Swag of Yarns:
Australia's National Storytelling Magazine
Interviews :
Interviews
In the movie The Apostle, Robert Duvall plays a self-righteous preacher. He travels life's path with evangelical zeal to enlighten his fellow man about the word. He fervently pleads for people to repent. Likewise Mr. Bryce Courtenay comes across as a man with a mission. It was evident that he enjoys his role as public speaker when he performed to a large crowd of authors, illustrators, teachers, librarians and storytellers at Dromkeen. Just north of Melbourne at Riddell's Creek, Dromkeen is a museum devoted to showcasing the talents of some of Australia's and overseas finest children's authors and illustrator's.
His humourous stories were laced with passionate political pleas. Plea's for our stolen generation, pleas for an apology from our Prime Minister and pleas to teach our children a somewhat old-fashioned approach to the reading and writing process. The need to feed their minds and souls.
The audacity of the man, telling a room full of people devoted to children's literature to pull up our socks. He preached to us about poor literacy rates in Australia. Courtenay then told us of his company, Kids Core that is developing 'new' literacy programs. But the informational brochure that arrived on request from the company only talked about the creatures involved in Yowie Powie and their relation to the environment. An annoying marketing item that produces rubbish and tantrums at supermarket checkouts whilst introducing children to the animals of Australia.
He did seem to get a little hot under the collar as he went on. A joke that depicted Australian's as a nation looking for a good time and handouts, with a 'they owe us' mentality. He urged John Howard to take the first step towards reconciliation. 'We are a polyglot nation that has experienced four major migrations and we are at a milestone in our development as a nation.' 'Economic rationalization will lead to our downfall' 'Our country is where our soul is.'
All very passionate stuff but just off the mark when talking to this room full of creative people. A group dedicated to feeding the minds and souls of Australia's children with inspirational artwork, literature and its promotion. Standard platitudes handed down to us from his platform. Nothing to inspire, rather a reprimand.
One on one he seems smaller and quieter but still a focus on his own bandwagon.
During our interview I related my love for strong female characters in the story's I tell, but now with a son I wondered what he considered were some of the great male literary heroes? Was it because he's running hot with his latest book Jessica, 'the story of a remarkable young Australian woman' that his response was that males need to look to these great female characters. That they'd been largely ignored in Australia and that's why it was important to tell their stories, like the story of Jessica. An old marketing adage, it pays to promote, was evident in the weeks leading up to Christmas because book shelves, groaned under the wait of so many Jessica's.
When pressed, but what about the great literary heroes like Beowulf and Robin Hood and Cuchulain? 'Yes but they had to be nursed and feed and nurtured, Maid Marion probably played an important part in Robin's life.' This was followed with a matter of fact report that he was rejected by his poor, slightly neurotic mother and suckled by a large African woman with enveloping mammaries and a welcoming lap. A woman of the Zulu nation who suckled him and nurtured him with stories for the first five years of his life and introduced him to the importance of the way tales are related. It is no surprise then, that women and stories became inextricably linked in his early formative years.
It is evident that he has a great respect for women's role as the matriarch's of family life and their assumed responsibility for the continuity of the tribe. He quotes facts and figures about the age range of our convict settlers and explains that this country has a strong Irish flavour, because it was Irish Woman who lived longer than all their counterparts and that they had such a strong oral tradition. Courtenay employs fulltime researchers to help him with his work and collect data such as this.
He finds feminism exciting and believes our next emerging wave of leading lights in the community will be women.
He fervently believes that people are born with genetic encoding and all the myths and legends of 'their people' are already stored inside. For Courtenay this is the Celtic people. He likened 'encoding' to a vast desert land at night, where oil refinery's covered with lights tower against the star speckled heavens. He believes, like the refinery, people tap down to a source of pools, into different areas of learning and understanding and mythologies.
He believes with his own writing that he is like an 'intellectual stenographer' that doesn't invent the stories but merely translates them from this great pool of inherited knowledge. 'He hears the voices and he experiences the landscape through the blood flow of his family line'
This lead to another question, this time about our relationship to the land. He believes that the Celts haven't yet made this essential connection to the land because up until now they have largely ignored the indigenous culture. We need to accept their lore as part of our ethos and until we do we will not reach our full potential. The Celts jealously hold onto their inherited mythology and keep looking back, instead of trying to understand the rich cultural heritage of our land.
Courtenay is the benefactor of the Australian Storytelling Guild's, N.S.W's branch and proud to be but had a ' little bit of criticism' of some professional storytellers. ' He believes that some of them learn their stories verbatim, so they actually know every minute of the story and they leave no ability to surprise themselves. The whole thing about a story is that you build on it. Some seem to tell the story without listening to it, and without adding new material, without seeing new observations, any new angles or nuances.' He encouraged storytellers to live with their stories and allow them to evolve. I understand his point, my stories always evolve with each telling, and it is only because of subsequent telling's that you come to feel them and breathe with them.
Bryce Courtenay is a man of strong convictions; he readily acknowledges the power of myths and storytelling. He creates his stories by calling on his genetic and environmental inheritance, listening to the voices of his people and mixing it with the contemporary times and forces he lives with, 'like a bowl of museli with many ingredients thrown in.
It is easy to look to his marketing background and wonder how many tricks of the trade he employs with his literary blockbusters. But the man's bestseller record is remarkable, not to mention his prolific output. He can seem a little smug with some of his pronouncements but this is a man who is firm about his beliefs and whose position and acumen make him a man of great power. It is good to have someone in high places that are fervent about reconciliation, understanding the stories of our land and the importance of literary traditions.
He is a man with considerable marketing skills and you wonder if he will sell you just the sizzle and not the steak. But he comes across as genuinely and passionately interested in the importance of storytelling in people's lives. He knows that a person fired with conviction makes a great storyteller, while he demonstrates that a lot of time and hard work goes into perfecting the art form. He believes in the continuum of storytellers in all cultures and the genetic linking of people from the earliest of time.
He has struck a cord with people with his expansive stories and he knows how to promote them
His business skills are legendary so I asked him for some clues on how storytellers could promote themselves to a wider audience. Alas, he stated that storytelling was at a distinct disadvantage as an art form. Because it is not on radio and television or in the newspapers it is not seen as a valid. However, once you get an audience, any audience it immediately becomes valid if you know your craft. So there is only one way, go looking for your audience, the audience won't come to you.
Finally, to quote from Bryce Courtenay's A Recipe for Dreaming
'Each of us has been designed for one of two immortal functions, either as storyteller or as a cross-legged listener to tales of wonder, love and dreaming. When we cease to listen, then we no longer exist as people. Dead men tell no tales.'
Where one could sometimes bristle at Courtenay's righteousness, one also has to accept that the above adage is true. If we claim to belong to the immortal role as storytellers, we also need to accept the responsibilities. It is evident after talking to Courtenay that we must work hard with passionate vigour to tell the grand stories of life's experiences.
Gael Cresp tells the story of Gawain and the Loathly lady and her telling clearly illustrates the point: that the stories we choose to tell resonate with a little of ourselves and our understanding of life. Her emphasis comes by leaving the punch line until the very end of the story. "What is it that women most desire? The right to choose for themselves." This is for her the important question of the story.
