A life in storytelling : anecdotes, stories to tell, stories with movement and dance, suggestions for educators

A Life in Storytelling contains the reflections and lessons from one of the most noted storytellers of our times. Fifty years of storytelling has provided Binnie Tate Wilkin with the experiences and insights to form the basis of a text for the storyteller, both for the professional librarian, teacher or parent wanting to provide children with substance through story. The sections of the book are designed to provide background material for the art and craft of storytelling, the methods and uses of storytelling, sources and examples of stories, and a broad selection of over 100 stories briefly annotated.



Included are sections that explain how to derive or adapt stories from current events, history, or imaginative writings and a detailed treatment in the use of dance in storytelling, a technique that, if not invented by Wilkin, has become a trademark of her approach. The treatment is always informal and personal and is interleaved with anecdotes drawn from the author's more than 50 years of storytelling.

• Foreword p. ix
• Introduction p. 1
• I Storytelling: An Evolving Art p. 5
• 1 History, Life, and Culture p. 7
• 2 Folklore Defined p. 19
• 3 Educational Value p. 31
• II Developing the Art and Craft p. 41
• 4 The Modern Storyteller p. 43
• 5 Choosing Stories to Tell p. 53
• 6 Reading, Adaptation, and Learning p. 61
• 7 Developing Personal Style p. 67
• 8 Stories with Dance and Movement p. 77
• III Practical Uses and Resources p. 87
• 9 Suggestions for Educators, Parents, and Adult Leaders p. 89
• 10 Stories to Tell p. 101
• 11 Three Original Stories p. 127
• 12 Resources, Organizations, References p. 135
• Index p. 155
• About the Author p. 163