DescriptionRecorded for the first time ever in the history of this 90-year-old organization, here are 10 of the funny, inspirational papers that were spoken at the annual meeting of the Texas Folklore Society. Hear members of this legendary organization "talk fancy" about Texas peddlers, funeral homes, possums, babies, grandparents, cow chips, crazy women in the rafters, dogwood hoops, windmills that "steal air, " early radio DJs, and...talking fancy!
DescriptionSlow but steady Turtle exhibits wisdom, perseverance, and cunning in these world folktales. Full of adventure that's sure to captivate young listeners, these tales hold meaning for all ages. Turtle is alive with possibilities. Living on land and in the water and breathing air, Turtle joins these three elements of creation, becoming symbolic of the earth itself. Always clever, always wise, and ever patient, Turtle never fails to find humor in any situation. For Ages Seven to Adult…
DescriptionIn rural North Carolina in 1951, despite parental reassurances, a typhoid shot hurt. It hurt even more when the children saw who would be administering the shot: Miss Winnie, a large, dictatorial nurse who had been "especially built by the nursing school so she would never blow away in a hard wind". In this hilarious epic tale, our young hero learns three valuable lessons: avoiding pain only heightens it, a mother's wrath can hurt worse than a shot, and growing up sometimes involves choosing the lesser of two evils. In "Tonsils, " young Davis comes face-to-face with a creature known as a "nurse-nun" when he has to get his tonsils removed. This humorous account of a tonsillectomy performed on Good Friday in a Catholic hospital pops with Davis' usual firecracker wit and humor. For Adults and Young Adults…
DescriptionWould you believe that one man championed the cause of Native Americans with Leonard Peltier, helped migrant farm workers with Cesar Chavez, traveled to Nepal, hiked the Himalayas, explored Africa and founded The Paris Review ? It's true, and it's the life of Peter Matthiessen. Listen to entrancing travel tales and real life anecdotes from this author of At Play in the Fields of the Lord and the National Book Award-winning The Snow Leopard .
DescriptionIn November of 1920, 7-year-old Bill Sackter walked through the looking glass into a state institution for the retarded. He never saw his family again. 44 years later, a much older Bill re-entered the world, hungry for all it could offer. With a job washing dishes at a country club, and a wig to cover his bald head, Bill met an intensely curious young man fresh out of college - Barry Morrow. "A man needs three things in life: A good job, a good home and a buddy." Morrow became that buddy, and learned to see the world through Bill's eyes, colored by his boundless reserve of good cheer and goofy humor. He tells Bill's story in this highly emotional performance.
DescriptionErika Schickel takes you on a Darwinian exploration of mating, monogamy and motherhood. This hilarious and touching examination of the miracle of human evolution will leave you wondering how we've survived as a race!
DescriptionAll of us are familiar with the fairy tales of youth where the young hero and heroine fall in love, defeat their enemies, marry, and live happily ever after. The fairy tales gathered here are about what happens next, when the Prince goes bald and the Princess has a midlife crisis. They portray middle-aged men and women facing the special issues dealing with crisis, aging and mortality, and the desire for renewal. Listeners will find that many midlife problems they thought were unique to our time are, in fact, timeless, and that their ultimate resolutions as described in these stories guide us through the peaks and valleys of midlife.
DescriptionIt is the beginning of the Gulf War. While Iraq is being bombed, deep in the heart of Minnesota the Kling family saga unfolds. Award-winning playwright and author Kevin Kling builds a carefully constructed universe out of materials both familiar and astonishing. He shares touching and humorous stories based on his childhood in Minnesota. Kling's work has been performed across the country, he has won numerous fellowships and literary awards and appeared on National Public Radio.
DescriptionJohnny Appleseed's real name was John Chapman, a native of Massachusetts who lived from 1774 to 1845. It is known that he wandered for 40 years through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana sowing apple seeds, staying one step ahead of the pioneer movement in order to sell seedlings to those who traveled through. Chapman was known for his humanitarian values: his cheerfulness, generosity, and most of all, his respect for, and nearly mystical relationship with, nature. It is these qualities which storyteller Marc Joel Levitt captures in his stories and relays with resonance, humor, and conviction. For Ages 6 to Adult…
DescriptionTraditional values abound in these hilarious stories from Appalachia: friendship, family, orderliness, humor, and delight in an especially inventive practical joke. In "Rainy Weather", a hound dog with more heart than sense wins everyone's admiration. "Uncle Frank Learns to Speak Polish" finds Davis' famous Uncle Frank making the most of a little foreign language. And, in "Uncle Frank Clean Up the Post Office", cleanliness is next to godliness, and it's also next to hilarity.
