Share a Story - Change the World
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Storyteller Joe Paris
- Male
- Lafayette, Louisiana (Acadiana)
- United States
- Share
- Blog Posts (8)
- Discussions (1)
- Events (1)
- Groups (12)
- Photos (4)
- Photo Albums
- Videos (4)
Latest Activity
Enjoyed our extended visit online AND look forward to seeing you 11am Sat Dec 5th, Aud Zoo, New Orleans, LA, for telling in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit !
FB : http://www.facebook.com/joe.paris
TW : http://www.twitter.com/2joeparis or
@2joeparis
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Early November rushed into my nose, raised the hair on my arms and legs, and shivvered my spine; it was glorious.
Some of the most powerful stories ever told were but a sentence long. Try your hand at creating a ONE SENTENCE STORY and share it with us. Visit website listed below to get the full flavor of this challenge.
Swift and sure, his feet scuffed the grass, lightly touching the paw prints, as the growling got softer and further away.
Throughout the funeral services of a much-loved former mentor, I noticed people in attendance who I wished were in the coffin instead.
A new shadow play...TODAY 'through a glass darkly'...LIGHT behind the scenes...©
Storyteller Joe Paris's Discussions
Storyteller Joe Paris's Groups
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World Storytelling Day
64 members
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Storytellers' CDs and ...
33 members
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FEST
79 members
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Question of the Day
59 members
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Storytelling in Education
129 members
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By the Fire (faire/SCA...
24 members
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OneSentenceStories
28 members
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Celtic Storytellers
33 members
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International Storytel...
97 members
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Storytelling Presenters
18 members
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Shakespeare
9 members
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Applied Storytelling: ...
174 members
Storyteller Joe Paris's Videos
Also Visit me @ facebook.com/joe.paris, ustream.tv/joeparis, youtube.com/cparisb4udie , twitter.com/2joeparis, AllThingsCajun.net !
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Profile Information
- About Me:
- (WARNING ! This is a "story" or narrative profile. Consider it a 3 to 5 minute story.)
My grandmother (who lived next door - lucky me !) would often tell me :
Explore. Discover. Share.
That triple challenge has been one of the guiding principles of my life ever since.
Your stories create you.
What are your favorite stories?
Because those stories you love deeply are at the very center of who you are and will become.
So, what stories :
affect you emotionally
make you laugh or cry
recall your childhood and family
celebrate your culture / heritage
fill your dreams
raise your hopes
inflame your desire
increase your joy
pique your curiosity
move you spiritually
perhaps scare you witless or even
cause you pain, fear, and suffering ?
First, last, always: what are the stories that remind you of your own most fun times, great adventures, intense challenges, or other special moments in your life?
The creation and sharing of stories is my life.
My passion is sharing stories with "children of all ages" (those people, regardless of chronological age, who still have that childlike sense of wonder and awe and love of story).
The stories I share can also be prepared and adapted for age-specific, theme-specific, and/or adult-only audiences such as:
school children, special-interest clubs, families (reunions especially), groups of friends, corporate events (roasts and other events), associations of all kinds, educational and governmental groups, weddings, churches, and non-profit and for-profit organizations,
Families and friends and businesswomen and businessmen and working folks in all professions know the value of a tale well told and how stories can heal, motivate people, increase profits, raise morale and productivity, and perhaps most importantly - create lifelong positive memories that leave a lasting impression.
Especially challenging and rewarding to me is sharing stories with the ill (especially children), dying (I am a HOSPICE Volunteer, as was my mother) the handicapped, the injured (emotionally and physically), the gifted, and to all who face tough challenges or who are trying to heal, and who will not only listen but also - and more importantly - share their stories.
It can be very life affirming to participate in the Sharing of Stories that help the healing process. I also love to sign in ASL for deaf children - but will need enough advance notice to properly prepare.
As you can tell by now, I love to share many kinds of stories under many different circumstances.
I love teaching the art and science of storytelling to both teachers and all kinds of students from pre-k through college and lifelong learning students for credit as well, in all sorts of workshops, schools and universities.
Visiting the north, south, east, and west in this fabulous country, and several other countries, has been one of the great joys of my life. Each person I meet has an interesting story, and most want to share it.
Because I have completed my Master's Degree course work in communications with an emphasis on storytelling and semiotics, I am able to award continuing education credits (CEUs) for teachers and other professionals. Just ask.
By far my deepest passion is sharing my family stories from my Cajun French culture of south Louisiana, where I spent an idyllic childhood and have lived almost my whole life.
