THE LIARS BENCH ON FEBRUARY 16TH: A NIGHT OF MUSIC, STORYTELLING AND DRAMA.....AND WE ARE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT WEEK ON THE 23RD!

KIND HEARTS, IT WAS A FANTASTIC NIGHT! KAREN BARENS SANG ABOUT MURDER IN KNOXVILLE AND DID A CROWD-PLEASING RENDITION OF STEPHEN FOSTER'S "HARD TIMES." LLOYD ARNEACH, THE CHEROKEE STORYTELLER TOLD A FEARSOME TALE ABOUT "THE GREAT LEECH," AND PAUL ARUSSI DID "THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK" WHICH I HAD NOT HEARD SINCE MY CHILDHOOD. WILLIAM RITTER SANG A STIRRING OLD BALLAD CALLED "LADY MARGARET" AND ERIC YOUNG DID A SERIES OF MEMORABLE MANDOLIN PIECES. BUT THE CENTERPIECE OF THE EVENING WAS TOM DEWEES, AN ACTOR FROM HAYWOOD COUNTY'S HART, WHO PERFORMED A DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE ENTITLED "COY," THE STORY OF A BOY WHO MAKES A DECISION ABOUT HIS DYING GRANDFATHER. IF YOU HAVEN'T COME, PLEASE DO. TICKETS ARE ON SALE ON CITY LIGHTS (AND AT THE DOOR ON THE 26TH. PERFORMANCE AT 7:00.) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CALL THE MOUNGTAIN HERITAGE CENTER OR GARY CARDEN: 399-9653.

LIARS BENCH TO APPEAR AT RICKMAN'S STORE ON DECEMBER 9TH AT 6:00.

KIND HEARTS, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE CANCELLED OUR MONTHLY PROGRAM FOR DECEMBER, WE WILL BE APPEARING AT RICKMAN'S STORE ON DECEMBER 9TH AT 6:00. PLEASE COME. LLOYD ARNEACH, THE CHEROKEE STORYTELLER, WILL BE THERE AS WELL AS SOME REMARKABLE MUSICAL TALENT, INCLUDING WILLIAM RITTER AND ERIC YOUNG. I'LL BE ON HAND TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY DISASTROUS FIRST MARRIAGE AND DAVE WALDROP WILL RELATE THE DANGERS OF KUDZU. WILLIAM MAY DO "WILD HOG IN THE WOODS" AND ERIC INTENDS TO PLAY HIS MANDOLIN. A REMARKABLE YOUNG WOMAN IS COMING WITH A FIDDLE. YOU BETTER COME! FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: carlsonelena@yahoo. com

THE LIARS BENCH, NOVEMBER 17TH..GUEST: BOB PLOTT

In addition to hearing some marvelous stories from Bob Plott, the audience was treated to an eye witness love affair as Nannie, the Plott Hound initiated an affair of the heart with Liars Bench moscot, Bodine. At first Nannie nibbled Bodine's toe, then fondled his nose and then explored his fuzzy rump. At that point, Nannie's owner broke up the budding romance.
Liars Bench regular, Paul Agrussi did a thundering version of "Old Slue Foot," followed by Gary Carden's tale of Honest Jone, the rogue bear that became a celebrity in Haywood and Jackson back in the 1940's. William Ritter did a hair-raising rendition of "The Wild Boar," and Barbara Duncan gave her own version of the same song which included audience participation. In the absence of Lloyd Arneach, the Cherokee storyteller, Gary Carden related two Cherokee legends: "The 8th Clan" and "Gall Place." All in all, it was a marvelous night that concluded with Paul's version of "I Ain't Gonna Be Treated This A-way."

THE STORYTELLER by Mario Vargas Llosa...Reviewed by Gary Carden

The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa
New York: Penguin Books
$12.58 (paperback) - 246 pages



This remarkable book has two protagonists. One is a learned, sophisticated (and somewhat jaded) scholar who has decided to spend the summer in Florence, Italy “reading Dante and Machiavelli and looking at Renaissance paintings.” However, his plans go awry when he discovers a collection of photographs in a small shop. The subject is an Amazon Forest tribe, the Machiguengas whose colorful, tragic history has always fascinated him. Indeed, our scholar knows a great deal about the Machiguengas, including their customs and religious beliefs. As he pores over the photographs, he is drawn to an indistinct figure in one picture ... a vague image of a man seated among the tribal members, gesturing and talking in a manner that suggests that he is speaking to an attentive audience - a storyteller. However, what is most disconcerting to the scholar is the fact that he knows there there is no such thing as a traditional storyteller among these Amazonian tribes .....and he has the distinct feeling that he recognizes the face of the speaker - an old college friend named Saul Zuratas, who is the second (and most significant) protagonist of this novel.