Likewise, conscious decisions and over fifteen years of work as a storyteller inform Gael's storytelling. It is interesting, informing and exciting to have had the privilege of watching her development over this period of time. The publication of her first picture book, The biography of Gilbert Alexander Pig, sees the osmosis of these ideas and values at work in a classic tale.
Gael first entertained the idea of becoming a storyteller in 1981 whilst undertaking a unit of 'storytelling' as part of her Graduate Diploma in Children's Literature. The medium appealed to her and it became apparent that she had that intrinsic ability needed to be a storyteller. Pace, timing and conscious choice of story was to come later. Although she credits 1984 as the beginning of this career her father maintains that 'she has been telling stories all her life'. She also has a degree in Librarianship and a Certificate in the foundations of Professional Writing.
The seeds for Gilbert Alexander have been growing along the way. Gael admits in the early days of telling she did not always understand what brought her to particular stories. But as her work progressed she became aware of recurring themes, motivations and stories as metaphors that paralleled stages in her life. Like many of us she was beginning to realise the power of storytelling and acquire a conscious knowledge of the messages behind her stories.
I had my nine year old reluctant reader of a son read the story of Gilbert and then asked to him to retell the story to me, a .) to check that he had read it and b.) elicit a child's reaction to the story.
He loved it and a few things stand out in his retelling. 'The pig goes from his mother into the world.' He often repeated that 'the pig loved to fish by the river and at night he played his trumpet to the stars.' A wonderful repetitious refrain that gives the story immense appeal to children and positively sings in the telling. He paraphrased certain sections by saying, 'you know, like in the three pigs, the house of sticks and bricks.' 'And there's a wolf who keeps trying to steal the trumpet but they negotiate and talk about it and the pig teaches the wolf how to play trumpet and they end up in a band.' My son understands the concept of negotiation, thank you Gael, this is sure to come in handy. As an aspiring rock star, with a trumpet playing uncle as role model, Dominic found this a hugely satisfying conclusion. I must add here that this resolution came not through the word's but David Cox's 'cheerful, racy, scribbly illustrations that burst out of their frames.' The two end up on stage together on the very last page, playing their trumpet to the stars (and audience).
The story of a trumpet playing black pig with a texan drawl came about at a workshop presented by the Victorian Storytelling Guild in 1996. It was conducted by Guild member Trish Sykes on the 'why, what and how to's' of working with story. A busy schedule meant Gael had forgotten to prepare a traditional tale, so 'the three pigs' was roped in. "I discovered that I wanted to put a spin on the story so that the traditional meaning could be juxtaposed with the other interpretation.' She also reflected on the role of traditional tales and the message she had brought from the three little pigs. She vividly recalls the family copy of a musical tape that had the song on it. It was played often in her childhood and is imbedded in her memory, 'Nix on sticks, I will build my house with bricks, I have no time to sing and dance Because work and play don't mix.'
From this she brought the notion, "I must work hard, build on strong foundations and lock myself in (to a secure job and a proper house) if I am to be happy and successful.' The story of Gilbert Alexander began as a joke to poke fun at this idea and to suggest that there are, indeed, alternatives.
The Texan drawl was borrowed from friend Gil Askey, a black, Texan jazz trumpeter. With his voice the story came to Gael and a way to explore her interest in the masculine point of view. As she refined the story she began to see connections between the kind of man he is and the way (she wanted...) the pig to behave.
She emphasizes that her initial concerns were in retelling the traditional story in a humorous way, 'I was (and am) primarily interested in creating a good story. One that hung together in a logical sequence and that entertained.' But the more she thought of her friend Gil and they way he worked she realised this knowledge was shadowing the story. 'The most remarkable thing about Gil is his lack of resentment and bitterness about the appalling treatment he and other black people received over the years.' She would show the reader how to negotiate their way to a conclusion. By employing politically correct language she gave it a contemporary feel,
'What we need is some dialogue here, he says. I'll listen to you. You listen to me.....We'll negotiate a solution so we can BOTH be happy."
One review I read suggested this was an 'issues' book designed to stimulate discussion about racism and conflict resolution and well it might do this but this seems to suggest a didactic stance. Gael tells a rattling good yarn in the style of a traditional tale where the messages are subconcious and deal with some some important issues for our times. Underlying the story that a nine year old boy found so entertaining are issues of appropriation, negotiation and reconciliation. As a storyteller she believes it is important for children to hear these traditional tales. Gilbert Alexander Pig is a one world story. This phrase coming from issues we raised at the time of Pauline Hanson's one Nation party. We need stories that cross all boundaries. But Gael is not afraid to turn these stories on their head, she employs the form of tale and uses the voice of a traditional storyteller to bring new understandings.
Gael is the current President of the Victorian Storytelling Guild and this year it celebrates its 21st birthday. She has been involved for a good many of these years and has watched the Guild grow and evolve. This involvement has allowed her to watch and observe and appreciate the many different styles of teller. She thinks an important role of the Guild is to offer a community for storytellers, a place we can get together and listen, run workshops and share stories. A place where people come to find out what storytelling is for them. 'If they are storytellers it doesn't matter how they do it if it works.'
'People often assume a Guild means there will be hurdles and tasks to perform. In Victoria storytelling is as varied as the storytellers, the stories and our listeners.
Maybe it's the same silvery hair but her style reminds me of Patricia Scott, the Tasmania teller who has been awarded many honours for her services to children's literature. Quietly animated, more with inflection of tone and language than any loud body movements. She commented that storytellers must be true to their own style, this quantifies the storyteller more than any other consideration. Humor and strong female characters also often feature in her work.
Over the years I have noticed her ability to cut to the heart of the story and provide pithy comment on underlying themes and the big picture. She talks of the symbols that are represented in the stories we tell.
As a great storyteller she has made The biography of Gilbert Alexander Pig seem natural and effortless whilst embracing the important themes for our time. The quality that informs her stories, the metaphors she looks for 'are that people must make their own decisions.'
Harking back to Dame Ragnall, the Loathly Lady.
and the way she guides Gawain and Arthur through the action until Gawain 'negotiates' 'talks it through' and allows the dame to make her own decisions we can see this impotant theme freedom
There's something deliciously conspiratal about Graham Langley, especially when he tells stories. Long and lanky, he drapes himself about the story, swaying in and out of the action. He paints pictures in your head as he takes you on a journey using colouful imagery, words, local vernacular, body language and heightened emotions.
I'll never forget the story he told at the national storytelling festival held in Canberra , October 1999. He dazzled with 'The Jam Maker', taking us from the ordinary surrounds of a lad at a job centre in Birmingham to his conquests as a Chinese prince. I can see images of the fantastical horse and the haunting green light. I still feel the boy's triumph.
And there you have it, one essence of his mark as a storyteller, what is remembered most is the story; then the teller, the exuberance of it all, the live action, his ability to carry the audience with him. Fantastic!
A definition was formulated over the weekend via the input of many tellers. Some people stand in front of their stories and the performance is the thing, a true storyteller stands behind the story and draws the audience in and together they experience the story. This is certainly true of Graham Langley and his approach to storytelling.
