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      • Hot Blues on a Humid Georgia Day | Blind Willie McTell
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      • A Colonel and a Governor
      • It's All About the Blues
      • Time for 'Shine in Dawsonville
      • Climbing Higher at Aska >
        • Favorite Aska Recipes
      • It's All About the Animals | Georgia Wildlife Center
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      • A Fresh Look at the Prince
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      • An Inspirational Childhood | Gena Knox
      • Top Southern Chefs Dish Tailgating
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      • Celebrating Gone with the Wind
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      • A Slice of Buttermilk Pie | Yesterdays
      • Mud, Sweat and a Few Tears
      • Georgia's Sunflower Festival
      • St. Mary's | Georgia's Pathway
      • Get Fired Up In Macon
      • A Splash in the Historic Heartland
      • Cakes & Ale
      • A Sweet Onion of a Time
      • The Old Sautee Store
      • Cumberland Island
      • Fun Behind the Lens | GAC
      • Monroe Girls Corps
      • The Destruction of Tara
      • Dawsonville Moonshine Festival
      • Oktoberfest in Helen
      • Blairsville Sorghum Festival
      • The Battle of Chickamauga
      • One Ball | Two Weddings
      • The Battle of Tunnel Hill
      • The Battle of Resaca
      • Happy Plus 2 | Father Luke
      • Jason Aldean | Night Train | Sanford Stadium
      • The Makin' of Round Here
    • Seeing Louisiana >
      • Here's What Hope Looks Like
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      • Come for the Lobster Roll
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      • Tasting Sylva: Come for the Beer
      • The Super Bowl . . . of Sorts
      • A Total Eclipse of the Sun
      • The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
      • Getaway to Bryson City
      • Running For The Pot Of Gold
      • Mama to Son | Harris Leatherworks
      • The Earthy Balance of the Yadkin Valley
    • Seeing South Carolina >
      • Old 96 District
      • The Lowcountry of South Carolina
      • A Taste of Gullah
      • Left Hand, Right Hand | Zipline Hilton Head
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      • A State of Euphoia 2013 >
        • Taste of the South | Euphoria
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      • Soggy Bottom Boys Reunited
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      • Storytelling Festival
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      • Robert Tino's Appalachian View
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Andy Offutt Irwin
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Telling Stories

If you've ever sat around the kitchen table after eating way too much of that crispy fried chicken mother cooked for Sunday dinner and dared not move because you might miss the rest of the story,  sat around a campfire listening to a crackling fire listening to the tales of Uncle Joe who belted details while simultaneously cackling like a wet hen,  moved an ear closer to hear grandpa as he reached to the very depths of his memory to get the story just right, then you should be here. Southern storytelling. Traditional and contemporary. Come to Young Harris, Georgia, and cackle like Uncle Joe.

Who

Sponsored by Young Harris College (YHC), the festival showcases the art of Southern storytelling with a particular focus on Appalachian stories. There will be storytelling and musical performances, children’s events, and workshops so that community members, visitors, and students of all ages and from all disciplines will not only learn about the tradition and history of our region through storytelling, but also have the opportunity to become part of its preservation.  This year features Lyn Ford, well-known Affrilachian teller, celebrated Appalachian musicians David Holt and Josh Goforth, environmentalist Doug Elliot, Circle of Excellence Award-winner Andy Offutt Irwin, balladeers Sweet Sunny South, and a special panel of YHC student tellers.

when

The festival begins Friday, April 1, on the YHC campus and continues throughout the day on Saturday. Find the complete event schedule here. Don't forget ghost stories Friday night!

