Telling tales out loud...

The written word is magic. The closest thing to reading minds humanity has. I can write my thoughts down—a story, a note, a love letter— and fifty years later someone can look at those words and know what I was thinking. I'm constantly amazed by this.

But there's another way. The old one. Standing by the fire, the tribe spread out before you. All waiting to hear the tale of the hunt or the warning of what might come out of the dark.

This is not the magic of written words. Not an incantation you gaze at in the lights of a library or curled in your bed. This is the visceral way. Mouth to ear to brain.

Writings for all their magic are dry things until the reader’s mind brings them life. When a storyteller speaks a tale, they give it volume and tone, rhythm and pauses. It’s more than the sum of the words. Tales told out loud have color and nuance, and can take you out of yourself in a way the written word can’t.

Which brings me to The Story Hour. Every week the fine folk at The Story Hour bring two authors to tell their stories out loud. A labor of love that preserves the primal delivery system of storyteller to listener. It can be powerful stuff.

I've told a few stories there, and not half badly. I invite you to come give a listen to all the authors engaging in this old school endeavor. Sit down by the fire and let the words take you away.

You can listen here: https://youtu.be/gowd8qj4xlE