More than a storyteller, Graham describes himself first and foremost as an educationalist, then storyteller, folklorist, educator, arts activist, and promotor. A drama teacher in secondary schools in the UK for twenty years he became a full time storyteller in 1990. His passion is for the positive power of story, the importance of story and the huge history that inform our mythologies.
'My first intention when starting into storytelling was to tell traditional English tales...through oral sources.... received from my father and others. But things got skewed and I gathered repetoire like a rolling stone.'
With twenty years as a performance art teacher and ten as a storyteller Graham has gathered a wide repetoire of stories and creative techniques that he employs in his work. He conducted several dynamic workshops at the Festival that demonstrated the breadth of his experience and his work with promoting positive behaviour through story.
He is co-author of the book Promoting Positive Behaviour: Activities for preventing bullying in Primary Schools. The book explores the issues involved in children building positive relationships with others. Storytelling is recognised for its ability to build trust and the book includes five folktales that are gems. Creative exercises and worksheets show how to implement discussion around the 'theme of anti -bullying and outlines positive and creative opportunities for children to develop their understanding and skills.'
'I think it's important to start out by realising that storytelling is not a solution to bullying but the power of storytelling is such that it touches on people in a very positive way and low esteem is nearly always at the root of bullying be it bully or bullied' Fundamental to implementing the programmes outlined in the book 'is the capacity to work effectively in the classroom-which is where my work is aimed-it is essential. I don't think there is anything in the programme that cannot be delivered by the average energised storyteller or teacher.'
At the workshops, he demonstrated some of these activities and one of the things that strikes you about Graham is his energy. Lessons move along at a cracking pace as children and adults react to his positive reinforcement. He explains how it all began several years ago with a program called Talking Senss.
"I was asked to assist in a anti-bullying project in three schools, we were given two days at each school and I used a combination of storytelling, drama and discussion, games and songs. The schools we were allocated to were very difficult schools, we weren't targeted there for no reason.'
At the end of our time all involved found the results 'quite amazing'. The turn around in a school that had experienced a lot of 'aggressive behaviour between the children, very aggressive speech and attitudes and various bullying incidents' was nothing short of remarkable. One head teacher interviewed about the project said, 'bullying has been reduced in our school by about eighty per cent,'
Graham claims that even half that figure would be pleasing, but results reinforce his strong convictions about, ' the power of storytelling .....and...the way it deals with so many areas of human life. As we use stories, and peel away layers, we explore all the different things that are happening to people in folktales. The experiences in many folktales have at one and the same time an individual and a universal meaning. It is this link between individual response and universal meaning that gives traditional tales their power as a teaching tool.'
Not only do the children hear about a range of feelings and experiences but they share it in a community environment as a whole class, as a shared adventure. Children interviewed about Graham's visit several weeks later could feel the difference, 'I used not to let Jamie join in, but now we realise it's much nicer if Jamie joins in.'
Talk to Graham about story and you feel the generosity of his spirit and realise 'Talking Senss' is only one facet of his love and work with story. His reputation in the UK sees him at the forefront of the storytelling revival.
Search his web site at www.stories.demon.co.uk and a treasury of information is in store. He lead a recent lively email debate about 'story traditions and traditional storytelling in the UK.' It was an interesting contribution to the debate about the age old art of storytelling. Although a professional teller for ten years his storytelling experience goes back over twenty years 'when he told stories at Birmingham's renowned folksong club "the Grey Cock". He was a founding member of Banner Theatre and worked with Charles Parker the radio producer responsible for "The Radio Ballads" From his web general information page we learn that he has 'a strong faith in oral narrative and vernacular speech.' After watching him tell stories at the National Festival we know he is ' a gifted storyteller, committed to using storytelling in a variety of ways especially as a learning and teaching stategy in schools.'
In conjunction with the Humberside County Council Leisure Services Graham was employed 'to add a new dimension to events and walks organised by the Countryside Unit.' Graham's story's gave people 'the opportunity for quiet reflection in a place of great beauty' and prompted another group to start collecting and collating stories with environmental themes.
He has put together many storytelling packages that he performs and to dip into just a few; ' Ballads and Blarney with singer song writer Janet Wood, where they combine talents to present a mixed evening of songs and stories suitable for all ages. Ragnall; 'What are the stories and what do they mean Where do they come from, these landscapes these themes Who are the people who walk through our dreams What are the stories and what do they mean' The sovereignty of the land and the sovereignty of the people they are one and the same thing. The ancient story of Sir Gwaine and The Loathly Lady is retold through story and song. Skeleton Woman 'A show that will knock your socks off. Performing with composer Peter Batchelor, this is a short piece of storytelling and electro-acoustic music, a strange marriage of old and new art forms. Stories from the Black Country and Beyond An evening with Graham of stories emanating from close to his native Birmingham.
And the list goes on, his enthusiasm for stories is infectious he makes you feel like an honoured listener.
Graham's passion for storytelling is not fleeting, a body of work gives authourity to his voice. In overcrowded curriculums he tires of teachers seeing storytelling as a 'little nicety that we haven't got time for any more..... storytelling is such a powerful tool it can be used right across the curriculum.'
'Although the impact of two days (with the programme ) was quite remarkable ,the impact will fade over time....it's important to keep the continuity.' 'I have a great appreciation of the creative capacity of all people, not just children.... Storytelling inspires them ...allows them to speak....to know what they say is valued.'
"And word spread throughout the countryside that a great storyteller was living in the village and people came from all around to hear the stories." Taken from a folktale in his book that features a boy, a dragon, and a tear it aptly describes Graham Langley and his appeal and 'greatness' as a storyteller.
Graham Langley is a great storyteller, he inspires all he meets.
John Marsden is a man of 'generous wisdom' and proclaimed 'Poet Laureate of Australian teenagers'. A romantic notion but one John questions, he wonders whether teenagers would even know what it means. He ponders the 'weird situation' of a fifty year old man giving teenagers a voice but he does concede that maybe he 'brings a perspective to the voice, a reflective ability gained with age and experience.'
It would take more space than his award winning seven book series Tomorrow When The War Began to chronicle the twists and turns in his life that have brought him to this wisdom and the article can only hope to glean a brief overview.
'Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think' said seventeenth century Christain writer Jean de La Bruyère and John readily admits ascribing to the first view. He feels life deeply.
As a young boy his family moved several times, from Melbourne, to country Victoria and then Tasmania. At Devonport Primary School he developed into a voracious reader, exhausting both the school and town libraries, already the young loner was storing it away for his future career.
In his late primary and teenage years he attended The King's School in Sydney, a conservative boarding school with extremely strict military values. He questions a system where older prefects were given cart blanche to discipline the younger students with a canning and he resented the authoritarian nature of his world. In retrospect it was not the right school for him and he felt he was left 'emotionally mute' at the end of his schooling.
He felt powerless as a teenager, the experience still unforgettable, and it explains why he feels such empathy and sympathy for teenagers and their lack of voice. He understands the complexity of their lives and takes very seriously their concerns.
Late teenage hood was a difficult time for John and he suffered severe bouts of depression. He laughs when he tells me of his time in hospital, 'it wasn't like Cuckoo's Nest or anything it was a really positive experience. It was here that I finally started to learn the language of feelings, confront things and look at them more honestly. "People would ask me, How do you feel? and I honestly didn't know.'
