storytelling

I've wondered if storytelling might be a dying art, but I've decided that isn't quite the case. Instead, storytelling is still found in its rightful form in casual get-togethers.

While Garrison Keillor has popularized storytelling with his radio series, I've been kept amused by the stories told by some old-timers in rural Minnesota. These are the men who know how to tell a story. (Though one of the best stories I've ever heard is from my friend Bill who can keep me in stitches with his story of preparing for his first day deer hunting.)

I've been known to tell a tale or two, myself, and have discovered that sometimes it is MUCH easier to tell a story than it is to write one. A friend of mine who is putting together a book of anecdotes from my rural county had asked me to put down one of my better stories that I tell. And I haven't been able to do it. Storytelling is often more than just the words, but the way it is told. And how can I get the important voice inflections and raised eyebrows down on paper? It's very difficult.

Some people can write a story as well as they tell it. For an example of this, check out my friend's book, Jailhouse Stories: Memories of a Smalltown Sheriff by Neil Haugerud.

But if you really want some great storytelling, sit down at a hog roast in some rural town, or turn out for a community picnic. The old-timers will be pleased to meet you and will spin a tale with little prompting.