-
Jess is a South Carolina homegrown spoken word and visual artist. She builds dreams out of words, rhythm, and recycled and re-purposed materials. 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.” -
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 as much as possible. She is a member of the Asheville Storytelling Circle and the N.C. Storytelling Guild. A collection of her poetry and photographs entitled: Second Life: Poems of Re-emerging will be released by Redhawk Publications in the summer of 2021.
-
Minton Sparks is a wildly original poet, performance artist, novelist, teacher, and essayist born in a Tennessee college town and raised among her Southern family in and around Arkansas. She earned degrees from the University of the South and Vanderbilt University. Her appearances range from the prestigious Jonesborough National Storytelling Festival all the way to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center in New York City. -
Amy Ammons Garza is a storyteller who tells tales of growing up in the North Carolina Mountains. As a child, she sat at the foot of her grandfather and listened to tales of how her ancestors, seven generations past, were a part of those who traveled to Western NC and settled in the isolated mountains. His stories intrigued her, and so she stored them away until she grew up and began to write about them. -
Michael "Badhair" Williams is from the North Carolina Mountains, the heart of Appalachia. He has been telling Appalachian folk tales on stage since 1975. Television, radio, and rock videos have pushed storytelling into the corners with the cobwebs. "Badhair" sweeps it back out, pulling from his Appalachian heritage the tales that delighted our grandparents, and now delight our children and ourselves. Michael "Badhair" Williams has been telling stories in schools and at festivals across the country for over three decades. -
Donna Ray Norton, is an eight-generation ballad singer from Asheville, North Carolina, is a true embodiment of the rich Appalachian musical tradition. Her grandfather, the venerable Byard Ray, was an acclaimed old-time fiddler and banjo player from Madison County. -
Raised Beds and Ground Hogs is a personal tale about pesky varmints, building raised beds, dirt, and horse manure. -
In 2018 Betty Ann Polaha was named, Outstanding Storyteller Performer at ETSU and in 2019 she was named, Artist in Residence, as a bedside teller for Ballad Health. She is a member of the prestigious Jonesborough Storytelling Guild, performing regularly at story slams, schools, and community events. Listening to her stories will bring a smile to your face, maybe a tear in your eye-- or you might just say, “That was interesting!” -
Donna Ray Norton, is an eight-generation ballad singer from Asheville, North Carolina, is a true embodiment of the rich Appalachian musical tradition. Her latest offering, Forevermore I will Sing, produced by acclaimed folk musician Josh Goforth, has further cemented her status as a celebrated exponent of the Appalachian balladry tradition.
-
"The Turtle and the Birds" is a popular ancient tale from the indigenous people of the American Southwest. -
”One Wish” is an old folk tale from Ireland. What would you do with one wish? From “Hairyman Meets Tailybone”. Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host, and entertainer, dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories. Holt plays ten acoustic instruments and has released numerous award-winning recordings of traditional mountain music and southern folktales. -
"Planting Corn" is a powerful story about owning up to your mistakes. "No matter where you go and what you do, your sins will find you out"."My stories are true and promote good values - many about growing up on a farm in the NC Mountains with 5 sisters and one brother. I relive the stories as I tell them!"