As the scholar reflects on his numerous conversations with Saul in college cafes and seminars, he recalls his friend’s somewhat bizarre physical appearance: Jewish features with a wild shock of red hair and a strawberry birthmark that covered half of his face. Although timid and self-effacing, Saul Zuratas was given to proclaiming a passionate concern for Peru’s Amazonian tribes and their endangered cultures. Zuratas spoke bitterly about the forces that were destroying the Machiguengas - christian missionaries, colonialism and labor exploitation camps that had either eradicated tribes or reduced them to slum encampments filled with zombie-like inhabitants who had become totally dependent on the white invaders.

The combination of his physical appearance and his angry diatribes against missionaries who promoted a kind of “progress” that destroyed the Machiguengas frequently made Saul an object of ridicule at the college where he was nicknamed “Masquerita.” Upon graduation, he announced that he was abandoning both the Amazon and a prestigious fellowship in a research project that would have sent him to Paris to study. Instead, he tells his friends that he has decided to accompany his father to Israel.

As our scholar/narrator studies the photographs, he realizes that “Masquerita” must have developed a secret plan to join the Machiguengas in their migrations into the remote Amazon wilderness. Known as “the people who walk,” the Machiguengas never establish a permanent village since they believe such action either angers the gods or disturbs the fragile balance between man, plants and animals. This tradition of wandering aimlessly and trusting to luck for food and substance carries them deeper into the most remote regions of the Amazon where fantasy and reality often merge.

At this point, The Storyteller undergoes a radical change in narrative. Abruptly, we are reading an astonishing compilation of of stories, fables, myths and legends - all tightly woven together in a kind of stream-of-consciousness pastiche that blends ancient “creation myths” with “trickster stories” of Native Americans, the Old Testament and the classic works of Kafka, Shakespeare and Greek tragedies. It is the voice of Saul Zuratas reciting creation myths, the origin of the universe and tales of death and redemption - all woven into a dark, flowing tapestry.

Many of the tales contain universal themes: The consequence of offending the natural world by violating taboos (the terrible fate of the hunter who killed the sacred deer) and the significance of rituals, talismans and dreams. Tales of unwitting victims who are cursed afflictions merge with a story of a man who became a cockroach; animals sacrifice themselves to assure mankind’s survival.

The author of The Storyteller, Mario Vargas Llosa, has been an outspoken critic of the unrelenting exploitation of the Amazon rain forests. This novel proves to be an ideal vehicle for exploring his major thesis. Ironically, some of the most destructive forces in the Peruvian region are widely considered beneficial. These include christian missionaries who translate the Bible into native languages and anthropologists who strive to replace tribal customs with modern technology. For Llosa, these loudly extolled “humanitarian efforts” are actually eradicating tribal traditions just as effectively as the mining and timber camps.

However, the most compelling message in The Storyteller concerns the significance of the oral tradition, and Man’s compulsion to tell enigmatic fables... frequently as he sits with his family before a fire and surrounded by darkness. Llosa restores this ancient tradition to its rightful place in the very heart of mankind’s origins.. Beyond the whimsical tales of talking animals and the moralistic platitude that teach lessons in virtue and courage, there is a darker narrative that defines the world as tribes like the Machiquengas experience it. Often, these stories deal with terror, unspeakable suffering and despair, but there is also redemption and renewal. Such stories are compelling and comforting because they describe the world that the listeners recognize.

The Storyteller alternates between the scholar’s cynical response to the misguided efforts of missionaries and anthropologists and Saul Zuratas’mystical tales for the “tribe who walks.” Who is most effective, then? Llosa obviously feels that in the modern world where change and progress are inevitable, the Machiquengas should be left alone with only their fragmented customs and traditions for comfort.

