Where do books come from? Well, stories of course. Before there were novels, tell-all books, memoirs or political screeds there were stories. Folk tales, fairytales, legends, myths, epics, jokes and gossip.
Readers are just naturally lovers of stories whether they are fiction or nonfiction. This weekend there’s an opportunity to return to an elemental form of stories. Dominican University is hosting a Storytelling Festival on Friday evening, October 15 and all day Saturday, October 16.
Many people think of the library story hour for children when they hear “storytelling,” but the ghost stories scheduled for Saturday night come with a PG 13 rating. Like any other art form, it comes in various strengths from suitable for toddlers to scandalous.
I once took a class in storytelling and it’s way harder than it looks. A good storyteller can transport you with their voice to another place and make you see, hear and smell it. Some premier performers are appearing at the festival, so mosey over to River Forest and have a listen.
Tickets for the entire festival are $40. Tickets for single events range from $5 to $15. For more information go to www.storytelling.org
