Simon's News and Performances

NOVEMBER

Dear Storytelling Fans and Friends,

I have been reading a lot about our culture recently and much of what I have read backs up what I have thought all along. I have said this to many people recently, but I can usually tell when performing in front of young people which kids watch a lot of tv and those who do not, or have screen time monitored. The kids who fall easily into a story and get totally involved with their imaginations watch little tv. The kids who fidget and get sidetracked, or bored (heaven forbid), or have to ask questions throughout the stories are those who have too much screen time, whether it is Gameboy, Xbox, or tv etc. It is the same with conversation. Those who watch little or no tv (screen time) can converse with people; kids who are tapped into their electronic devises find it hard to string a sentence together. Not good for the college interviews, or on the job front in a few years time.

You see it in the news - tv producers and movies makers are called storytellers, but quite often the run of the mill movie has little substance to it. There is usually little or no plot, characters are flat and experience no growth during the 1.5 - 2 hours of screen time, and there's more action than dialogue. Our culture is reaching more and more for entertainment and escapism with no meaning.Admittedly, watching the occasional soap is great to let your mind go blank after a stressful day. But we are bombarded with unreal tales, filled with violence and sex which offer no meaning or have few redeeming features. More 'traditional' cultures tell tales that have been passed on for thousands of generations, stories that are filled with cultural meaning, and history, for building a stronger community.

There was a better support system for families in the eighteenth century than there is now, but then we stayed within one community so we had family around to help. That is often no longer the case. We move, finding work where it takes us, working longer and harder hours. This can result in feelings of isolation, especially for the children. Reading to children, spending that extra time at night with them, no matter how old or young they are will make a huge difference to their self esteem. Spending that time with your off-spring shows them you care. They are tired and know that you too are tired. Even if you turn up at home as the light is about to go out, go and read or tell them a short story from your own imagination. My wife Sarah remembers with great fondness the tales her father made up for her. Aidan loves listening to him now, telling tales of his own childhood. I probably enjoy them more, but...

Take your kids to the local library on the weekends; find out if there are plays in the area your kids would enjoy, visit your favourite storytellers' websites and find out where they are performing! Get out and walk in this beautiful autumn weather and make up tales about where you are - what creature live in the woods, what the fishes and turtles are doing right now in ponds, rivers and streams. Share your imagination with your children, and help their imaginations grow. Help them think outside the Box.

Halloween is all but here and I wanted to let you know about the couple of public gigs I have coming up that are open to the public - I already snuck one in at the Mount Washington this passed weekend!

This Wednesday, the 29th October I will be performing for ADULTS ONLY at Fairlee Public Library, Fairlee, VT, beginning promptly at 7pm! It will truly be a Fright Night!

Another upcoming public winter performance will be at the Converse Free Library, Lyme, New Hampshire on Thursday, 20th November.

I am starting the Peabody-Latham Storytelling Workshop on the 4th November at 3.30pm. This is the third year I am offering a storytelling workshop for free at Peabody and Latham libraries in Thetford, Vermont. We will be meeting on Tuesdays and / or Thursdays (at least once a week, if you want, twice a week) over seven weeks. We will take a break for the week of Thanksgiving. Some folks find it more convenient to meet at Latham Library on Thursdays and others will meet on Tuesdays at Peabody. Same time for both locations: 3.30 pm until around 4.30 pm. We will be learning a story to do with the coming of light, enlightenment, winter, a personal story or a traditional tale. The stories will need to be around 5 - 10 minutes long and we will work on making long stories short. We will learn how to find a story, how to sequence it, how to remember it and different ways in presenting it and then...we will present the story at the annual Peabody Winter Solstice Celebration on Tuesday the 16th December at 3.30 pm. If anyone is interested (this is for adults as well as youngsters), please let me know.

If you want to be a recipient of this e-newsletter shoot me an email asking to be added to the list! If you come to one of the venues where I am performing, please come up and say 'hi.'

And remember - find the stories you love, and share them!

Haven't bought the new CD yet? Haven't bought the first one? Holiday time is fast approaching. CDs tuck into small spaces! Are easily shipped to grandchildren, nephews and nieces far away! Are great for those long trips when visiting family (especially when following a snow plough on the highway). You can find 'Second-hand Tales' and 'More Second-hand Tales' at the best stores in the Upper Valley and can get them from me at performances. You can also visit CDBaby.com/cd/simonbrooks and get my CDs there, or you can send me a check in the mail for $16.50 per CD and I'll ship them to you myself (but call or email first).

On line at: www.cdbaby.com/cd/simonbrooks www.cdbaby.com/cd/simonbrooks2

In the Upper Valley at:
Music Matters, West Lebanon (603-298-6625)
Booked Solid, Bradford, VT (802-222-5826)
Norwich Bookstore, Norwich VT (802-649-1114)
Mini Kids Corp, Lebanon (603-643-2633)
It is also now available at Woodbury Monutains Toys, in Montpelier, VT (802) 223-4272.

All these stores are run by wonderful people so drop in and see what else they have for you, or those you love. By purchasing from these and other locally owned businesses, you are supporting the folks who invest in the Upper Valley (and Montpelier) which is a great thing.

Well, that's all for now.