Gifted gabbers to teach their art at Maui Talk Story Conference

According to Jeff Gere, “Truly, there’s never been such an alignment of professional tale-telling luminaries from such diverse lands on Maui... You’ll go home infected with the glee of storytelling.”
KAHULUI — Storytellers from Japan, Thailand, Australia and America will join Hawaii tellers for the Maui Talk Story Conference on Saturday, July 25, at Maui Community College’s Student Center.
Starting at 1 p.m., the afternoon will fill with Story Workshops — three sessions of 75-minute sets — followed at 7 p.m. by the “Talk Story Stars Concert.”
Organizer Jeff Gere noted, “The public, including older children, are invited to join in all of this exceptional gathering of gifted gabbers, an unprecedented celebration of spoken literature, the finest Yak Fest ever to gather on Maui.”
Workshops include, from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m., “Beginning Storytelling” with Kate Lutz of Colorado, “Lahaina History” with George Kaimiola of Maui and “Obake Tales & Traditions” with Masako Sueyoshi of Japan.
From 2:40 to 4 p.m., Lopaka Kapanui of Oahu will discuss “Hawaiian Traditions and Spooky Tales,” Wajuppa Tossa of Thailand will explore “Reclaiming Thai Tales and Traditions” and Linda Martin of Georgia will detail “Storytelling in all the Content Areas.”
From 4:10 to 5:30 p.m., Margaret Read MacDonald of Washington will share “Tales of Kindness,” Anne Shimojima of Illinois will discuss “Personal Family History and Presentation” and Anne Eyer of Australia will talk about “Interpreting Aboriginal Culture and Tales.”
These gifted storytellers will then perform the concert from 7 to 9 p.m. with Gere as host. All of the workshop presenters tell a bouquet of varied tales from their traditions, lives and unique perspectives — funny and chilling, traditional and personal, wide and worn, fresh and refreshing.
Admission for the workshops and concert is $25. Tickets for the concert alone are $12 for adults and $5 for children 8-18 (the concert is not an event for young children).
Maui Community College students may attend all events free.
For information, visit www.nsntalkstoryconference.com.