why

Kanute Rarey - 68 years old - storyteller
I was born and raised on a farm in rural Ohio. My mother's brother, uncle John, brought my little brother, Ike, and me to visit the Smoky Mountains and Appalachia when I was eleven. It was love at first sight. I have also had the chance to live in mountains of Colorado and Alaska and on the edge of the Ohio River. It is the Appalachian mountains that have always called. The familiar wall hanging, "The Mountains Are Calling And I Must Go" summarize the pull to this area which I have always experienced.
My stories come from many sources. I am curious and listen for the memories and messages of others. Some stories are from my personal life; from growing up on a farm, from listening to family tales at breakfast gatherings and holiday meals, from the "characters" that make up my family, and from living with children and grandchildren. Some of my stories are established fables that hold life lessons and that have been told over and over for many, many years; and, other of my stories are creative works of my imagination from pulling the best and "not-so-best" parts of my life together.
The story I am telling on Saturday is entitled, "The Legend of the Great Owl and the Boy...Living on the Edge of an Enchanted Forest." In summary, a young boy who loves exploring the forest near his home where he lives with his parents finds himself in a frightening, threatening situation, alone and in need of help. He calls out for help. What happens next leads him on an adventure, saves the little boy and teaches him a life long lesson. It is a lesson that can also change the lives of listeners in this year's festival audience.

Ruth Looper - 55 years old - Professor of English, Young Harris College
The festival is important because it creates a community of students, local residents and visitors from across the region to celebrate the power of the spoken word, to participate in the rich tradition of Appalachian storytelling and music, and to help preserve this tradition by "claiming our voice" by sharing their own stories.
I can't wait to hear all of the fantastic tellers on campus this year. I'm particularly looking forward to Andy Offutt Irwin's stories of his Aunt Marguerite because she's a pistol--wise and foolish; Sweet Sunny South's crankies of the poems of Union County native Byron Herbert Reece are a highlight; I love watching Lyn Ford transform a group of skeptical, I-will-not-wave-my-hands-in-the-air college students into laughing, unselfconscious participants; Doug Elliott knows everything about Appalachian plants; and David Holt and Josh GoForth will have us on our feet.

Thomas Johnson - 21 years old - storylover
Stories communicate our shared humanity, transmitting our history from one generation to the next. If young people don't tell stories, then the history of our youth will only be told through the lens of wisdom. Something is lost if you don't share you experiences as you have them.
Do you like to laugh? Do you like to identify with another person? Do you like learning the history of a place you will never visit? Do you like losing yourself for an hour at a time because you were too entertained to check the time? Come to the Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival, you'll be surprised how little that covers what you'll see.

Maddy Elledge - 21 years old - volunteer
I think we have really missed out on the art of listening to stories in our generation.
We are in a world that wants to hear the message as quickly as possible. We text people instead of calling them because it is quicker. We watch movies instead of reading the book and we pass up on the opportunity to use our imaginations to paint the picture for us. Storytelling is a way to gain all that back.  We are able to take some time away from everyday life and simply sit and listen. We allow ourselves the chance to use our imagination while listening to stories and to be entertained while learning. The moral of course is important, but the journey to that moral is sometimes just as important! Stories are also often times passed down from generation to generation.  It is so cool when you stop and think about the fact that you are listening to the same stories your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents listened to.

Amanda Lawrence - 43 years old - Associate Professor of English, Young Harris College
Some of my favorite storytellers are my students.They come from such varied backgrounds, and it's always interesting to hear the stories of their lives. One of my favorite stories is actually an on-going one in my home. My husband and I have two young sons, and every night, we tell them part of this sprawling adventure story in which they are the main characters. It ends on a new cliff-hanger every night, and the boys are always eager for the next installment. Storytelling isn't just something that people do; it's who we are. Telling and receiving stories bonds people together, whether at home, at school, at work, or at festivals. 

For more information, contact storytelling@yhc.edu or visit them on Facebook.
Visit their website here, and see you April 1, 2016!


