The Storylady
I have been reading aloud with children across Turtle Island for 30 years. Passionate about helping folks of all ages develop literacy skills and a love of reading, I may often be discovered sitting criss-cross-applesauce in the floors of libraries and independent bookstores looking for my next favorite tales to share!
Actor, Collaborator, and Story Facilitator
I am an actor, author, and children’s performer; a white, neurodivergent, middle class, middle aged woman whose West Texas drawl still rears its head even after six years of living in Southern Ontario. My literacy work with children inspires me to approach stories with curiosity, wonder, and openness. Similarly, my experiences with grief and mental health systems compel me to hold compassionate space for others, and to share my own stories with authenticity and willful vulnerability.
My storytelling process is informed by playwright Marilo Nuñez, cartoonist Lynda Barry, play theorist Brian Sutton Smith, and countless children’s books about feelings and kindness. As a story facilitator, I am primarily interested in the relationship which exists between the storyteller and their own stories. I employ memory mapping techniques (combinations of physical activities, visual image making, and sensory questions) to mine details and deepen the telling experience. These enliven the connections between brain, body, and voice to ensure that the story which is eventually told is the right one, both for the storyteller and for their intended audience.
The solo and collaborative projects I choose emphasize community building and mental health advocacy.
Photo: Jessie Golem
Lightbulb Heart 