Richard Chase collected and told a version. It’s a classic mountain folktale.

Jess’s mother conjured up this haunted story to keep her children safe for a nearby lake. “Some say, if you see a crooked tree like that there’s a witch buried underneath. You have to be careful going close to those trees, especially in the afternoon, after school.” Jess is a South Carolina homegrown spoken word and visual artist.

Robin Kitson has been telling stories that Polish Your Heart for over 20 yrs. She is known for her personal tall tales, civil rights and women’s historical stories, Cajun folktales, motivational stories, STEM, and international folktales. Robin’s life mission is to tell stories that educate, motivate, lift spirits, and sometimes just make people laugh.

Bobby McMillon is considered one of the leading authorities in Southern Appalachian music. He grew up hearing first hand the scary stories and witch tales that his family told. His grandfather had an old Victrola record player, and a lot of old records. Bobby loved to listen and learn the old songs.

Kyra Freeman writes poems, tells stories, and dances in the kitchen in Morganton, North Carolina. A former school librarian turned massage therapist, she was raised in Vermont not too far from the Appalachians. She lives with her family and infamous pets and goes outside in the yard as much as possible. She is a member of the Asheville Storytelling Circle and the N.C. Storytelling Guild.

A former college professor with an MFA in Creative Writing, Ken Waldman, AKA The Alaskan Fiddling Poet, has published fifteen full-length poetry collections, a memoir, and a creative writing manual from respected independent small presses. As a performer, he’s played from the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage to the Woodford Folk Festival ( Queensland , Australia ). "He brings his instruments, a few fellow musicians, and his poems about surviving a plane crash (locals once called him "a walking dead man"), watching grizzlies feed in a garbage dump, and other adventures in the forty-ninth state." The New Yorker

Robert Lynn “Bobby” McMillon (1951-2021) was a traditional ballad singer, musician and storyteller from Yancey County , N.C. He grew up hearing first hand the scary stories and witch tales that his family told. His grandfather had an old Victrola record player, and a lot of old records. Bobby loved to listen and learn the old songs. It wasn’t long before he began to realize that some of the recorded songs were similar to the old songs that his family and neighbors sang. In his teens he developed an avid interest in documenting these songs, spending any free time visiting and recording.

Chelm is a real place in the country of Poland, but in Jewish folklore it is an imaginary community of simple-minded people who believe they are wise. Tales of the wise men of Chelm have entertained Jewish folk for generations.

Donna is a multi-faceted artist who delivers perfectly-crafted performances that combine her talents as a speaker, writer, storyteller, and singer. The combination of storytelling and singing has earned her the description of “The Singer of Stories.”