Yvonne Healy

Last updated

Yvonne Healy is a professional Irish storyteller who regularly performs at Midwest, national, and international Irish festivals, story slams, conferences, and other spoken word events. [1] As a child, she and her family moved to the United States from Ireland. Many of her stories come from both her experience as an Irish immigrant and from her family background, including stories of her grandfather, Christy Robinson. Along with true stories, Healy's repertoire includes revived Irish myths, folktales, and legends. [2] She has also published several articles in industry magazines such as Storytelling Magazine [3] and the Michigan Humanities Council's newsletter, [4] as well as written versions of her stories in short-story collections. [5]

Healy was ranked as the #1 traditional Irish storyteller in the U.S. by Liam O Maolaodha, director of Ireland’s Oireachtas na Gaeilge at the 2012 North American Gaeltacht, at which she also received an award for her storytelling performance given in Gaelic. [6] [7]

On the national scene, Healy serves on the board of directors of the National Storytelling Network. [8] She served as Chair of the Board from 2014 through 2015, during which the NSN relocated its headquarters from Jonesborough, Tennessee to Kansas City, Missouri. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonesborough, Tennessee</span> Oldest town in Tennessee, United States

Jonesborough is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 5,860 as of 2020. It is "Tennessee's oldest town".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathryn Tucker Windham</span> American journalist, author and photographer (1918–2011)

Kathryn Tucker Windham was an American storyteller, author, photographer, folklorist, and journalist. She was born in Selma, Alabama, and grew up in nearby Thomasville.

Sydney Lieberman was a noted American storyteller who began performing professionally in 1982. He was born in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Davis (storyteller)</span> American novelist

Donald Davis is an American storyteller, author and minister. Davis had a twenty-year career as a minister before he became a professional storyteller. He has recorded over 25 storytelling albums and written several books. His long career as a teller and his promotion of the cultural importance of storytelling through seminars and master classes has led to Davis being dubbed the "dean of storytelling".

Connie Regan-Blake is an American storyteller, author, and workshop facilitator. Regan-Blake is well-known for her role as part of The Folktellers storytelling duo. She was a founding member of the National Storytelling Network or NSN. Regan-Blake served as the Artistic Director from 1975 until 1983. She was awarded the Circle of Excellence in 1996 by the National Storytelling Network after being recognized by her peers as a master storyteller. She has appeared onstage as a featured performer or emcee at every National Storytelling Festival since its inception in 1973.

Elizabeth Ellis is an American storyteller and author known for her live performances of traditional tales, literature, Texas and Appalachian history and folklore, and personal memoir. She was awarded the Circle of Excellence in 1997 by the National Storytelling Network after being recognized by her peers as a master storyteller. She is a regular performer at the National Storytelling Festival. She was selected as a "Listener's Choice" at the 30th Anniversary National Storytelling Festival and a Storyteller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center. She was the first recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award from the Tejas Storytelling Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheila Kay Adams</span> American storyteller, author, musician

Sheila Kay Adams is an American storyteller, author, and musician from the Sodom Laurel community in Madison County, North Carolina.

The National Storytelling Festival has operated for over half a century. This event showcases the rich heritage of Appalachian Folk Tradition annually in October. The festival attracts storytellers and enthusiasts from all over the world. It was first established in 1973 and has become one of the most renowned storytelling events in the United States. The three-day festival treats attendees to various storytelling performances, workshops, and other events. The festival provides a unique opportunity to experience the power of storytelling and connect with others who value this art form. The festival also features a variety of storytelling styles, including humorous, dramatic, and poignant performances. In addition to the main stage events, the festival offers workshops and other opportunities for attendees to hone their storytelling skills and learn from experienced storytellers.

Jay O'Callahan is an American storyteller known for his performances at national and international storytelling festivals and in theaters worldwide. He performs material of his own authorship and is known for his large-scale oral stories that explore the rich details and nuances of different cultures and time periods through the perceptions of a central narrative character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyn Ford</span> American storyteller

Lynette (Lyn) Ford, an American storyteller, teaching artist, author and creative narrative workshop presenter was the first storyteller in the state of Ohio to be nominated for a Governor's Award for the Arts. She is a regular performer at regional and national storytelling festivals and conferences, including the National Storytelling Festival, Hawaii's Talk Story Festival and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. Lyn has also shared keynote presentations, performances and workshops in Australia and Ireland, and for the Transformative Language Arts Network's and Ohio Literacy Resource Center's annual conferences and events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taffy Thomas</span>

Taffy Thomas, MBE is a storyteller, based in Grasmere in the English Lake District.