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P.O. Box 277, Farmington, Georgia  30638 | SeeingSouthern@gmail.com | SeeingSouthernPhotography@gmail.com
  • Seeing Southern
  • Seeing Southern People
    • Easy Like Sunday Morning | Jimmy Carter
    • Easy Like Sunday Morning | Jimmy Carter | Part 2
    • The Last Backyard Juke Joint in America
    • The Causeway Storyteller
    • A Love Letter to a Moonshiner
    • Her Story | Dolly Parton
    • An Author | A Dream Comes True
    • His Story | Andrew McCarthy
    • His Major League Story | Clint Frazier
    • Ann Chapin | Holy Inspiration
    • Her Story | Juette Logan Hill
    • His Musical Story | Brent Cobb
    • Her Story | Julia Elizabeth Synder Nobles
    • Florida Georgia Line | Georgia Theatre
    • His Story | Private First Class Lloyd Carter
  • Two Coots Travel
    • Seeing Southern | Where Can We Go Next?
    • Seeing Southern | Why We Travel
    • Seeing Southern | What's in Our Bag
    • With Gratitude | Top Travels >
      • With Gratitude | Our Top 5 Moments of 2019
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2018
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2017
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2016
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2015
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2014
      • With Gratitude + Our Top Moments of 2013
    • Seeing Alabama >
      • Make It Mobile, Mardi Gras
    • Seeing Arizona >
      • 6 Hours in Flagstaff
      • Postcards from Route 66
      • The Legacy of Route 66
      • Planes, Trains, Automobiles
    • Seeing Arkansas >
      • The Clinton Library
      • Rock Town Distillery
      • Moss Mountain
      • Tales from the South
    • Seeing Florida >
      • St. Augustine | What's Old is New Again
      • St. Augustine | Eat To Your Hearts Content
      • Happy New Year Road Trip
      • Heading West, Key West
      • People and Places of Key West
    • Seeing Georgia >
      • Hot Blues on a Humid Georgia Day | Blind Willie McTell
      • Thomasville Rose Festival + Due South
      • It's Who We Are: Storytellers
      • Telling Stories in Young Harris
      • A Colonel and a Governor
      • It's All About the Blues
      • Time for 'Shine in Dawsonville
      • Climbing Higher at Aska >
        • Favorite Aska Recipes
      • It's All About the Animals | Georgia Wildlife Center
      • A Walk to Remember
      • Boys and Their Toys | Tank Town USA
      • Apple Pickin'' at Mercier Orchards
      • A Family Affair | Georgia Mountain Fair
      • All Aboard | Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad
      • Shrimp (and Grits)
      • The Blues of Blind Willie | 2014
      • A Fresh Look at the Prince
      • Taking Home the Golden Onion
      • The Farmhouse Inn | Hundred Acre Farm
      • Tally Ho! | Belle Mead Hunt Club
      • An Inspirational Childhood | Gena Knox
      • Top Southern Chefs Dish Tailgating
      • Pure Southern Sweetness | Sorghum
      • Celebrating Gone with the Wind
      • When in (Georgia's) ROME
      • A Slice of Buttermilk Pie | Yesterdays
      • Mud, Sweat and a Few Tears
      • Georgia's Sunflower Festival
      • St. Mary's | Georgia's Pathway
      • Get Fired Up In Macon
      • A Splash in the Historic Heartland
      • Cakes & Ale
      • A Sweet Onion of a Time
      • The Old Sautee Store
      • Cumberland Island
      • Fun Behind the Lens | GAC
      • Monroe Girls Corps
      • The Destruction of Tara
      • Dawsonville Moonshine Festival
      • Oktoberfest in Helen
      • Blairsville Sorghum Festival
      • The Battle of Chickamauga
      • One Ball | Two Weddings
      • The Battle of Tunnel Hill
      • The Battle of Resaca
      • Happy Plus 2 | Father Luke
      • Jason Aldean | Night Train | Sanford Stadium
