It’s a
tradition for Liz Weir to visit my class during Study Abroad Ireland’s annual
sojourn in Athlone, and she visited us on June 6th. This was the 8th
group of students she’s met in the Irish Storytelling Tradition. She is the
only storyteller who has told to every group.
Liz’s place in the world of Irish Storytelling is unique and
important. She’s been telling stories
for over 30 years and is the founder of the Yarnspinners organization that now
has several chapters around the country. She’s written dozens of books,
organized countless festivals and events, and has told in a wider range of
venues than any other storyteller I know.
She has a deep understanding of the importance of storytelling as a
human endeavor. Her storytelling
exemplifies the less dramatic, but no-less powerful, style of Irish
storytelling. In addition to being one of Ireland’s most recognizable
storytellers, she is very well known internationally as well.
She told several stories including “Mary and
the Red Dress” and “The Rathlin Island Fairy Story”. She also told the one about the hired girl
who is rescued by her dead father, the beautiful collaborative story by a group
of nine year olds about a family that comes back to their ancestral home, plus
several others to illustrate storytelling techniques.
The students
were as deeply impressed by her lecture as they were by her telling. Here are
some of the highlights of what she imparted to them:
- She reminded
them that there is no such thing as an Irish accent. “It changes every ten
miles.” - In talking
about less technological times and the importance of storytelling: “There was
no television. People actually sat
around at table and talked.” - She said
people tell stories to “teach a lesson, share history, for entertainment, and
to get to know each other better.” - About
herself she said, “I learned to overcome my shyness and become a professional
storyteller. It’s one of the best things
to build confidence and self-esteem.” - She
emphasized the importance of seeing the pictures of the story in your head
instead of trying to memorize the words.
To illustrate, she taught them the story of “Two legs, three legs, no
legs, and four legs”. - She
emphasized aspects of the ethos of storytelling that have influenced many of
the storytellers of our generation:- “You have to get it into your heads that it’s not competition.
Everyone tells a story in his or her own way.” - “Find out who you are and what stories suit you.”
- “You need passion for storytelling. Your listeners must believe that you are
enjoying what you are doing – never an off day!” - “Sometimes people’s performances get in the way of the story. The
best storyteller is the one whose story you remember long after you forget the
face of the teller.” - She told them not to panic when they made a mistake, and when she
herself made a small error a little later in a story she said, “Bet you don’t
think any less of me!” - She told us
how she got started in storytelling after meeting Bob Gash in 1984. She learned from him that people were making
a living telling stories. From 1976 to
1990, she was the Children’s Librarian in Belfast during the Troubles. There were bombings and shootings every
day. At one point she was managing 60
storytelling sessions a week all over Belfast.
She hired and trained students to conduct the sessions. This experience explains
in part how she knows so deeply the power of storytelling to promote
understanding. She told us that the healing power of story has to do with the
interaction between people that storytelling can engender. - And finally,
she urged us all to “make a place where stories can be shared and trust can be
developed.”
- “You have to get it into your heads that it’s not competition.
Liz Weir has
devoted her life to that goal.
In the
picture from left to right are Wendy Townsend, Bayliann Livengood, Keely
Parrish, Liz Weir, Steve DesMarais, Megan McDermott, Haley Maffia, Zach
McKenzie, Ernestina Montoya, Jamie, Brewer, Karen Acuna, and Diana Lucente
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