A series of unusual jobs followed but all the time he was still 'reading extensively and starting to experiment with writing'. At twenty eight, 'he found a career which suited him: that of teaching.' This lead him to Geelong Grammar School where he became the head of English at the Timbertop campus.
He remembers a defining moment in his last term at Geelong Grammar. When he relates the story he is quiet and thoughtful as he evokes the feeling in the Headmaster's office so many afternoons ago.
John had been appointed coach of the tennis squad, a dubious distinction compared to the more prestigous sports like football and soccer. The tennis squad had not won a game in years. He agreed, on the condition that they give it a go for a year and after that time, if there had been no improvement, they would disband they squad.
'It doesn't do anything for anyone'. John told the headmaster
Training camps followed, afternoon practise and before long the team was successful, their kudos in the school rose from the bottom of the barrel to one of sporting elite.
'The headmaster was reflective, there were long silences', finally the comment,
'John, you made them feel important.'
And this is what he does in his books, makes teenagers feel important.
It is Australian literature folklore how his first book So Much to Tell You came to be published. Six publishers had rejected the manuscript until a chance conversation with Albert Ullin, legendary Melbourne Bookseller saw Albert handball it to new Sydney publisher, Walter McVitty and in 1987 it was named children's book of the Year for Older Readers. It doesn't seem that long ago that a heavily pregnant I waddled of to the Ballarat library to hear a talk by new children's author John Marsden. The voice he had given Marina was so inciteful I remember wondering if 'John' was really an alias for a female writer.
He still feels more 'comfortable writing about feelings as a female, and some characters are mute in my story because they still haven't found their voice.'
This early success and a lot of hard work opened the floodgates and saw John move in and out and through various genres as well as defining new Australian literary standards of his own. Accolades, awards and Fellowships flowed in a steady succession. Not just adult awards but state awards that are judged by children and teenagers themselves. In 1995 Tomorrow, When the War Began won the older readers' section in every state award.
It is the response of these young readers that John finds particularly gratifying and one of the compelling reasons that he continues to write for them. '...their responses are so strong, so passionate, so intense and so heartfelt.'
His genuine concern for teenagers is palpable and his admiration for them is continuously evident. He beams at the thought of a young girl writing to him, 'Dear John, I am an enthusiastic thirteen year old girl.' He acknowledges that he has meet 'many teenagers who go though life so gracefully.'
But still sometimes he despairs at the isolation and abuse many of them live with, Many of 'today's teenagers are wealthier than any other age' but they have 'replaced spiritual life with material life'. He knows that a 'you are what you buy' mentality will not equip them with skills to live a full and rich life.
Like myths and legends of old that offered frameworks for our life, John's work is sometimes the only voice of reason in a hostile world for some young people. As student Jess Bieniek wrote on January 23, 1996, 'Thanx for creating a world in which I can escape the...pressures which contribute to pulling us teenager's lives apart...With each story you write, you knock down a brick in the wall of hate.'
In John Howard's world we all live in happy middle class homes and some critics have railed at his 'grim violent realism' . Marsden maintains that it is only by putting these stories into context can we start to understand them, 'even the darkest tale ever told is not destructive if it is true.'
He knows from bitter experience that ' by honestly and directly confronting problems they loose the power to damage. While evil remains inexplicable its troubling nature it can never be resolved.' Time and time again our society glosses over the concerns of teenagers .
John tackles some very complex issues in his writing but above all he is an extraordinary storyteller. The "War" series had it all. Adventure, intrigue, loves won and lost and but ultimately the spiritual growth of his protaganists.
As I re-read So Much To Tell You , Australia's highest grossing teenage book ever, the other day, I hurried through to the finale. Once again it brought tears to my eyes. Finally the story is revealed, the bitter circumstances, her love for her Dad. Marina hadn't said a word in over a year and there it was, 'Dad.....I've got so much to tell you.'
John is a gentle man with a love of nature and the bush, whilst visting Tye Estate his pride is obvious, he likes being 'a famous author with a great lifestyle'. The Estate lies in a beautiful valley where the sound of running water is constant after heavy rains and splashes of pink rhododehd dot the landscape. Dogs yap and the CFA are here to check out safety procedures. We stop for a chat with the properties caretakers.
Bunk houses and classrooms higher up the hill are where John conducts his writing courses, he still has a passion for teaching. The storytelling Guild members would benefit hugely from a weekend of explorations with John.
I could have talked to John for hours his considered, reflective answers and his congenial companionship where very generous and illuminating. As a family friend we sometimes pick up old threads and it's been a thrill to watch the writer blossom.
Which leads me to a request from John. We had turned the tape of but he turned it on again after a moment, I have got one request, I've been in New Guinea recently and there crying out for picture books. I was embarrassed and mortified to find such titles as Solving the Balkan Crisis on shelves to introduce children and develop in them a love of language and literature.
Not tattered old books, but new picture and storybooks. So how about it storytellers, keep your eyes peeled for suitable material.
And send it to John Marsden The Tye Estate RMB 1250 Kerrie-Romsey Road ROMSEY VICTORIA 3434
Pauline McLeod - Aboriginal Stories as Popular Culture.
A childhood story that Pauline McLeod instantly recalls is the tale of Peter and the Wolf. You all know it. Peter is told he must remain in the garden or the wolf will get him. But does he listen to his grandfather? Oh no! The young boy has no fear of the wolf.
But how does an aboriginal woman whose ancestors come from the south coast of New South Wales and the Adelaide area come to have this story prominently in her psyche? Sad to say, Pauline was one of the stolen generation and she heard the story from her adoptive German parents.
Becoming a storyteller set Pauline on the road home to find her aboriginality.
While a teenager her German parents instigated involvement with some aboriginal peoples and their mythology but it was only a small taste. It wasn't until Pauline was 26 that she meet her birth parents and the long hard road home began.
On this road home she was to make many discoveries, learn many things and receive advise from a 'Board of Elders' that continue to offer feedback and support on her chosen career.
Pauline remembers the circuitous route to her chosen path. As a young child she was a good little storyteller, 'sometimes getting myself into a lot of trouble and also, getting myself out of a lot of trouble with my stories.' I had inherited a love of story off my adoptive parents; they steeped me in story and encouraged me to be a reader. She recalls being a bit of a loner at school and one of her main ambitions then was to read the entire collection of the Raymond Terrace School's Library.
As a child she loved to entertain people. And as the years went by Pauline began to dabble; --- singing, writing, performing. When she met her natural family in 1986 these creative outlets were a way to tell people about what had happened to her. But Australia wasn't ready to listen. She continued to be a dabbler, all the time learning about her culture, about how to entertain people, how to stand up in front of audiences and modulate her voice. But Pauline was angry and impatient and wanted to be able to reach people and change attitudes.
Then one day her mother told her a Dreamtime story and Pauline knew that this was the way to educate people.
This story and subsequent stories she heard told her of a people that had lived for thousands and thousands of years in peace and harmony. This choice of career would allow her to reclaim and then proclaim Aboriginal culture. Teach people the important lessons that her people already knew about living in this great southern land.
