Evelyn C. McDonald
Arts & Culture Reporter
September 28, 2016 12:48 p.m.
Anthropologists say that when our ancestors were sitting around the campfire at night, they were telling stories of the hunt. The best storytellers were the ones who could recreate the drama of the chase, the fear of the huge beast, and the exultation of the kill. Being able to recreate allowed the listeners to share the hunt. Thus from our earliest history, stories have been an important vehicle for sharing experience. And stories are still important in ways we don’t always realize.
An often overlooked use of stories is their value in reinforcing friendships. When we first meet someone and start to develop an acquaintance, we begin to share our stories. The more stories, the more solid the friendship. I have friends whose stories I have heard countless times. True friends never say “you already told me that story.” The sharing is what’s important.
When asked to define what makes humans unique, a lot of theories are put forth. One I like to believe is that we are unique in that we are storytelling creatures. We tell stories to share experiences and also to move to emotions of fear, happiness, and excitement. We tell stories to sway opinion, to inform listeners, and to entertain. We tell stories so that people may know who we are. Storytelling is woven into the fabric of our lives.
The Friends of the Library are preserving these traditions in Fernandina Beach. For the past couple of years, they have held a storytelling slam. At the slams, several of our fellow Islanders shared their experiences and competed for best story/storyteller. Their stories were woven around a general topic. The event has been well attended since its inception and the storytellers have been a varied group. Their stories were meant to be enjoyed, shared, and re-shared among friends.
This year’s 3rd Annual Storytelling Slam revolves around the topic “I was so embarrassed.” The storytellers are Doris Davis, Geoffrey King, Doug MacDowell, Frank O’Donnell, Marcia Phelts, and Thea Seagraves. The Slam is being held at St. Peter’s Burns Hall this Friday. Lulu’s is sponsoring a reception at 5:30 pm and the storytelling begins at 7 pm. In addition to hearing the stories, you can vote for your favorite storyteller. Tickets are available at fernandinafol.org or 904-321-6529.
I encourage you to go early, so that you can exchange some stories of your own with your friends. And perhaps make some new friends and learn some new stories to pass on to other friends. It’s what we do.
Evelyn McDonald moved to Fernandina Beach from the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. in 2006. She is a chair of Arts & Culture Nassau, a city commission charged with support of the arts in Nassau County. She serves on FSCJ’s Curriculum Committee for the Center for Lifelong Learning. She is also the chair of the Dean’s Council for the Carpenter Library at the UNF. Ms. McDonald has MS in Technology Management from the University of Maryland’s University College and a BA in Spanish from the University of Michigan.