Since it was written over twenty-five years ago, The Storyteller has become a classic and is required reading for most anthropology students in the universities of the United States and South America. Filled with provocative ideas and opinions, it remains a popular (and controversial)chronicle of the continuing devastations in the Amazonian rain-forests.

FEBURARY LIARS BENCH THE BEST ONE EVER!

Well, Kind Hearts, please accept my heartfelt apologies for being so late in getting Carl's photographs up for the last Liars Bench. I've been holed up with the door locked trying to write...something that becomes harder to day each day. But I am taking a well-earned break so here are the photos that give tangible evidence that the February program was the best one ever. The old regulars were on hand, including Dave Waldrop as Master of Ceremonies. We had two remarkable poets ... Kay Byer, the former poet laureate of North Carolina and Brent Martin who is spokesman for the Tennessee Convervacy. Barbara Duncan,who is normally found at the Museum of the Cherokees gave a rendition of her song, "Junaluska," that none of us we forget; Steve Brady did a comic monologue, which he insists "came from Chekov;" Paul Iagrrusi played a bunch of traditional ballads (please note that my blog system printed his photo twice, but that is okay) Lloyd Arneach was one hand with his inspirational Cherokee myths and Bonide, the show's mascot witnessed it all. The amazing thing is, the Liars Bench subsists on donations. That's right, we pass the hat and get enough to keep the performers coming back. Of course, the real reason that they keep coming back is because they love what they are doing.

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN STORYTELLERS Reviewed by Gary Carden

Southern Appalachian Storytellers: Interviews with Sixteen Keepers of the Oral Tradition edited by Saundra Gerrell Kelley
Jefferson: McFarland and Company
$35.00 (paperback) - 215 pages

“The old order changeth, yielding place to the new...”

In view of the fact that Southern Appalachia is acknowledged to be a massive reservoir of traditional storytelling, Saundra Kelley’s objective is a daunting one: to identify, interview and publish sixteen of the region’s most
gifted and proficient “keepers of the oral tradition.” Kelley’s basis for selection appears to be diversity, reputation and experience, and the selected storytellers range from Cherokee tribal elders and Scot-Irish traditionalists to educators/teachers and artists who combine storytelling with poetry and drama.

The three Cherokees in this anthology, Lloyd Arneach, Jerry Wolfe and Marilou Awiakta draw inspiration from their traditional folklore and mythology. In addition, all three perceive their roles to be keepers “of the flame.” In essence, the identity of the Cherokees (“who we are”) depends on the preservation of their stories. Both Arneach and Wolfe are prominent as storytellers throughout the Southeast and are often called upon to perform at schools, universities and tribal celebrations. Wolfe is noted for his traditional animal stories and Arneach has acquired a reputation for finding universal themes in Cherokee mythology. Awiakta, who grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has gained considerable respect as a poet, author (Selu: Seeking the Corn Mother’s Wisdom) and storyteller. All three of these Native Americans stress the importance of retaining their authentic “voices” which are inherent in their folklore.

Storytellers such as Elizabeth Ellis, Rosa Hicks (wife of renowned storyteller, Ray Hicks), Ted Hicks (Ray and Rosa’s son) and Linda Goss have strong ties to traditional Appalachian storytelling (Jack tales and old stories passed down from Scot-Irish, German and French settlers). Both Ellis and Goss have direct ties to the Ray Hicks (Beech Mountain) folktale tradition, especially their treatment of the famous tales collected by Richard Chase (Jack Tales and The Grandfather Tales).

Ellis is one of Appalachia’s most versatile storytellers. With strong ties with the “Texas tradition,” (which shows considerable evidence of being Appalachian in origin), she shows a preference for legends that focus on women, especially the harsh life they experience in Appalachia. She appears in national and international festivals and has won numerous awards for her contributions to the preservation of folklore. She coined the phrase “telling the sacred story” which (to Ellis) is any story that “create a world with words.” She is especially noted for her rendition of folk tales: for example “Like Meat Loves Salt” which can be traced to Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” (see Chase’s Grandfather Tales.) Ellis’ book, Inviting the Wolfe In (published by Orchard Press) delves into the meaning behind fairy tales and has become a favorite with teachers.