Pauline had never heard any Dreamtime stories in her days at school and she wanted to change that, she wants all Australian children to have an opportunity to hear the stories. Pauline wants the aboriginal stories to become a part of popular culture, as well known as Red Riding Hood and Cinderella.
'To make the stories and our culture popular, we had to make sure it wasn't a fad - but a long term change within the culture of Australia as a whole - so we began some intensive research', to find the right stories. Beautiful, magical stories that people would never forget. Stories that were an encapsulation of our cultural beliefs.
Once the stories were located permission was sought from the elders to use them in as many formats as possible and then the telling began in earnest. With passion and respect Pauline took her stories to the people, through television shows such as Preschool, at the Opera House, at schools, festivals, wherever she got the opportunity. They 'called the whole scene Mallawilli - 'sit down' - a Sydney NSW word and she has been telling ever since. Pauline McLeod has learnt much about herself, her people and the art of storytelling since those early days and when asked about her tricks of the trade she laughs and pauses, momentarily at a loss for words. When pressed she replies, 'Believe what you are saying.' 'Tell strong stories.' she adds. 'Find the natural rhythm of the story, its like knowing the music, it helps you find the structure of the story. 'Look at everyone, make sure they all know they're on a shared adventure. Live the story so everyone can share the adventure with you.'
Another point Pauline emphasizes is the need to research and understand the background of your stories. She sees storytelling as a very powerful medium for teaching lessons and passing on cultural values. Without the knowledge behind the stories she believes a storyteller is merely 'a reciter of stories, an entertainer or performer- not a true storyteller.'
Pauline is passionate and eloquent when talking of the storyteller's role. Having a chance later in life to reclaim her birthright has fired her soul with strong convictions. She would like to bring back the 'power, the honour and the role of the storyteller in society.' She sets high standards for herself and fellow storytellers; we have a duty to adhere to an age-old custom where we pass on the stories and lessons from the beginning of time.
Talking to Pauline I found myself continually questioning my own beliefs, my role and motivation behind telling the stories that I do. We both agreed though that one very important aspect of our work was to give children a sense of place, of belonging to the land. This led me to ask Pauline about non-indigenous people telling aboriginal stories. It's a question that has circulated around the Guilds of Australia since their inception twenty years ago. Pauline explains in an article for Telling Tales the NSW Guild's newsletter
"Within our culture there' a number of categories of stories: public stories, sacred stories, sacred secret stories, and men's and women's stories. A woman cannot tell a man's story to a group of men and men cannot tell women's stories - I don't know the men's stories - I only know the female, the public, the women's and sacred stories and stories just for women."
With this element explained Pauline went on to say that she is in the process of writing some of her stories down but only the public stories, these are the ones that the Board of Elders and I are happy to share. We have no problems with oral storytelling but the artistic property of them belongs to us. Our people will make them into popular culture through books, animations, recordings but only our people know the legends that go back to the Dreamtime. We are happy for you to tell some of our Dreamtime stories all we ask is for respect in the telling. We believe that it is important to acknowledge where the story is from. Look to your local area for stories of place, find the history and culture that has gone before.
This led to talk of anthropologist AW Reeds books on aboriginal culture and how outdated they are. Rather than anger at his misappropriation of stories Pauline laughs that he could get things so wrong. He had no perception of the intricacies of the culture and he borrowed places names and stories from all over Australia. He didn't understand that there were many distinct tribes all around Australia. Now Pauline is going to set the story straight, so to speak, because it her job to collect and classify the NSW stories.
It may seem a long way from Peter and the Wolf, to collecting aboriginal stories of NSW but then again Pauline has come a long way. And even though it may seem a strange analogy I can't help but think of Pauline as that brave little Peter standing at the gate, friend to the animals, looking to the outside world. Grandfather warned her but she couldn't rest until she'd gone out in to the world and caught that wolf by the tail.
Boori Pryor: Listening with your Eyes, Ears and Heart.
He introduces himself as Monty Pryor; his aboriginal name was only given to him recently by an uncle. Boori means fire and it was the gift of this name that gave him the strength and the determination to continue the legacy of passing on his culture as the family's storyteller. His auto biography co written with Meme McDonald, Maybe Tomorrow has been shortlisted in this years Children's book Council list of Books for Older Readers. It explains the circuitous path that lead to this role and it is a must read for people wanting to understand what is like for Aboriginal people in Australia. Pryor's career path has taken him from 'the aboriginal fringe camps of his birth, to the runway, the catwalk, the basketball court, the DJ's console' now to storyteller.
By way of introduction we hear of the tragic death of four members of his immediate family. Pryor explains he is not looking for pity but to set the record straight. "As an Aboriginal family you expect that [the un-timely deaths]. You really do expect that." It should be his Budda Paul as the family's storyteller but now the responsibility lies with him.
The strength to stay focused on his path also comes from his 'mum and dad and from my beautiful godson, Ciara'. Even as a little boy he knew he was Kunggandji on his mothers side from around Cairns in Far North Queensland and on his father's side, Birri-gubba from around Bowen and Townsville.
Boori Pryor arrives at the St Kilda Library to perform for some local school children in celebration of the We Iri We Homeborn, 1999 Indigenous Arts Festival: He changes from jeans and polo shirt into his ' judda jah - my little red undies- and nothing else except ...paint.' The paint; ochre from the earth is 'my shield or my plate of armour......my link to the strength from the past.'
This is a brave move, (in his book he recounts that adolescent girls are the most intimidating audience), but he instantly has the children captivated. He explains what each pattern represents, the wings of a bird are painted on his arms, on his legs the butterfly and here, the rainbow snake.
Stories and dances are mixed with tribal lore, culture and humour. He invites children to listen with their eyes, ears and heart. He explains that aboriginal children are taught respect for their elders from an early age. They never ask 'why' or say that they 'want' something and they must never speak when their elders are. Aboriginal culture was 'intense, it was very strict and it was very strong', that is why it has continued for so long. Respect for the land and all living things were intrinsic to aboriginal survival. The white man has been here for little over two hundred years but my people have lived here for over fifty thousand years. In the book he tells about a friend who as a history teacher puts the whole issue into perspective for his students. He figures that out of a class of thirty, if only one comes to change their attitude it will be worth it. He asks, 'What makes a successful society?' Will cultures that developed through the Industrial Revolution be able to sustain this planet or will we peak and dip straight down like the Romans. David Suzuki, a Canadian environmentalist explains that successful cultures are those that can sustain themselves for a long time. 'Aboriginal Culture survived all the way through the Eygptians, the Greeks, the Middle Ages up until now, Aboriginal Culture is truly successful.
With his first story he does a spirit dance. He stamps the ground, the dust tells the elders he still remembers, the singing means he is searching to bring the spirit down to help tell the story. It was his cousin Joe Gaia and his brother Paul that were the real dances, singers and 'didge' players in the family. But I have had to take over. As Boori himself readily acknowledges his 'main asset in the role I play as storyteller is that I'm not angry.'
And this is certainly true; the painted man in the red 'undies' is patient, kind and very funny. One story he tells the kids has them in fits of laughter when they all slowly get the joke. It is a story from his homeland about how the crocodile got its teeth. To test if the teeth are sharp a man wades into the mangrove swamp and snap his legs are gone. He crawls away to become a mountain, there he stands forever on his stump legs, 'weeing' down the side of the mountain. The white man calls this place 'Freshwater'.
