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While each of us is constantly a part of storytelling:
at the dinner table, the bedside, the front porch, the hairdresser's,
etc., professional storytellers have set themselves apart as "storytellers,"
meaning they tell stories in unfamiliar and often formal settings such
as festivals, libraries, schools, museums, coffeehouses, churches, etc.
Professional storytellers come from a variety of backgrounds and ethnic
groups, but nearly all of them did not begin their professional lives
as storytellers. At one point or another, pre-storytellers heard the call
of story and answered that call by often times rerouting the course of
their lives, in order to share with others the stories within them. For
some professional storytellers, their boost into storytelling was merely
a matter of their family members telling them repeatedly how enjoyable
their stories were, for others it was a natural transition from being
a public speaker, pastor, or teacher, still for others without any kind
of formal training or affirmation, a burning love of story thrust them
in front of audiences.
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