Lyn Ford, Storyteller
“Home-Fried Tales”
GCAC Artists-in-Schools Program @ www.gcac.org or 614-221-8625
STORYTELLER; WORKSHOP FACILITATOR; OHIO TEACHING ARTIST; AUTHOR
LYNETTE FORD
Lyn is available year-round, but
book her as early as possible, by
contacting:
Lynette Ford
614-237-7605
friedtales@aol.com
www.storytellerlynford.com
or
Greater Columbus Arts Council
(GCAC)
614-221-8626
614-224-2606
http://www.gcac.org/edu/ais_detail.p
hp?artist=41
Why invite Lyn Ford?



“Within
less
than
a
minute,
Ms.
Ford
had
captured the audience and
held
their
attention
throughout
her
presentation.
Ms. Ford’s
lively presentation of three
stories held the attention of
all.
These stories were
interesting,
educational,
entertaining and meaningful.
”
–
Charlie
McBriarty,
journalist,
The
Shoreline,
September 2010.
“Students stayed afterward to
talk about how great she was
and how much it taught them
about the oral tradition. They
were still talking about her in
our next class that week as
well…She took great time to
give context, make historical
connection,
and
share
authentic performance.” –
Mentor of a gifted program
for high school students in
Central Ohio
“Yes, they [the students] are
still
referring
to
the
characters in the stories, and
the lessons learned. Lyn's
storytelling
complements
science
information,
mathematics, and of course,
language arts and social
studies. – Elementary-school
educator,
after
Lyn’s
weeklong residency
Remember: “Storytellers” are “Authors”, too!
Ask about Lyn’s CDs, published articles, and writing workshops!
Read about Lyn Ford's work
in the June 2011 issue of Columbus Parent Magazine…
See Lyn tell a story at the 2011 St. Louis Storytelling Festival:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-M6KRj4ceo
Hear Lyn share stories at Storybee…http://storybee.org/
…where tales for all ages and interests, told by fantastic tellers, are
available…and Tales2Go, a subscription, on‐demand kids story/audio
service for smart phones.
______________________________________
Lyn’s work is included in the following publications:
The August House Book of Scary Stories
Liz Parkhurst, Editor
http://store.augusthouse.com/productdetails.cfm?SKU=9157&F
ullCat=2
(Stories and tips for telling them are appropriate for grades 5 and
up.)
Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom
Sherry Norfolk, Jane Stenson, and Diane Williams, Editors
Greenwood Publishers order form:
http://www.greenwood.com/books/printFlyer.aspx?sku=LU6944
Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom is a 2010
Storytelling World Award - Winner, in the category of Special
Storytelling Resources - Storytelling World.
Note: the above book linking oral literacy to other areas of
language arts and the curriculum is a companion book to the 2006
publication, The Storytelling Classroom: Applications Across
the Curriculum. The Storytelling Classroom is a 2008
Storytelling World Resource Award Winner! Lyn's work is also
included in that publication.
Lyn was also honored with publication in the National Association
of Black Storytellers' Sayin' Somethin' (2006).
Lyn has written several articles for the National Storytelling Network's
Storytelling Magazine. Lyn is also included in the 2010 publication
Team Up! Tell in Tandem, by Jonatha Hammer Wright (Presto & US
Storytelling Publications), and the 2011 publication, Storytelling and
QAR Strategies, by Phyllis Hostmeyer and Marilyn Kinsella (Libraries
Unlimited).
AND…LYN’S BOOK, AFFRILACHIAN TALES, IS AVAILABLE
FROM PARKHURST BROTHERS, INC. PUBLISHERS, IN
OCTOBER, 2012!
Travelin’ and Tellin’…Some of the venues where Lyn has appeared:As a featured teller
at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park outreach programs; the National Storytelling Festival in
Jonesborough, Tennessee; the annual National Association of Black Storytellers’ Conference and
Festival; the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Orem, Utah; the Haunting in the Hills in Big
South Fork National Park; the Talk Story Festival in Hawaii; the Moonshell Festival in Omaha,
Nebraska, and many more storytelling events. As a storyteller in residence or workshop
presenter at: the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee; the National
Storytelling Conference; the Northlands Storytelling Conference; ECE conferences in Ohio and
West Virginia, Ohio After-School Counts sessions, and several schools in Ohio.
Who is Lyn Ford?

