The last weekend in August, the 19th annual Timpanogos Storytelling Festival took place in Orem, Utah. As a former committee member, it was satisfying to be a participant this year.
It was a delight to appreciate and enjoy the fruits of all of the hard work I know goes on behind the scenes for the year preceding–to say nothing of what goes on during the festival!
It was lovely to see many old friends, and meet some new friends–listen to favorite tellers and become acquainted with new storyteller faces. Here are some of the highlights of this year’s festival for me.
The Carmen Deedy workshop on writing picture books for children was inspirational. She is a pro and her workshop was full of enthusiasm, sparkle, and sound ideas and advice. I was so inspired I purchased two of her books: “The Yellow Star,” and “The Last Dance.”
Since part of my heritage is Danish, “The Yellow Star” means a little something extra to me. It tells a story
about the king of Denmark during Hitler’s Nazi invasion of Denmark. He was ordered to segragate the Jews by forcing them to wear a yellow star on their chests. After some careful thought, the king road through the streets of Denmark wearing a yellow star on his chest, and his loving subjects got the message.
Soon everyone was wearing a yellow star. Even if it is only a legend, it warms my heart to think of the kindness and integrity of this Danish king. Oh that we all were so intent on peace-making instead of fault-finding and contention.
“The Last Dance” seems to literally dance off the pages with its combination of typography, layout, illustrations, and rhythmic flow of words. It’s a wonderful life story full of love. And my copy is autographed. Smile!
Jay O’Callahan held an audience spell-bound with an intricate and lengthy telling of his “Papa Joe” story. It felt cinematic in its episodic structure with flashbacks and sounds woven together masterfully. The standing ovation he received was well-deserved.
I’ve posted a gallery of some of my favorite photos I took during the festival.