News and Shows

News and Gigs

Skip to gigs/shows

News archive

Summer is here, although you would think we were in the UK with all the rain! I am over two thirds of the way through the summer season and I have met some great kids, wonderful parents and most welcoming librarians. It is great to travel around Vermont and New Hampshire and stop in places and meet people from all these different villages and towns.

I had a fantastic gig at the Elementary School in Sharon, VT the beginning of the summer. I was asked to come and tell tales for their final day of the One Planet Program they offer at the school. It was hot, humid and raining, but a wonderful time was had by all. After my stories, Kelly Rosenthal, the program leader, lead a circle asking the kids to say what their favourite part of the program was. To listen to each person describe what they had been doing was incredible. Some kids were truly, deeply affected by the councilors and their educating. These kids had learned Spanish, survival skills, played sports, made tie-dyed tee shirts and many other things besides over the year and told of these with enthusiasm. It was great to see. You could tell in the way they spoke that they had learned from the experience, enjoyed the experience, and would remember it for most, if not all, of their lives. It reminded me of a camp I went to as a kid, and I still have great memories of things I did and leaned there.

Another event I was part of was a presentation for the Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF), based out of Waterbury Center, VT. I feel privileged to go to events and programs like this, and One Planet. Duncan McDougall started CLiF in 1998 and raises money to buy new children's books for rural Vermont and New Hampshire libraries and provide storytelling for children in those towns. CLiF also gives new books and storytelling to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, low-income housing developments. They go to prisons to provide books and storytelling for the inmates' children, so the prisoners can read to their kids. They also offer books at CAMP!, a summer camp for migrant families in Vermont and New Hampshire, where Duncan also provides story events during the week there, and they have begun to serve refugee children too.

When I present books to a library or low-income housing development on behalf of CLiF, I set all the books up (hardcover, mostly) so that when the young people come into the room their eyes are treated with "book candy". Their eyes pop wide open when they see them. I then read from one or two of the books, and then tell a tale. To share the joy of these folk when they realize the books are for them to check out and read is such a wonderful experience. Opening children to stories and reading is a great thing to be able to do. (Beats some of the other jobs I have had over the years!) CLiF tries to cultivate a hunger for words and stories, and if you would like to help them do this, you can find more information on CLiF at www.clifonline.org, or by calling Duncan or one of the trusty CLiF staffers at 802-244-0944.

My CD is available in these local stores, here in the Upper Valley, and is also available at CDBaby.com if you prefer to buy on-line. The local stores are:
Booked Solid, Bradford VT, 802-222-5826
Norwich Bookstore, Norwich VT, 802-649-1114
Music Matters, West Lebanon NH, 603-298-6625
Hot Shot Photo, Lebanon NH, 603-5505
KidsCorp, Lebanon, NH

You can also buy the CD directly from me at one of my shows!
When it is carried in more stores, and further afield, I will add those to the list. The CD is mostly available to borrow at the libraries where I have performed, so to be sure to ask for it!

Anyway. Enough for now, I am sure you are busy! Below is the updated gig/show list. Come and visit, stop and say hi.

Gigs updated July 30th
1st August,
Silsby Public Library
Charlestown, NH 603-826-7793
10.30am, FREE

3rd August
Calef Memorial Library
Washington, VT 802-883-2343
11am, FREE
also
Tunbridge Public Library,
Tunbridge, VT
6.30pm, FREE

7th August,
Ingalls Memorial Library,
Rindge, NH - 603-899-3303
7pm, FREE

9th August
Craftsbury Public Library,
Craftsbury, VT 802-586-2516
6.30pm, FREE

12th August
Dunbar Free Library,
Grantham, NH 603-863-2172
To be held at the Town Hall
11am, FREE

17th August,
Fuller Public Library,
Fuller, NH - 603-464-3595
1.30pm, followed by a storytelling workshop, all FREE!

18th November,
Fiske Free Library, 6th Annual Story Fest,
Fiske Library, Claremont, NH 603-542-7017
10am, FREE
special note: this is a festival of storytelling and there will be three other storytellers at this performance which begins (with me) at 10am and ends after the final 2pm performance.

It's a World of Stories out there! Listen for them, share them!

Peace,

Simon Brooks, storyteller

member of LANES League for the Advancement of New England Storytellers
http://www.LANES.org

Contact me by emailing: Simon at DiamondScree dot com

TOP