 
"Considered by many to be the father of family tales... Donald Davis was steeped in the oral tradition throughout his upbringing in the Appalachian south. Through his tender and often helarious recollections of childhood, Davis captures the minds and hearts of his audiences while simultaneously evoking thoughts and feelings from their own memories. Whether they be Jack tales passed down from his grandmother, absurd tall tales from his Uncle Frank, or insights into the small-town community of his adolescence, Davis thoroughly delights audiences of all ages." --Timpanogos Storytelling Festival
"Donald Davis was born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories.
'I didn't learn stories, I just absorbed them' he says as he
recounts tales and more tales learned from a family of traditional storytellers
who have lived on the same Western North Carolina land since 1781. Davis
grew up hearing gentle fairy tales, simple and silly Jack tales, scary mountain
lore, ancient Welsh and Scottish folktales, and-most importantly-nourishing
true-to-life stories of his own neighbors and kin.
"It was Uncle Frank, a man who 'talked in stories', who helped
Donald capture the real and daily adventures of life...and it was Uncle
Frank who gave him the creative courage to tell about them.
"Davis remembers, 'I discovered that in a story I could safely dream
any dream, hope any hope, go anywhere I pleased, fight any foe, win or lose,
live or die. My stories created a safe experimental learning place.'
"And that is the way that Donald Davis has approached all of his learning
places...as a student at Davidson Collage; as a graduate of Duke University
Divinity School; as a retired Methodist minister; as former Chairperson
of the Board of Directors for the National Storytelling Association; as
featured teller at the Smithsonian Institution, the World's Fair, festivals
and concerts throughout the United States and the world; as prolific author
and producer of books and tapes of his works; as master teacher of workshops
and storytelling courses; as a guest host for the National Public Radio
Program 'Good Evening'; and as father of four sons.
"For Donald Davis, storytelling is a way of giving and living life. He invites
each listener to come along, to pull deep inside for one's own stories,
to personally share and co-create the common experiences that celebrate
the creative spirit. For Donald Davis storytelling ',...is not what
I do for a living...it is how I do all that I do while I am living."
www.davisstoryteller.com
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