Boori gets tired sometimes, it's hard to 'play the whiteman's game and stay black while your doing it.' He's performed to thousands of children over the years and they're not all as receptive and uncritical as this young St Kilda audience. Up in the Blue Mountains he was performing to a group of Year 11 and 12 students when a student with his arms folded across his chest, angrily made a statement to Boori. The boy said mum told him that aboriginal people are given houses and money but they destroy the houses, walk out, leave them and whinge they get nothing. Boori maintains the anger of this child was almost like a physical punch. Patiently he talked to they boy. Did the boy know where it happened? Of course he didn't. He asked the boy why he was directing his anger at him. Boori is saddened by the level of animosity and the lack of understanding often demonstrated by his youthful audiences but more angry that adults would pass on this mis-information.
Incident after incident is recounted where you begin to feel the alienation encountered by indigenous people of Australia. They were alienated by the history, by themselves and by the older people. It was only after receiving his aboriginal name from his uncle that he started to be inducted with the family stories by his aunt. He is saddened and amazed that the older people had to keep these traditions from his family. Now when he goes home he gets a power surge of the stories for him to preserve and pass on. Sometimes it is a straining responsibility but something he proudly marches forward with.
It is these moments of hope in the book that shine through like the last drop in Pandora's box. The strength of aboriginal people comes through their sense of belonging to each other. Boori and his cousins are working on a language/ cultural centre in his families homelands, in this way they hope to replace all the negative stereotypes of aboriginal people with positive ones.
Boori thinks it should be mandatory for all schools to set aside information and stories about the local tribe so that people come to understand and belong to the land, 'we have the secrets, the stories and all the knowledge you need to love this land.'
Pryor and McDonald have collaborated on another book that has been shortlisted in the younger reader's section of the Children's Book of the Year for 1999. It is called My Girragundji. Girragundji is a Kunggandji word for green tree frog and the book tells the story of a young boy growing up between two cultures and how his little frog gives him the courage to face his fears.
Boori acknowledges the strength he receives from this collaboration with McDonald, she has helped to craft and shape the stories, 'she kicked my backside when it needed kicking, picked me up when I almost fell, saw the beauty and strength of my family ....and moved some of the dark clouds that have hovered for too long. It is wonderful to think of this groundswell of reconciliation brought about by two artists working together to tell the stories of aboriginal Australia.
It is a measure of the man and his strong convictions that he is so giving to his audience. Before the children from the Primary School have even arrived he is talking to the mothers and children who are also there to watch his performance. A little black child sitting on a white grandma's knees is singled out, he knows that this child will need to develop a strong sense of self. 'Look we got the same kind of hair.'
I notice when children are invited to join in the dancing this little fella is stomping and clapping and totally immersed, while still up next to his Nan.
He finishes with the story of Girragundji and how he used to tease his seven sisters with the little green tree frog. The audience even after an hour of listening are laughing and enthralled, likewise the teachers have let the time slip by. When they finally line up to go at three thirty you know there will be a line of anxious parents waiting for their children. But that night when the children relate the days activities, when they tell of the aboriginal man , his dancing, his painted body and his stories Boori's hope that maybe tomorrow we will be as one has progressed a little further along the road to reconcilliation As he say's, 'Maybe tomorrow then in this warm light the earth will be seen her beauty and her power felt her tales of creation heard through story rocks and sacred waters.'
With the 2001 National Storytelling Confest in Adelaide just around the corner 'Swag' wanted to start the countdown by profiling Confest Director, Graham Ross. Although, he is being very cagey about the confest; its bubbling along nicely he tells me, he still 'doesn't want to release all I have yet..." "It will distort it if I say too much."
Graham reflects on the theme of Sharing the Gift. The South Australian Guild Committee brainstormed and came up with about thirty possibilities, maxims that reflected their Guild and a philosophy for the Confest. Graham says the theme they chose ' reflects a certain spirit of generosity, which our group feel about storytellers, and a perception of the 'special-ness' of the gifts some have.' He worried that maybe the theme sounded a bit 60's or 70's, 'head in the clouds,' type of thing. But it does reflect the spirit the group brings to running and planning the Confest, 'That is much conviviality, participation, and a nurturing atmosphere.'
When you talk to Graham as he speaks of his involvement with storytelling and the Confest you hear snippets from wide ranging sources. Eel traps of the local indigenous people, Terry Jones and wandering minstrels to visions of 'flourid and fantastically unbelievable bible stories.' He has been published widely with topics ranging from One Classroom Many Cultures ... to The Value of Stories and Storytelling ' and his strong believe in the power of storytelling is evident.
It is no surprise when he reveals deeper themes, "I think the real themes of the Confest are more the threads which began to arise at the last festival in Canberra...the nature of Australian Storytelling, where we are at, what are our storytelling roots, new trends emerging around Australia and ethical and moral decisions in storytelling issues.'
Graham brings considerable experience as an educator and entertainer to his storytelling, with over thirty years' experience teaching at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. His emphasis through these years was 'to use storytelling as a vehicle for language learning and cultural teaching' and prepare teachers 'to appreciate cultural diversity' and to 'teach English to speakers of other languages.'
His entertainment background comes from over ten years work with Playback Theatre Adelaide where he performed as director, actor and conductor. 'This form of non-scripted theatre involves a troupe enacting community and personal stories on the spot with minimal props....at conferences and for community celebrations and events.' Graham has also conducted many highly successful training workshops 'connected with storytelling, cultural understanding, self-presentation, collaborative learning and aspects of literacy.
He unashamedly says he 'steals and borrows' insights, techniques, and story ideas from many people and this has influenced the direction of his work. From friend James, of Malaysian Tamill background the appreciation of storytelling as a social ritual. Kel Watkins stimulated his use of playful yarns to explore big truths and Ann Pellowski's writings prompted him to work with props such as string, paper and objects when telling. His work with playback theatre has 'enlarged (his) belief ' in improvised stories and developed his ability 'to be present in the moment' of the story. (I) 'have a strong sense of value for my voice when it is fully embodied and from the heart'; this he learnt from natural voice teacher, Frankie Armstrong.
With this wonderfully informed background to his storytelling it is little wonder that Graham has high aspirations for the Confest
We aim to create an event:
* where people will participate actively * Share with enjoyment their stories and skills. * Acknowledge and celebrate the quality and diversity of Storytelling in Australia * Discuss current issues * Reflect Australian life, environment and events * Gain insights from other performing arts and disciplines * Experience and explore storytelling for different purposes and audiences
With all this in mind the committee started having delusions of grandeur, the "Murray Princess" paddle steamer was the first choice for venue. Storytellers would wile away their days in languid repose, listening and telling tales as they steamed up and down the mighty Murray River.
However a reality check stepped in and it was decided that $350 just for accommodation, was a little rich for economically strapped storytellers and they were a little fearful of too languid a repose. Graham still 'finds it hard to forget the image of the Murray Princess lit up at night on the Murray.'
They continued searching for a place that had 'an evocative atmosphere' at a cheaper price and they found it '20 minutes drive from the middle of Adelaide, a Crooked Mick stone's throw from Mount Lofty' at the Woodhouse Memorial Scout Centre.