Ask me about my Cajun Culture Package, where I teach Cajun dance (two-step and waltz), share Cajun stories, and cook (as well as teach how to cook) a basic Cajun meal (gumbo or etoufee or jambalaya).
This special cultural program of All Things Cajun (see AllThingsCajun.net) can be for a day or evening or weekend or whole week or month or semester, and has been presented from coast to coast, at colleges, in schools, and in private homes and at retreats and camps. Ask for more info.
I am also a consulting Rosarian (i love Roses), and have many garden stories to share. As a Certified (by LSU) Louisiana Master Gardener, I can not only teach you about gardening (esp roses), but also want to share stories from the garden with you.
Also in my heart dwell Texas stories - those cowboy, hunting, Alamo, Pecos Bill, cooking, great pets (esp dogs and also cats), and "the rituals of outdoor life" stories that pepper that southwest landscape. I lived there from November 1991 to July 2001.
First Nations (Native American Indian) tales have always held special interest for me. I flourished while living in West Seattle, Washington, and The Columbia River Gorge and Portland, Oregon areas, and so am excited to have added the compelling stories of the Pacific Northwest to my repertoire.
I grew up next to folks from the Middle East ( really loved their food ! ) and love re-telling some of the great stories from the Arabian tradition they shared with me, especially tales from the 1,001 nights.
Recently, I have been on the road traveling and telling stories, and i am often reminded just how nice folks are all over the world, in every culture, and what interesting & personal stories they each have to share ! If only someone would listen.
I have always felt that listening is really the first responsibility of a storyteller, not telling. In fact I teach a short course on this topic.
IF you would like me to visit your community - please read on further down on how to bring me to you !
Stories from the fabulous LEWIS & CLARK Corps of Discovery trip from May 14, 1804 to September 23, 1806 are now part of my repertoire and I have loads of fun showcasing characters from that journey, especially the French trader / interpreter / cook named Toussaint Charbonneau .
He was the husband of the Shoshoni maiden Sacagawea (SAC-uh-juh-WAY-uh) - pronounced with a soft "g" please, as was the custom in her native language. The infamous hard "g" way of pronouncing her name (suh-COG-uh-WAY-uh) was common ONLY in the language of her kidnappers, the Hidastas. Why honor her kidnappers by pronouncing her name their way?
Charbonneau is my favorite Corps of Discovery character by far because he was such a rich, complex person, with both likeable and unlikeable features in his personality.
I feel Charbonneau has been maligned by most who recorded an opinion of him (especially Meriwether Lewis), with the notable exception of Capt. William Clark, who understood Charbonneau and loved him, raising both of T.C.'s children (Jean Baptiste and Lisette) born to Charbonneau and Sacagawea. Author W. Dale Nelson of Laramie, WY has written a book about this very topic. Those who are fans of the Corps of Discovery adventure will love reading it.
Respect and reverence accompany my telling of history's Classic Tales including the Bible, Greek Myths and Roman Myths, Medieval Tales and Renaissance Stories (esp Chaucer), the Norse Legends, Fairy Tales, the Brothers Grimm collection, Charles Perrault, Aesop’s Fables, Hans Christian Andersen, adventure & hero tales, and stories of reconciliation and redemption.
One of my favorite ways of telling stories is as an historical character who comes to dinner or other event at your home or business or group. You choose the character - and I will research, rehearse, and deliver to you that character, once we agree on who that character is.
In character, I will sit down and have a meal or interact with your chosen guests, provoking a lively exchange of ideas and experiences true to that character. This is fun and educational for all who attend.
I will also conduct a Murder Mystery at your home or business for fun, in character as Hercule Poirot, the French detective.
I am also humbled yet excited when telling stories from the many cultures from around the world, and also tell my own original "Christopher Paris" (tm) stories (Christopher is my son, born in the 11th minute before the 11th evening hour before the 11th day in the 11th month of 1994). He is my hero. I love you, Christobear !
I have been so very fortunate to have shared stories in many places:
- at the swapping ground during the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN;
- as the very first featured storyteller on a main stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival;
-at Children’s Museums in New Orleans, Houston, and Lafayette, and the Exploratorium in San Francisco;
- at my home area’s Festivals Acadiens (every Oct); and
- Festival Internationale (every April) in Lafayette;
- my hometown Rice Festival in Crowley, La.; and
- at many other regional festivals and fairs throughout the United States.
I have especially cherished telling at
- The Hans Christian Andersen statue in New York"s Central Park;
- DisneyWorld (FLA) and Disneyland (CAL);
- on the Trinity College Lawn in Dublin Ireland;
- at Speaker"s Corner in Hyde Park in London, England;
- at the Palais de Chaillot plaza across from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France as well as at the base of that French icon.
