Simon's News and Performances

January 2010

Dear Storytelling Fans and Friends,

Happy New Year to one and all! I hope your holidays, however you might have celebrated them, went well and were filled with joy. I was able to get a lot of reading done, which is quite unusual, but very satisfying as well as getting premium time with family on this side of the Atlantic.

I was thinking over the holidays about food and storytelling - funny that - as I watched folks cook and prepare meals and it struck me how similar food (and wine) and storytelling is. Stories have different ingredients, or motifs; recipes can be made in many different ways, just as stories have different ways of being told. Different stories are for different people, and food, like stories, suits certain moods - if you know when you are in the mood for great Mexican or French food you get my drift. Some wine is best left to sit for a long time, others drunk soon after being made. Some food is great snack food; some food requires a 14 course meal. Some people love peanut butter and chocolate (Reese's Pieces etc) and others detest it! I love chocolate, but hate peanut butter with anything other than bread or toast! What is your favourite food and story? I will be pondering on this further and making some more notes on my blog later this month (once I have my expenses for last year done)!

I also wanted to make a quick mention on behalf of the Children's Literacy Foundation who I work with. I'm excited to report that CLiF has an opportunity to receive a $20,000 grant from Better World Books to support their work with children of inmates and parents who are in prison. But they need your help! CLiF is among 10 nonprofits selected as finalists for the Readers' Choice Literacy Grant. The organization that gets the most votes will receive the grant. Could you take a moment to vote for CLiF now? It takes no time at all! www.betterworldbooks.com/voting Thank you.

And I would love to see you at any of my performances!

Public Gigs and Performances:

Saturday, 16th January
Lunenburg Public Library
Lunenburg, MA
978-582-4140
1 pm
FREE!

Saturday, 6th February
Kids Alpine Club
Bretton Woods, NH
4.30 pm, Apes Ski
603-278-8909
FREE!

Thursday, 18th February
Kids Alpine Club
Bretton Woods, NH
4.30 pm, Apes Ski
603-278-8909
FREE!

Tuesday 23rd February
Out of the Blue Gallery
106 Prospect Street ( Central Sq T )
Cambridge, Massachusetts
http://www.outoftheblueartgallery.com
(617) 354-5287
FREE!

Remember that you will be able to purchase my award winning CD and the equally good "Second-hand Tales" from me at performances and also from these fine establishments:

CDs
Support your local storyteller, and buy a few copies of Second-hand Tales and the award winning More Second-hand Tales.

Here's where you can find them:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/simonbrooks and http://cdbaby.com/cd/simonbrooks2
iTunes
Booked Solid, Bradford, VT 802-222-5826
Bradford Yarn / North of the Falls, Bradford, VT 802-439-5833
Chapman's Store, Fairlee, VT 802-333-9709
Green Mountain Books and Prints, Lyndonville, VT 802-626-5051
Norwich Bookstore, Norwich VT 802-649-1114
Wider Than The Sky, Newport, VT 802-334-2322

Free Stuff
http://www.diamondscree.com/downloads.htm

Share the stories you love and know, stories are like boots - they like to travel.

Happy eating!

For more information on recent activity and current thoughts, or more on what I have mentioned above, please go to my blog: http://worldofstories.blogspot.com/