Next decision was to come up with a logo for the Confest that would act as its symbol and could be used for badges and T-shirts. This task was assigned to multi-media artist Ria Willering. Primarily a painter, Ria was born in Holland where she spent her early years on her father's barge travelling the waterways of Post-War Europe. At an early age she was exposed to the cultures of Germany, Switzerland, Belgium before arriving in Australia in 1960. She has had several exhibitions including 'Sex In the Kitchen', 'Red Centre' and 'Bridges on the River Rhine'. Set design is included in her portfolio; Fiddler on the Roof, as just one example and last year she designed the cover for Diane Wokstein's CD and audiotape. In the book, 'Adelaide's Best Kept Secret's she is reported to do amazing things at adult parties. Before you baulk, they were referring to her extraordinary talent as a face and body painter.
Her brief from the committee was to... 'capture something about the environment of the Confest, i.e. South Australia, Mount Lofty, the Adelaide Hills and local Flora and Fauna.' You can see for yourself what she finally came up with.
As related before Graham is only letting out snippets at a time and when pushed on performers and performances he revealed,
'What I'm most excited about are: the attendance of Australian born storyteller/ singer Eric Maddern now living in Wales and a workshop being organised by Victorian teller and author Gael Cresp......'
Eric Maddern is a singer, storyteller, teacher and writer born in Whyalla, South Australia. When he was 11 his family moved to England and he was educated at Windsor Grammar School. Late teens saw him travel with various organisations to Arctic Norway, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. On his return he gained a degree in Psychology and Sociology. Then it was off to America, Mexico and Guatemala before arriving back in Australia in 1976.
In 1981 he became part of Araluen Bush Arts Team based in Alice Springs touring shows to aboriginal communities and where he chanced upon a book of essays called "White Man Got No Dreaming" that made him wonder about his own place in the scheme of things.
It was then back to the UK where he put together ' a one man show about the culture, history and contemporary life of the First Australians.' This proved very popular and he toured with it extensively. In 1991 English Heritage approached him to tell stories at Historic Sites and a book and CD of stories followed the next year.
"Since then Eric has continued to work at the cutting edge of the Storytelling revival in Britain." The above facts gleaned from 'a brief biography', has left me extremely curious about Eric's work, the fields of storytelling he feels passionate about correlate to my interests and that of Australia's developing Guilds. It has also left me with dozens of questions, that I hope I get a chance to ask at the Confest.
Gael Cresp, friend and colleague outlined her workshop for me. It is based on an idea she heard in New Zealand from American teller Elisabeth Ellis who reputedly has a ' voice that sounds like chocolate tastes'. Ellis invited four tellers to tell their version of Cinderella and compare them. Gael and a team of tellers, Graham Ross (SA), David Shapiro (NSW), Gill Di Stefano (VIC) and Gay Sutton (NZ) will work with the story of Sleeping Beauty. They will extend the idea even further by asking Louisa John Krol (VIC) to intersperse the telling with music and Janet Tucker (VIC) to illustrate the written copy. This manuscript will include their discussion on the why's and how they came to the story and the metaphors and meanings the story illicite's for each teller. This promises to be a powerful session.
Well, that's all we can reveal at the moment, Graham and his team seem to be working away busily on our behalf. I look forward once again to the rejuvenation of body and soul that comes from a weekend with kindred spirits and being guests of the South Australian Guild.
Cable Beach in Broome seems like an idyllic holiday location, beautiful tropical weather and miles and miles of clean, white sandy beaches. As a tourist you could stay in eco friendly huts by the beach or camp in the caravan park by the river. At night after gorging on local seafood and fruits you could wash it all down with a couple of cleansing ales at the Roebuck Hotel, but that's white fella dreaming, a European perspective. It could be any other tropical location in the world transported to far north-western Australia. You would get no feel for the richness and diversity of an age-old culture.
Talk to Pat Torres and this vibrant, generous woman paints a different picture, another reality, a landscape and a people that date back thousands and thousands of years to the dreamtime. A woman determined to preserve the culture and stories for future generations and to educate people about a totally different belief system.
"When I talk to children at schools I separate one strand of my hair and remind them that white man's history in Australia is like this compared to our history, my whole head of hair."
"These are the stories of my land and my people," says Torres. "But you must be aware that you should never generalise about Aboriginal people. Our Kimberley stories, our traditions, they are not the same as the stories and culture of other indigenous people of Australia."
Torres claims inheritance from three tribal groups of the Broome/ Kimberleys region of north-west Western Australia, the Yawuru, Nyul Nyul and Jabirr Jabirr people. But it wasn't always so. As a young girl Aboriginality wasn't something her people were allowed to take pride in. Her mother and grandmother were taken from their families to be "re-educated" to the white man's way. Early missionaries, as was typical of the time, preached a new doctrine and the cultural practices of the Nyul Nyul people were actually forbidden.
But there were a few renegades, claims Torres who would pass the stories on secretly and the culture stayed underground with the people for a long time.
"But now we need to bring them out in the open again and preserve them for future generations. Our traditional way of life is dying out, stories are no longer handed down round the camp-fires. We need to use more contemporary formats, like books and films and tapes.
I remember hearing some of the stories as a young girl. My Nanna would tell us about the Gumbun, the mangrove man, a strange, hairy little man always on the lookout for children.These stories were designed to keep us close to home. Now, when I tell the stories I like to exaggerate my movements and dramatise them, bring the characters alive for children. When I draw them and write about them in my children's books I use designs specific to the area where I was brought up, I want to recreate some of my cultural inheritance. My books are bilingual because I want people to appreciate that our culture is still a living culture."
Reading Torres' book Jalygurr; Aussie Animal Rhymes, is a great start to introducing young children to indigenous culture. It brings alive a Yawuru lifestyle that has existed for many thousands of years. I can almost imagine Torres' Nanna chanting to her children the Gumbun, Mangrove Man poem from the book, Jalygurr.
Gumbun Gumbun, Look out, look out It's the Gumbun man Run, run as fast as you can
Similarly I have had fun introducing young children to the concept of left and right with Torres' poem Jiribuga, The Porcupine as we slap first left hand and then right hand on our knees.
Left, right, left right, Walking up the track, Jiribuga the porcupine Never looking back
Torres also reminds us that the oral stories handed down, generation after generation were a way of teaching children about history and their relationship to the land.
People are sceptical, but stories about giant kangaroos were based on fact-25,000 years ago these giant animals over 20 foot high did roam our land. Children learnt through the stories to look for Walga Walga the salmon when the south-easterly winds would blow.
"My people survived in a harsh landscape because they were respectful of it and passed on important survival lessons to their children through the stories."
One thing that comes shining through when talking to Torres is her commitment to her beliefs and the integrity of her work. She will happily share her stories but she demands this same reverence from people who wish to tell the tales.
"It's been hard for my people living through such troubled times but we have adapted and are trying to incorporate all that we have seen and heard from the white man.
It is time that people became aware of the language they use when telling our stories and talking about us. I cannot abide people using the same rehashed old cliches when talking about Aboriginal people; some are intrinsically racist and hurtful to my people.