What BIG FUN it was creating a State Champion Liars (Tall Tales) Contest for the State Fair of Texas in Dallas at the foot of BIG TEX!
The Dallas Morning News was kind enough to champion me as "A Master Storyteller" (many thanks to writer/columnist Kent Biffle) and many other newspapers and radio and television stations have covered my tellings when I was in their area.
Although I appreciate all of them, those are only words of praise, and I feel and know that stories must go beyond just the words, achieving something at both the emotional and especially spiritual level.
One of my favorite quotes from the Great Book reveals why:
"Our love must not be thing of words and fine talk; it must be a thing of action and sincerity." - 1John3:18, Barclay translation.
Replace the word "love" in the above quote with "storytelling" and you will sense how deeply I feel about storytelling as well.
That preceding Bible verse was first shared with me by my maternal grandmother Lillian (1910-1993), who was ALSO fond of saying
"Choose your friends not for money, you can always earn more; not for knowledge, you can always learn more; not for looks, we grow older by the season; favor disposition : that’s the best reason."
Perhaps closest to my heart are my tellings at local, city, and county public libraries and school libraries and to children, wherever they may gather. In fact, one of my first "Storyteller-in-Residence" appointments was at the Iberia Parish Library in New Iberia, La. for 1983-4.
My mother Jane Alice ("Sis") (1932-2005) was an elementary, middle, high school, and university librarian. My love of reading started early at her side.
My father Emile (1925-2008) was a pro baseball player with the Brooklyn Dodger organization, then a community businessman, and coached children for two decades (in addition to raising, along with mom, eight of their own!).
So, in honor of my parents, if it can be worked out, I will never charge a library or children’s group for storytelling. Instead, I prefer and ask that local adults find local businesses that will sponsor me to share stories as a donation to the children of their community.
Ask me how to do this. I have done it hundreds of times with NO COST to the group inviting me to share stories.
So act now. Contact me.
I will share with you stories from the center of my heart and soul.
REMEMBER: "Share a story with someone you love, everyday!" -tm
If you or your family, organization, fair or festival, school, library, group, church, business, club, or anyone wants to know more, please visit the links I have listed elsewhere on this page and then contact me .
Explore. Discover. Share.
- Website:
- http://www.facebook.com/joe.paris
Storyteller Joe Paris's Photos
Storyteller Joe Paris's Blog
Graduates, Tell Your Story !
Graduates, Tell Your Story
By: Storyteller Joe Paris
Author’s note: This article expands on the usual meaning of "Storytelling" and moves that term out into the mainstream of life, as it should be.
As graduates everywhere take their first steps out into their brave new worlds this Spring and Summer, I am reminded of what my Grandma Lillian always said:
"Telling your story in the world is very important, and to tell your story most effectively, you must first ask the right questions , and that… Continue
By: Storyteller Joe Paris
Author’s note: This article expands on the usual meaning of "Storytelling" and moves that term out into the mainstream of life, as it should be.
As graduates everywhere take their first steps out into their brave new worlds this Spring and Summer, I am reminded of what my Grandma Lillian always said:
"Telling your story in the world is very important, and to tell your story most effectively, you must first ask the right questions , and that… Continue
Posted on May 31, 2009 at 1:43pm —
Old Cajun Year-end Toast
Dear Fellow StoryLovers
This time at the end of the year
is often accompanied by
a reflective look back AND
a hopeful look forward.
One year is dying
and another is about to be born.
To honor this time passage,
Here's an Old Cajun Toast
I heard from my Great Uncle Mose one year :
May your coffin
Be made of the finest wood
From Century-old Cypress trees
That I shall plant
Tomorrow !
I love this toast because of its fierce misdirection.
You start on the seemingly inappropri… Continue
This time at the end of the year
is often accompanied by
a reflective look back AND
a hopeful look forward.
One year is dying
and another is about to be born.
To honor this time passage,
Here's an Old Cajun Toast
I heard from my Great Uncle Mose one year :
May your coffin
Be made of the finest wood
From Century-old Cypress trees
That I shall plant
Tomorrow !
I love this toast because of its fierce misdirection.
You start on the seemingly inappropri… Continue
Posted on December 25, 2008 at 10:17am — 1 Comment
Cook Vs Chef
Especially at this time of year, we need to be reminded of what matters most. This op-ed piece, in the New York Times, gets right to the essence of what it means to cook for those you love.
Enjoy.
