"Have you heard of TELLABRATION
                                    Stories all across the nation.
                                        We succumbed to the temptation
                                            To join in the celebration."

Storytelling is an art. A gifted storyteller knows just when to pause to heighten the suspense and keep listeners hanging on every word. We all love stories. We may be paying half attention, but when someone drops into the storytelling mode, ears perk up.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is when Tellabration, a worldwide storytelling event takes place. We attended with friends in Pine, Arizona. Don Doyle, (see below) founder of the Pine event and professor of theater at ASU led the event and has been a professional storyteller for twenty years. A $5 donation got you in the door and a chance to win a beautiful quilt. The Department of Public Safety Quilt Angels, Pine - Strawberry chapter sponsored the event.

Eight storytellers, from all walks of life, told moving, humorous and poignant stories—some from legend, stories from other lands, others from real life. (Bottom photo)  For example, Dorothy Anderson, (below) a professional storyteller and playwright, specializes in historical tales of the Southwest. Dressed as a matronly flapper, she told of her "husband," Mick’s attempt to fly Leo, the MGM lion, across the U.S. and his forced landing in the rugged Hells Gate Canyon near the Mogollon Rim in Arizona.


 
Vic McGraw is an Arizona Department of Public Safety law enforcement officer in charge of air (helicopter) rescue. Doug Bland is a minister as well as writer and storyteller. Carol Knarr and Liz Warren are on the faculty of South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute. They told real life stories. Dustin, a recent graduate of the Institute, added a unique angle to his African story. He used tap dancing to accentuate and illustrate his story—wonderfully fun and different!