By Wilma Allen
If he’s as funny on stage as he is on the page, we’re in for a hilarious evening when best-selling journalist/novelist, Carl Hiaasen, headlines as keynote speaker at the first annual Amelia Island Festival of Stories and Songs, Feb. 2-4.
Hiaasen is a Florida native and long-time writer for the Miami Herald. He is the author of 18 Florida-centered novels for adults, seven books for young readers, three non-fiction books, and three anthologies of his columns. Eleven of his novels have been national bestsellers; several became movies. “No one writes about Florida with a more wicked sense of humor than Hiaasen,” said USA Today.
But humor will not be Hiassen’s only topic when he’s in town. Among other things, his talk, “The Art of Storytelling,” will reveal how he develops the quirky characters in his best-selling novels and weaves them into commentary on society and the environment. Hear him on Saturday, Feb. 3, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at SpringHill Suites By Marriott on Atlantic Avenue.
The three-day Festival, which celebrates stories written, recited and sung, is the latest inspiration of Mark and Donna Kaufman, founders of Story & Song Bookstore/Bistro and the non-profit Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture. The jam-packed weekend kicks off at their bookstore on Park Avenue, at 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 2 with “The Tongue and Pen: A Workshop for Writers with Kim Weitkamp.” From 3 to 4:30 p.m. in “Tea and Tales with Harriett Tubman,” Diane Johnson of Fernandina Beach, will portray Tubman with a musical tribute and teatime treats.
Friday evening, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., six “Musician Storytellers” including Amelia Island’s own Sean McCarthy, will join forces for a musical event at SpringHill Suites. Other musician storytellers are Michael Reno Harrell, Bob Patterson, Shana Smith, Paul Strickland and Kim Weitkamp.
Saturday morning, Story and Song’s popular “Storytime with Ms. Dearsha” will welcome kids and children’s entertainer and author, Shana Banana, at 10:30 a.m.. In “More than Words” at 1 p.m., musician/storyteller, Paul Strickland will provide tips and techniques for performing your stories. This and the rest of Saturday’s programs take place at SpringHill Suites.
On Sunday at SpringHill Suites, you can “Lunch with Storytellers” Paul Strickland, Michael Reno Harrell and Kim Weitkamp. Their stories will follow a deli buffet. Tickets for individual events or the full festival weekend are available at Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture, 1439 Park Ave., or storyandsongarts.org.