Lynette Ford is a fourth-generation storyteller; she listened to and learned from the
elder storytellers in her Affrilachian family. Lyn is a nationally recognized, raconteur
and workshop presenter, a writer, a Thurber House mentor to young authors, and an
Ohio teaching artist, who shares the gifts of the oral tradition with interaction, rhythm and
rhyme, humor, personal history, and heart. Lyn’s style of telling encourages:

Positive audience behaviors among young listeners through “front porch”
communication: the audience becomes attentively involved in the relaxed give-and-take of
story-sharing;

An understanding of meaningful concepts important to positive personal development,
effective communication skills, and pre-reading, pre-writing, reading and writing capabilities,
offered through “backdoor fables”—the morals of the stories visit the mind like welcome friends
coming to your back door.
An appreciation of diversity and multicultural experiences: stories, call and response, choral response, and
informative banter; in interest in preservation and perpetuation of the oral tradition.
What are “Home-Fried Tales”?
Folktale adaptations and original stories rooted in the oral traditions of Lyn’s multicultural African American,
“Afrilachian” family. Lyn calls her stories “Home-Fried Tales” to honor her father, who was a terrible cook (the only
things he consistently made well were home-fried potatoes and barbecued ribs doused with Lyn’s mother’s special
sauce), and the best storyteller she ever heard.
From Lyn’s travels in the United States (and Ireland!), her interest in researching the narratives she heard as a
child, and her exchanges with other storytellers, Lyn has acquired a repertoire of stories from many places and many
faces.
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE:

AFFRILACHIAN TALES: The heritage of African
American folktales from Lyn’s family’s Appalachian roots
and remembrances, including a touch of folklore and
stories from the paths of the Underground Railroad.

FROM AESOP TO ZORA: STEWPOT STORIES FROM
AROUND THE WORLD: folktale adaptations from many
places and many faces (for all ages).

A GIFT OF STORIES: tales for all ages, for your holiday
season programming.

JACK, JANIE, AND OTHER ‘BOBOS”: noodleheads and
fortunate fools in folktales from many places (for all
ages).

LET’S THROW STORIES: Folktale adaptations rooted in
African and African American storytelling traditions (for
all ages).

RABBIT TALES RETOLD: Tales of the trickster hero,
from Lyn’s storytelling family (for all ages).

SPOOKERS AND HAINTS: from gentle, silly stories for
young ears to strange and creepy tales for the mature
listener, according to your needs (unique programs for
various age and grade levels).

TALES OF EARTH, SEA, AND SKY: Folktales and fiction
that lead to an interest in the facts (elementary-school
grade levels).TELL IT! FOLKTALES TO COMPARE: A
special program of multicultural, transcultural folktales
for high school classrooms to enjoy and discuss.

TURTLE SHELL TALES: The trickster and his cousins
and family in tales from Africa to the Appalachian region.

PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS!
WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS: These “playshops” can
be shared as single-class or single-grade experiences, or as
part of three-day to weeklong residencies. Playshops
(interactive workshops) link the gifts of the oral tradition and
literary resources with
The five steps of the writing process, particularly pre-writing
and revising;
Listening/reading for comprehension;
Fine arts-drama theatre, English language arts, and social
studies benchmarks.
Tell It! Tortoise and Hare (grades K – 5) – a
multicultural, interactive presentation of the basic elements of
story, as well as resources for comparison of fables from
several cultures.
Tell It! Let’s Compare (grades 3 – 12) – story variants
from several cultures, offering different ways to experience
familiar folktales: Cinderella in many versions; The Three
Little Pigs from Europe to Afrilachia; The Tortoise and the
Hare from Aesop to West Africa and beyond; Appalachian,
Afrilachian, and European “Noodlehead” Stories, and
others…session(s) can be adapted to your grade level’s needs
and your curriculum plans.
Others available. See Lyn’s page at www.gcac.org



WORKSHOPS FOR MENTORS AND STORYTELLERS;
several topics for educators, including:




KEYNOTE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, GUEST LECTURES,
MORE STORYTELLERS’ WORKSHOPS, & PROGRAMS FOR
MATURE LISTENERS are available.
Remember, storytelling isn’t just for kids!!!
Contact: Lyn at friedtales@aol.com or
614-237-7605
or
GCAC Artists-inSchools Program: www.gcac.org or 614-2218625
Visit Lyn’s web site:
www.storytellerlynford.com


Tell It!
Developing Language Arts Skills through
Interactive Wordplay and Storytelling Experiences;
LOL! Laughter and Oral Literacy
Heartworks: Storycrafts to Encourage Story-Sharing.
STORYTELLERS’ PARTICIPATORY SESSIONS, including:

From the Beginning – “Nuts & bolts’ tips and activities
for novice and “learning” storytellers;

Sweetening the Tale - Adding action and interaction to
your storytelling, adaptable for tellers of all ages;

The Next Step: Goal-Setting for the “Professional”
Storyteller;

To Boo, or Not to Boo… - Using your storytelling gifts
to share “spooky” tales with young listeners, teens, and
adults; and

Private consultations for goal-setting or coaching.