The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival takes place Labor Day weekend at the end of each summer in Lehi, Utah. The festival draws a combined attendance of about 26,000 people each year, making it one of the largest storytelling festival in the United States. The festival typically lasts two days and invites professional storytellers from throughout the United States. In addition to daytime performances on Friday and Saturday, there are typically themed public performances in the evenings, such as Look Who's Talking, Bedtime Stories, My Favorite Stories, and Laughing' Night.

Orna Ní Choileáin is an Irish writer from West Cork. She writes Irish language fiction books for both adults and children, as well as poetry and drama. She has won prizes for her creative prose, poetry, drama and theatre, and short-story writing at Oireachtas na Gaeilge and other Gaelic festivals. Éilís Ní Dhuibhne reviewed her recent work under the writers' mentoring scheme organised by Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Hicks</span> American storyteller

Lenard Ray Hicks was an Appalachian storyteller who lived his entire life on Beech Mountain, North Carolina. He was particularly known for the telling of Jack Tales.

Jimmy Neil Smith, is founder and president emeritus of the International Storytelling Center (ISC) in Jonesborough, Tennessee. In 1973, Smith, then a local journalism teacher, hosted the first National Storytelling Festival as a way to build regional and national awareness of Jonesborough. Smith's efforts led to a revival of storytelling in the US. Jonesborough is today referred to as the Storytelling Capital of the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Black</span> American professional storyteller

Judith Black is an American professional storyteller, who has toured internationally, telling stories to a wide ranging audience in the United States, Europe, and the Near East. She has produced thirteen CDs, and won a variety of awards, such as the coveted Oracle Award. Her work has been featured in venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Montreal Comedy Festival, and has been featured seven times at the National Storytelling Festival. In addition she has produced a variety of seminars and workshops for storytellers. She has been commissioned by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Public Radio, religious institutions, and non-profit organisations to create original stories that strengthen their respective missions.

Margaret Read MacDonald is an American storyteller, folklorist, and award-winning children's book author. She has published more than 65 books, of stories and about storytelling, which have been translated into many languages. She has performed internationally as a storyteller, is considered a "master storyteller" ,and has been dubbed a "grand dame of storytelling". She focuses on creating "tellable" folktale renditions, which enable readers to share folktales with children easily. MacDonald has been a member of the board of the National Storytelling Network and president of the Children's Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society.

Liz Weir is a Northern Irish children's writer and storyteller. She is currently Storyteller in Residence in Belfast and has written 27 stories. She is involved in a number of storytelling organisations including The Early Years Organisation, where she talks to children about racism, anti-bullying and respect for the elderly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cáit Feiritéar</span> Irish storyteller

Cáit Feiritéar or An Bab was an Irish storyteller.

Linda Goss, sometimes known professionally as Mama Linda, is an American storyteller and performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions.

References

  1. ↑ Agresta, Mike. "A Tradition and a Gift", Swarthmore College Bulletin, January 2014. Retrieved on 26 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Almy, Kit. "Features: Storytellers", Encore Kalamazoo, 1 February 2014. Retrieved on 26 October 2015.
  3. ↑ StoryNet. "Storytelling Magazine Index 1989-2009"
  4. ↑ "Why I Give to the MHC: A Parable" Michigan Humanities Newsletter, Winter 2007. Retrieved on 18 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Power, Brendan. "The Healy Cross," From the Heart of Ireland: A Collection of Inspirational True-life Stories. Dingle: Brandon, 2003. 78-80. Print.
  6. ↑ Stateside Staff. "A St. Patrick's Day story with Allison Downey and Yvonne Healy", Michigan Radio, 14 March 2013. Retrieved on 26 October 2015.
  7. ↑ Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada. "Winners 2012". Retrieved on 18 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "National Storytelling Network". Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Herald & Tribune - Jonesborough, Tennessee". Heraldandtribune.com. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.