More on the Cape Storytelling Festival

Another beautiful day. Yesterday I had a couple of sets, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning session was titled (not by me) "Living in the Midwest." I do live in the Midwest, it's true (how 'bout them 'Hawks!), but I don't tell regional stories. When requested to, I usually tell folktales from countries where Midwesterners' families originated.

Even after years in Kansas, I'm still a New Englander. I had a conversation with Willy Claflin about feeling like a foreigner outside of New England--when we're there, we understand the language, both verbal and nonverbal, and the way of thinking and being. We relax into home.

Anyway, back to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Marilyn Kinsella went first with some reminiscing stories of growing up in the '50s. I began with "Gramps' appendix," because the emcee reminded the listeners to gather their family stories. As a nod to the theme, I told "It's in the bag," a personal story about a temp job I had in a dog food factory in Lawrence. Then I ditched the Midwest altogether and told "The Belltower," about going back to St. Martin's Church in Providence, RI, where my father was minister in the 60s and early 70s. Nobody seemed to mind.

I shared the afternoon set with Willy Claflin and Dan Keding in a set with a title I liked better, "Stories for kids." Fun! After I got Trixie to stop brushing her hair with her toothbrush, I told "Goulu, the glutton," a school-inappropriate story and "We share everything" by Robert Munsch.

Today my first set, shared with Joyce Slater and Willy Claflin, is entitled "Kid's Stories." Easy peasy. Then the last set, with just Willy, is "Tickling the funny bone." We're considering having our puppets do an improv story.