- Joe Paris
New York Times op-ed piece on "Cooks vs Chefs"
Enjoy.
- Joe Paris
New York Times op-ed piece on "Cooks vs Chefs"
Posted on November 29, 2008 at 10:30am — 7 Comments
Learn to say 'no.'
There is a time to say 'no'
As storytellers, we must learn how to say "no."
Now I realize that this point of view goes against the grain of most of us. We are promoters, givers, sharers, keepers of the flame that stories represent in our and every culture.
But after having told for several decades, I am convinced that one telltale sign of a veteran, quality teller is knowing when to say "no."
To wit:
1. When you become so busy that fatigue becomes the normal modus operandi for you… Continue
As storytellers, we must learn how to say "no."
Now I realize that this point of view goes against the grain of most of us. We are promoters, givers, sharers, keepers of the flame that stories represent in our and every culture.
But after having told for several decades, I am convinced that one telltale sign of a veteran, quality teller is knowing when to say "no."
To wit:
1. When you become so busy that fatigue becomes the normal modus operandi for you… Continue
Posted on November 24, 2008 at 2:44pm — 5 Comments
Halloween and All Saints Day Rituals in Cajun Louisiana Culture
Once upon a time, Halloween wasn't just about costumes and parties and candy; it was about sweetly told family stories.
I am an Acadian ('Cajun,' or South Louisiana French American) by blood, earth , and disposition - my ancestors were Acadians, I was born within the culture, and I am blessed with a "joie de vie" personality. In my Cajun culture of South Louisiana (and many other cultures around the world, I have learned), late afternoon on 'All Hallow's Eve' (October 31st) primarily meant prep… Continue
I am an Acadian ('Cajun,' or South Louisiana French American) by blood, earth , and disposition - my ancestors were Acadians, I was born within the culture, and I am blessed with a "joie de vie" personality. In my Cajun culture of South Louisiana (and many other cultures around the world, I have learned), late afternoon on 'All Hallow's Eve' (October 31st) primarily meant prep… Continue
Posted on November 3, 2008 at 10:00am — 2 Comments
Comment Wall (29 comments)
- At 8:38pm on April 8, 2009,
Marisa Keegan said… - Hi Joe,
Thanks for touching base! I look forward to having our paths cross in the future.
- At 8:12pm on December 5, 2008,
Mary Margaret OConnor said… - Thanks - this looks fun! I may just have to give it a lash one of these days!
Best,
Mary Margaret
- At 11:30pm on November 30, 2008,
Mike Lockett said… - Glad to accept the invite. Hope to get to know you in person and catch a few Cajun stories. Best to you. Mike Lockett
- At 8:39am on November 3, 2008,
Pam Holcomb said… - Joe:
I absolutely love your one-sentence stories! What a gift you have. Thanks for sharing, and please keep it up.
Pam
- At 11:21am on October 10, 2008,
Bobbie Kinkead said… - WOW! GREAT! you are professional. Sure add me to the long list of friends you have. Can only learn more about the art of storytelling. THANKS!
- At 9:36am on October 2, 2008,
Octavia Sexton said… - Hey Joe,
I am honored to be your friend. I loved reading about you. I have a very dear friend, Phyllis Free who's father introduced me to the love of cajun stories. He passed away this year at the young age of 93.
I love the dialect, the stories, the music, the history and of course - the food!!
- At 11:12pm on September 28, 2008,
Holly Robison said… - Thanks for being my friend! I enjoyed reading your page. You seem to have a great understanding of the power of stories!
- At 8:26am on September 25, 2008,
Emma Alexander Arthur said… - Hello Joe, I look forward to hearing your Acadian tune. I'm not very familiar with Cajun music. Have you heard the other tune on my website? It's called 'Highland Storm' - totally different from 'Celtic Nights'. As the name suggests it's very stormy. When I hear it, I think of the wild Scottish highlands with kilted Scottish warriers charging with swords flying in the air. Let me know what you think.
- At 11:05am on September 22, 2008,
Storyteller Joe Paris said… - My beloved grandmother Lillian once told me ( lucky for me, she lived next door to me as I was growing up )
"To love life, love many things."
I believed her, and that point of view has made my life immeasurably better in almost every way, from "attitude to altitude" as she used to say.
Thank You for commenting !
- At 10:53am on September 22, 2008,
Marjorie Shaefer - a.k.a. - Mother Goose said… - Hi Joe,
You have a love of the whole wide world, Don't You?
I love the fall, when not only car windows, but all house windlws can be open comfortably, and the trees show their most beautiful colors.
Marjorie
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