Goss, who is from Alcoa, Tennessee combines music (especially bells) and poetry with her performances has expanded her repertory to include the Grimm tales and Uncle Remus. Goss is noted for her ability to blend African and European fairytales which she underscores with musical accompaniment. She is much sought after by schools, Afro- American storytelling events and universities in east Tennessee and the surrounding area.

A significant number of the storytellers interviewed in this anthology are noted for the fact that they use storytelling as a springboard into other creative ventures. Sheila Kay Adams, a well-known folksinger from Madison County, N. C. has parlayed her “personal folklore” into a successful novel (My Old True Love ) and a short story collection (Come Go Home With Me). In addition, Sheila is a popular performer at folk festivals throughout the Southeast and appears annually the Piddling Pike Storytelling Festival and the Jonesborough Storytelling Festival. During the past decade she has won a significant following among in the elder-hostel programs in WNC. Adams has a large CD collection of folk songs and are
among the most sought-after in the United States.

Betty Smith from Black Mountain, N. C. is an author, singer, playwright and storyteller. She has spent 35 years in the classrooms, concert halls and festivals of the Southeast and has received extensive recognition for collecting, singing and storytelling. Betty’s play, “A Mountain Riddle,” has been produced by Southern Appalachian Theater (SART) and she has been instrumental in nurturing several major folk festivals (Atlanta and Chattanooga). Smith’s greatest contribution to folklore and storytelling is linked to the ballad tradition and she excels as a collector, singer, and interpreter - especially those with tragic themes (murder, suicide, revenge, doomed lovers, etc.)

Angie DeBord, who is steeped in the history and folklore of her native Swain County, North Carolina is an actress (Roadside Theater) and playwright and draws heavily on her family tradition for all of her creative endeavors. Debord received a Rockafeller Humanities Fellowship in 2003, an award that she used to pursue her interest in “storytelling as theater.” Her works have been performed on PBS, the Spoleto Festival and at the Kennedy Center. Like other storytellers from this region, DeBord attributes much of her inspiration to her grandmother who lives on in Angie’s stories.

Jo Carson (Johnson City, Tennessee), possibly this anthology’s most prolific artist, excels as a storyteller, a playwright (“Daytrips”) and is recognized as the driving force in launching a series of community oral history projects. Probably the most successful is “Swamp Gravy, an oral history project that became an annual presentation in the town of Colquitt, Georgia. This play has restored the town’s economy and has been running for two decades. Carson is the recipient of the Kesselring Award for Best American Play. Jo has also proved to be a major force in the development of the organization, Alternate ROOTS, which is based in Atlanta. (According to the Alternate ROOTS newsletter, Jo is suffering from colon cancer and has exhausted her medical insurance. The newsletter is soliciting donations to assist Jo.)

Charlotte Ross, in addition to being a noted storyteller and playwright (“My Grandmother’s Grandmother Unto Me”) teaches storytelling and folklore at Appalachian State University in Boone, N. C. Tracing her roots to north Georgia, Ross claims to have collected 3,000 stories from Appalachia and has spent a lifetime crafting them into stories freighted with the region’s heritage and culture. Ross perceives her primary purpose to be: to reflect the region’s culture with integrity and authenticity.

Gary Carden, from Jackson County, North Carolina, has used his “personal mythology” and heritage as a basis for both his stories, his books (Mason Jars in the Flood) and his plays (“The Raindrop Waltz”.) The author of eight plays, all of which are based on stories that he has been telling for
thirty years, Carden’s “The Prince of Dark Corners” has been widely produced (both on PBS and in regional theaters). “Nance Dude,” based on a tale that blends history and folklore, is concerns a famous murder in Haywood County and its consequences. “Birdell,” which is based on the forced removal of the residents of Hazel Creek by theTVA in the 40’s, has been produced over 300 times in the libraries, theaters and schools of WNC. Carden is the recepient of both an honorary doctorate from Western Carolina College and the Brown-Hudson Award from the North Carolina Folklore Society.

Dot Jackson lives in Six Mile, South Carolina. In addition to being a gifted storyteller and journalist, Dot has produced numerous short stories and a remarkable novel, Refuge. Thirty years in the writing, Jackson’s novel contains the same colorful eloquence that characterizes Dot’s speech. She has also proved to be a driving force behind regional organizations that are devoted to the preservation of endangered cultures (The Birchwood Center in Sunset, South Carolina and the East Tennessee State-sponsored publication, Now and Then.