      • The Makin' of Round Here
    • Seeing Louisiana >
      • Here's What Hope Looks Like
    • Seeing Maine >
      • Come for the Lobster Roll
      • The Soul of the Coast
      • Hugging the Coastline of Maine
    • Seeing MIssissippi >
      • Mississippi Sings the Blues
    • Seeing New York >
      • 24 Hours in New York City
    • Seeing North Carolina >
      • Tasting Sylva: Come for the Beer
      • The Super Bowl . . . of Sorts
      • A Total Eclipse of the Sun
      • The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
      • Getaway to Bryson City
      • Running For The Pot Of Gold
      • Mama to Son | Harris Leatherworks
      • The Earthy Balance of the Yadkin Valley
    • Seeing South Carolina >
      • Old 96 District
      • The Lowcountry of South Carolina
      • A Taste of Gullah
      • Left Hand, Right Hand | Zipline Hilton Head
      • Siesta at Sonesta
      • A State of Euphoia 2013 >
        • Taste of the South | Euphoria
        • Find Euphoria in Greenville
    • Seeing Tennessee >
      • Watching Paint Dry | See Rock City
      • Soggy Bottom Boys Reunited
      • Graceland
      • The Magic in the Holler | Gatlinburg
      • Working Class Art | Robert Alewine
      • What Would Wilma Maples Think?
      • Storytelling Festival
      • Smoky Mountain Fireflies
      • Robert Tino's Appalachian View
      • Love's Farewell Tour | International Storytelling Festival
    • Seeing Virginia >
      • National DDay Memorial
      • For the Love of the Train
      • A Night with the Salem Red Sox
    • Seeing West Virginia >
      • Mountains Set to Music
      • Travel South in Charleston
      • Hitting the Trails in Logan
      • West Virginia in Black and White
    • Seeing the World >
      • Seeing Belize
      • Seeing Bermuda | Bermudiful Bermuda >
        • 10 Days | 2 Coots | 1 Paradise
      • Seeing Canada >
        • The Rising of Noelle-Ange
      • Seeing Costa Rica >
        • Pack Lighter, Travel Better
        • Outside the Box | Medical Tourism
        • Only on Osa
        • Eating My Way Down Calle 33
      • Seeing Europe | Viking River Cruises 2019 >
        • Amsterdam Ramblings
        • Travel Like a Viking | Rhine River
        • Travel Like A Vking | The Alruna's Allure
      • Seeing Greece 2018 >
        • Two Coots Go Greek
        • The Poet Sandlemaker
        • Heaven's New Address is Halkidiki, Greece
        • His Passion for Wine | Danai Resort
      • Seeing Grenada 2016 >
        • Aboard the S/V Mandalay | Windjammer
      • Seeing Ireland 2016 >
        • A Wee Little Travel for Two Coots
        • Day 1 | Dublin > Kilkenny
        • Day 2 | Kilkenny > Kenmare
        • Day 3 | Kenmare > Dingle
        • Day 4 | Dingle > Doolin
        • Day 5 | Doolin > Westport
        • Day 6 | Westport > Donegal
      • Seeing Ireland >
        • Five Star Luxury in Dublin
        • Belfast North
        • County Antrim & Giants Causeway
        • Walking Westeros with Hodor
        • Seeing Derry
      • Seeing Italy 2017 >
        • Salerno and the Amalfi Coast
        • Sicily
        • Castellemmare del golfo
        • Over my Shoulder | Suzanne's Journey
      • Seeing Mexico | 2015 Viceroy Rivera Maya
      • Seeing Spain 2019 >
        • Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
        • Pamplona and San Fermin
  • Southern Diary
    • The Road to Italian Citizenship
  • Len + Judy
    • Seeing Southern Photography >
      • 2021 | Behind the Lens
      • 2020 | Behind the Lens
      • 2019 | Behind the Lens
      • 2018 | Behind the Lens
      • 2017 | Behind the Lens
      • 2016 | Behind the Lens
    • North Georgia Moonshine
    • 100 Things To Do In Athens
    • Portfolio | Editorial & Photography
    • Media Kit
    • Words of Praise | Seeing Southern
  • Contact
  • Shop