Tusculum partners with Doak Elementary, Storytelling Center to entertain students

GREENEVILLE – Storyteller Linda Gorham stimulated the imaginations of Doak Elementary School students with an entertaining morning of tales that continued the longtime connection among the school, Tusculum University and the International Storytelling Center.

Linda Gorham

Gorham appeared at Doak Elementary Thursday, Oct. 17, during her service as Teller-in-Residence for the center, which is located in Jonesborough. Her appearance at Doak Elementary is an annual event for that school, Tusculum and the center, which supplies the storyteller at no charge.

Gorham shared the stories “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “How Chipmunk Got Its Stripes,” both of which came from picture books, with children in prekindergarten through first grade. She then told “No Time for a Party,” “Pi and Kwan” and “Jack and Mack” to third, fourth and fifth graders.

“No Time for a Party” is an African and Native American-blended folktale that reminds people to tell stories and pass along history, Gorham said. “Pi and Kwan” is a Chinese folktale about kindness, and Gorham created “Jack and Mack” to help people remember the qualities of a person, not their looks, matter when one chooses a friend.

Gorham incorporated a lot of movement in her stories and made them interactive with her audience.

“This event brings the art of storytelling to Doak Elementary, which is a partner school, in a compelling way,” said Dollie Boyd, Tusculum’s director of museums. “It is an excellent method to expose students to oral tradition and continue the legacy of storytelling in our region.”

For more information about Tusculum, please visit www.tusculum.edu. More information about the center is available at https://www.storytellingcenter.net/, and people can learn more about Gorham at http://lindagorham.com/.