Storyteller's Rendezous

Storytelling is a lonely art. Unless you live in a populated area, you spend lots of time by yourself trying to figure out what it is that you are doing. Actually, no matter where you live, you will spend lots of time alone trying to figure out what you are doing. That doesn't have to be without friendship and others. Since the internet has become so accessible to all, we can reach out to others through the keyboard very easily, and I am now choosing to do more of that.
I haven't posted for a very long time. Many excuses, none good. One reason, maybe ok. I wasn't really sure I had much of importance to say. I think I have figured some of that out.
I plan to use this blog and perhaps others to benefit Storytellers.
This is not going to be about me... Well, maybe a little bit at times.... Who can help it?
But primarily, I plan to use this space to promote the work of others. I will review Storyteller's work. Mostly that will be in the form of CDs or tapes or books, but I will also review live performances and festivals and conferences as a whole.
So you say, who the heck are you? I guess the answer is nobody special. But I have spent over 15 years traveling the country in the storytelling world listening to and appreciating all sorts of storytellers. I've seen the best, the worst and some pretty mediocre stuff that our art has to give the world and I think perhaps, just perhaps, I can occasionally pique your curiosity about a new teller's work or the work of a teller that has been around for a while but hasn't found the spotlight of the "nationally-known."
I won't review anything or anyone that I haven't personally seen, heard or read. I won't review a festival or conference that I haven't attended unless I tell you so and give you specific names of tellers who recommend that event to me with quotes from those tellers.
I don't expect this column to become much, but maybe it will blossom enough to help a few struggling tellers out there.
By the way, any of you always have my permission to quote me at any time.
Until next time and our first review,
Good Stories Always,
John Beach

I seem to be making a career out of retiring. In 1995, I retired from public school teaching. I then took up full time storytelling. Traveled throughout the Rocky Mtn. West and was beginning to get lots of work. During this point, I began to do some part time teaching at the Community College in Rock Springs, Wyoming where I live, so I came out of retirement. Then I developed a pinched nerve in my back , so the long drives, less than desirable beds in old motels began to drive down my ability and motivation to find storytelling gigs in locations over 500-600 miles from my good solid mattress. I then semi retired from Storytelling. (no gigs more than 2 nights out, chairs at all performances, no performance over 2 hours with at leaset 30 minutes prone time in between performances....) Obviously, that pretty well led to a "dearth" of gigs. So, I took up a new career as a manager of a shopping center and mall in Rock Springs. For 2 years that worked well into my patchwork of other opportunities: adjunct (part-time college professor), some-time (occaisional) storyteller, and once in a while writer. However, as most thingsmust do, the manager thing had to come to an end. New ownership bought the property and changed my image of myself. Since this old dog had just learned these new tricks in management, I wasn't really interested in learning new, new tricks, so I took the stress off everyone and retired again.
So, now I am retired for the 3rd time. But I'm not sure if it really counts. Since I retire from one profession and then go back to it, does it really count as retiring? Let me hear from you by email on your thoughts about retirement. Comments of all sorts are always welcome.
If you can't find an email address, try one of these wyomingteller@msn.com
johnbeach@wyoming.com storytellersrendezvous@msn.com

Love to hear from you,
John Beach

Storytelling is one of the lonliest, but most rewarding professions in the entire world. No where else can you do what you do in the midst of many appreciative people (the audience) and then return to your own little bit of seclusion to get ready for the next gig.
However, in that seclusion, the storyteller always knows that they are not alone. I belong to many groups teachers, writers, broadcasters, journalists, etc., but not one of those groups is as giving and sharing as storytellers. At any given moment you know that you have many friends who are feeling your happiness and pain and sharing your joy and sorrow.
This post is for all of you, my friends. May you have the best of everything in this season that we all celebrate. May find joy and peace. May others find you. May my thoughts warm your as your thoughts warm me. Thanks for welcoming me into the circle of the storytelling world. Not to leave anyone out, but in my tradition.... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This blog is going to come in "fits and starts" as my grandma would say. I won't try to keep it every day, but as often as I can. I want to invite all of you to send me comments at wyomingteller@msn.com and let's see what kind of info you would like to see on this chronicle. Some of the things that I intend to address are Rocky Mtn. Storytelling Events. That's everything in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. But I need your help. Let me know what you think of a particular festival or conference and I'll send along that info.
Also, don't forget to check out the forums on various festivals. on the Storyteller's Forum on this website.
I also will talk about what great tellers we have that are unrecognized except in their own specific region and how we can support one another in storytelling.
More later.

In the late 1800s, the Rocky Mountainsprovided spots and opportunities for the fur traders and trappers to get together yearly to trade furs and trinkets, pick up powder and lead for bullets, renew acquaintances and make new friends, and a place to “swap yarns” about their year in the wilderness. This site is designed as a placewhere storytellers can get together and do the same things.As the site develops, we hope to provide you with new “powder and bullets”, let you renew acquaintances, make new friends and “swap yarns.”