Both John Thomas Fowler (Spartanburg, S. C.) and James “Sparky” Rucker (born in Knoxville, Tennessee) identify themselves as a “storytelling musician.” Much of Fowler’s material comes from his travels as a folk music researcher/ consultant for the South Carolina Humanities Council. His ability to combine folk music and storytelling has made him a familiar and popular performer at concerts and festivals. Rucker, who often tells stories in tandem with his wife, Rhonda, feels that his religious roots (Church of God) have led him to a career of collecting folk music, touring with folk singers and participating in events as varied as the Civil Rights Movement and Black Storytelling Festivals. Both Sparky and Rhonda have been “tellers in residence at Jonesborough and are especially noted for their CD, “Done Told the Truth. Goodbye!”

Kelley’s interviews with these sixteen “keepers of the oral tradition” reveal a number of common themes. All of these storytellers identify their early inspiration as their grandparents. In fact, the majority attribute their love of the oral tradition - not to instruction or research - but to the influence of family and the common or “natural language” of Appalachia.

Although the majority of Kelley’s yarn spinners are active participants in “the Jonesborough experience” and they readily acknowledge their appreciation of the opportunity to meet and study the techniques of their peers, there is a strong element of individuality in many of them. Although they speak with considerable reverence about their respect for the honored practitioners of storytelling, there is considerable evidence of “maverick performers” - individuals who “go their own way.” Certainly, it appears that the most imaginative and gifted are not content to spend their lives in stasis, parroting traditional material (Jack tales, fairy tales, mythology, etc.) but prefer to: (a) either treat the old tales as templates that serve as a basis for a imaginative variations; or (b) create their own, original folklore ... or perhaps even design a new way to tell a story.

THE LIARS BENCH HOSTS BOOKSIGNING FOR STORYTELLER, SAUNDRA KELLEY - NOVEMBER 20, AT CITY LIGHTS

Author and storyteller, Saundra Kelley conducted a book signing for her new book, Sixteen Appalachian Storytellers In addition to signing the book, Saundra discussed the interviews that she conducted that involved contacting the storytellers that she considered the "masters of the oral tradition." Three of the sixteen are from our area (Sylva and Cherokee) and representatives came from Cherokee to represent Lloyd Arnearch and Jerry Wolfe. Gary Carden was present since he is one of the selected storytellers. In addition, Paul Agrussi was on hand to play some old classics, including "Bully of the Town." Gary Carden discussed his play, "Prince of Dark Corners" and Steve Brady (who portrays Lewis Redmond) did the last scene from the play. Saundra also told a story that came from Florida folklore and Dave Waldrop served as MC and kept things moving at a brisk pace.

COMING FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH - THE LIAR'S BENCH AT THE JARRETT HOUSE IN DILLSBORO!

Kins Hearts, if you are in the neighborhood, the Liar's Bench will be at the Jarrett House at 7:00. So far, he performers that will definitely be there are Steve Brady, Billy Norton, Dave Waldrop and Gary Carden. There is even a possibility that Paul Aiggrussi will be there to sing about murdered lovers, moonshine and rogue bears. There is also a possibility of a "surprise" storyteller who will be in the audience, primed to perform. The Innkeepers have promised to feed us, and we will pass the hat. Come see the show! We will have lots of photos later.

LIAR'S BENCH GOES TO THE CALHOUN INN, BRYSON CITY

Kind Hearts, last Saturday night at the Calhoun Inn was another delight. The Innkeeper, L. D. Hyde put the Liar's Bench in the parlor and the dining room was replete with refreshments. We had some new folks, like Barbara Duncan who is both a musician and a poet (and a full-time educator for the Museum of the Cherokees) and Dave Waldrop was back with his toe-tapping songs about destructive bulldozers and woodpeckers. Paul Iaggrussi was back with more "old timey music ("Slewfoot" and "Down in the Willow Garden); and I read a short piece from my play, "Outlander" which deals with Kephart and Granville Calhoun (who lived in the Calhoun Inn). Steve Brady and Billy Norton did "Dream of Proctor Town" and "I'll Take My Stand." I described the tragic death of "Bodine," my stuffed dog and the audience was one of the best we have had. We need to go back soon.