Stories taken out of context can often inform people incorrectly about various aspects of our culture. European perspective is not the same as Aboriginal perspective, our love of the land and our feeling for the spirit of the land is something hard to explain in words. It must be experienced.
Now it is your turn, there can be no true reconciliation in this great southern land until white people help to right the injustice done to Aboriginal people. We need for you to connect with local indigenous people and hear the stories of your region. Your children need to get a feeling of place by hearing the stories of the land around them. We need to form partnerships and collaborate with each other on stories that educate people about our history and culture.
I feel I am privileged in some ways that I have been able to work with elders of the tribe to save the culture for younger generations. When I worked with Daisy Utemorra on Do Not Go Around The Edges, I felt like a young woman learning from the experience of an older wiser woman. I believe that by educating people about our history and our culture and where we're coming from we gain a greater understanding and awareness of other people's cultures and belief systems-why we do what we do and why we think what we think. This leads, I guess, to a better world."
Anne E Stewart
Available books by Pat Torres: Story of Crow ( with Magdalene Williams 1987), Jalygurr: Aussie Animal Rhymes (1987), Do Not Go Around The Edges (Illus. 1991), author Daisy Utemorra). Contact: PO Box 916, Broome, WA.
According to Jan Wositzky there are many ways to skin a cat, and many different ways to tell stories. Jan Wositzky first became involved with the Victorian Storytelling Guild in 1996 when an old friend, Morgan Blackrose invited him to tell stories at the Guilds regular forum for storytelling, the monthly café at the _________ Hotel in Richmond. Following this he was invited to be a guest presenter at the 1997 Lorne Storytelling Conference. Now, as they say, he's part of the furniture and a highly respected member of the storytelling guild of Victoria.
True to the tradition of guilds of old there's a lot we can learn from this storyman, yarnspinner, dance caller, as well as musician who plays the 5-string banjo, mouth organ, spoons, bodharan (the mighty Irish drum) and most ancient instrument of them all-bones.
It's hard to know where to start with Wositzky's story because he enjoys exploring all the twists and turns in his life's path. But to give you a sense of the man we must go back to his arrival in Australia.
He immigrated to Australia with his Czech-Scots family in 1956 as a very young boy and herein lies the earliest influences on his work. One of the strengths of his storytelling is ability to have his audience empathize with his characters. Wositzky tells a poignant and humorous account of these early days. He's a young lad who cops a fair bit of flake for having such an ethnic name. Although we laugh, you feel for the small boy. Was it this early displacement that has seen him travel far and wide in the search of his own story?
Wositsky's path after school was Latrobe University where he studied to become a teacher. 'But before you could say "Waltzing Matilda" he was a founder of the Bushwackers Band -his first job.' These formative days as a performer have added a wealth of experience and understanding to his performance and left us with a legacy of definitive Australia Folk culture. Between 1974 and 1981 the band recorded a wealth of material; "The Shearers Dream, The Band played Waltzing Matilda and the Bushwakers dance Album' to name just a few.
Then in 1981 Wositzky heard a tape of old Bill Harney telling his stories about his experiences in WW1 and he was intrigued. 'Bill Harney was arguably one of the best raconteurs in Australia, says Wositzky He wanted to find out more about the old man so he headed north.
If you've had the chance to see Wositzky perform his Harney piece you'll know of another great strength in his storytelling, his ability to get inside the character. Once he donned his old slouch hat and sat upright with his Harney sense of wisdom and authority he became the old man. It is a heart-rending story and although the words have faded in my memory I still remember my feelings of pathos. To think of the bright eyed young lad heading off on his big adventure only to return a shadow of a man. It is a beautiful piece of storytelling and credit must also go to Wostizky's wife Debbie Sonenberg for her direction. The timing, the choice of words, the body language all makes this a remarkably moving shared adventure. I long to feel and be the character as seamlessly as Wositzky. Is this a clue for us storytellers? Would outside direction and help with shaping characters benefit our presentations?
The Harney story became a defining moment for Wositzky as a member of the Bushwackers he'd always thrown in the odd yarn or two but this was different. It was such a difficult and moving story to tell that, he found it incredibly hard getting inside the character.
'I needed to get all the tears out before I could perform it, I had to get the performance under control.'
In 1984 he first performed a fifteen-minute version as a part of the Bushwacker's and Redgum's "farewell concerts". The success of the story opened his eyes to the power and possibilities of storytelling. A cabaret of storytelling and music from black and white Australia followed.
During this time Wositzky also involved himself with other diverse and interesting projects. He wrote the biography of Phar Lap's strapper, Tommy Woodcock (1986), directed the inaugural Brunswick children's Festival (1992), was an artist in residence in the Northern Territory (1989) and Brunswick (1991).
Then another sidewinder of a path, after journeying to the most isolated parts of this land he became profoundly moved by Aboriginal people and their culture. He found their stories big and powerful but wondered where he fitted into the landscape. Wositzky says he was often asked by the aborigines, 'Who are your people?' He found it a difficult question to answer.
At the same time Wositzky had been thrown another lure by the legendary Ted Egan. A tale of an Intellectual Hobo that lived at Borroloola, in the gulf country of the Northern Territory. So off he headed again, this time accompanied by his wife and two young daughters. They were wild days but important days for Wositzky and his family. They became involved with the local Yanyuwa community and learned much as they helped produce documentaries and books about local culture and history. They loved they countryside and spent one of their ten years away living in a tent on the edges of the Gulf Of Carpentaria.
From his Yanyuwa hosts he learnt to have great respect for the ancient Dreamtime stories and the land. He knew of the effects of colonialism, stories taken without authority, the land, its people and their children stolen. Wositzky was sensitive to this appropriation of another culture and how political it was to use the stories. But with time came understanding and awareness. His friends were happy to share their stories with him but he must use the stories to honour them. He must acknowledge where the stories are from and tell of the people and their relationship to and love of the land. From his early days as a folksinger he knew that the source of the story was often definitive.
He came to feel a great rapport with the local indigenous artists and Wositzky remembers feeling like he was sitting on the edge of the great Australian culture. Listening to the stories of the Aboriginal people of the Gulf country made him question his own mythology and psychology. As Joseph Campbell says in his classic, The Power of Myth- myth is like shards of pottery in an archeological dig, frameworks for our life. He felt the pull of both worlds. He wanted to understand the mythology of this sunburnt country but he also wanted to find stories of depth from his Czech, Scottish roots.
Then with the synchronism that life often throws to us he saw the movie The Piano and read the story the Handless Maiden. They hit me physically, I didn't understand what it was but I sensed the depth of emotion it stirred in me. I now realised what renowned storyteller , author, and friend, Brian Hungerford had meant when he told me look to "the myths that rule our life's.
So, we gather up all the threads Of Wositzky's exploration and we come to his latest one-man show Yapucha, the tale of a whitefella discovering the meaning of life when he travels up north. In typical style the long narrative segues from to story to song to music, 'this is the form I like to work with.' He's interested in the structures and motives from the old legends being pulled into modern yarns, but I'm not a dead set storyteller just a bit of a yarnspinner and my show reflects my this.
I don't know if I agree, Wositzky is a great storyteller but as he says, 'there are many ways to skin a cat.'