Sunday, April 11, 2010

Storytelling Guild welcomes Susan Gilchrist from Ohio

pictured: Susan Gilchrist (left) and Nell Bell share stories. Nell is a founding member of the storytelling Guild (Vic). At 84, Nell is still telling wonderful stories.

Susan Gilchrist is our most recent storytelling guest from overseas. Since developing a website and facebook, the Guild has become accessible to the world.

Visiting Melbourne (on a honeymoon trip) Susan requested to meet with some Victorian tellers and we were delighted to organise a supper and storyshare.

Susan has lived in, Wisconsin wedged between the Mississippi and the Great Lakes, for over 40 years. Recently she moved to Ohio with her new husband and now enjoys the delights of Lake Eerie.

As part of the Maddison Storytellers’ Guild for over 30 years Susan co-ordinated the group that meets once a month to share stories. Her interest in stories is broad ranging from folk tales to condensed novels, newspaper articles and personal stories.

Susan told us a wonderful autobiographical tale about her time on a Hopi reservation in north Arizona in the summer of 1968.Together with her friend from college, she stayed with an elderly Hopi woman who found their practical skills somewhat lacking!

As we all took a turn to share as story – the quality of the tales and the uniqueness of each teller was spellbinding. There is something very special about a circle of people trading stories quietly in the warmth of a home.

JB Rowley, Cora Zon, David Demant, Janet Tucker and Claudette D’Cruz were all there to make Susan welcome. We were especially pleased to see Nell Bell. Nell has been housebound with a bad knee for many months. Julie Perrin kindly opened her doors to us. This is the third home storyshare the guild has hosted and we are grateful to members who support these random events.

If you haven’t made it to a home storyshare – rest assured there will be a gathering in your neighbourhood some time in the future …

We wish Susan all the best for her new life in Ohio.

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