Elizabeth Ellis
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Elizabeth Ellis (born 1943) is an American storyteller and author known for her live performances of traditional tales, literature, Texas and Appalachian history and folklore, and personal memoir.[1] 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.
Background and early career
Born in Winchester, Kentucky, in 1943,[1] Ellis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee. Ellis credits her interest in stories to a storytelling family; she grew up hearing stories from her mother's parents and siblings.[2]
Ellis went to library school and in the fall of 1969 became a children's librarian at the Dallas Public Library.[3] When Ellis attended gigs of her musician friends, they would invite her on stage to tell stories between sets.[2]
Festivals
American Storytelling Festivals performed at include the National Storytelling Festival, the Bay Area Storytelling Festival, the Corn Island Storytelling Festival, the Flying Leap Festival, Haunting In The Hills, the L.A.U.G.H.S. Festival, the Mariposa Storytelling Festival, the Mesa Storytelling Festival, the Taos Storytelling Festival, the Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and the Texas Storytelling Festival.
Works
- Inviting the Wolf In: Thinking About Difficult Stories, written with Loren Niemi, August House, 2006
- From Plot to Narrative, Parkhurst Brothers Publishing, 2012
- Every Day a Holiday: A Storyteller's Memoir, Parkhurst Brothers Publishing, 2014
Awards
- Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award[4]
- 2013, From Plot to Narrative
- 2014, Every Day a Holiday: A Storyteller's Memoir
- Oracle Award, National Storytelling Network
- Storytelling World Special Storytelling Resources
- Tejas Storytelling Association 1986: John Henry Faulk Award[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b Burch, Milbre. "Trail of Blood: Celebration and Capitulation in Eve Ensler's 'The Good Body' and Elizabeth Ellis's 'One Size Fits Some'." Storytelling, Self, Society 6, no. 2 (2010): 145-63.
- ^ a b 1 Kelley, Saundra. (2010). Southern Appalachian Storytellers: Interviews with Sixteen Keepers of the Oral Tradition (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies) McFarland. Pages 93-102. ISBN 0786447516
- ^ Gramon, Jim. (2002) Legendary Texas Storytellers. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 171. ISBN 1556229399.
- ^ Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award, Westchester Library System, Retrieved July 11, 2017
- ^ National Storytelling Network, Circle of Excellence Award Recipients at the Portuguese Web Archive (archived May 23, 2016) Retrieved July 11, 2017
- ^ "Service & Leadership Award Recipients - South Central Region". National Storytelling Network. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ National Storytelling Network, Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients at the Wayback Machine (archived September 29, 2013) Retrieved July 11, 2017
- ^ Flora Joy, "The 2002 Storytelling World Award Winners and Honor Titles", Retrieved July 11, 2017
- ^ Flora Joy, "The 2013 Storytelling World Resource Awards", Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ Tejas Storytelling Association, "John Henry Faulk Award", Retrieved July 11, 2017
External links
- Official website
- A one-hour interview on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Elizabeth Ellis' speaks about Storytelling and the development of ethical behavior in young people.