Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 11:14 AM

Congratulation Taffy. You'll do the job brilliantly. We tried to phone...left a message
Love from Babs and Mike

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: GUEST,Adrian at lunch
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 07:26 AM

check this link if you'd like to hear Taffy on BBC Radio 4
Click here and scroll down for 'the clever wish' story by Taffy at 8.40 on Radio 4: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8335000/8335210.stm

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 06:02 AM

Storytelling is one thing that one can't do from a written page; I might sing ballads & folk songs using printed text (and would defend anyone who does likewise as long as they put the work in) but learning a story is a very different thing from learning a song. I've had one or two of my tellings recorded and transcribed, which is an odd experience as generally I can't recall the exact details of what is, in essence, pure verbal improvisation. You have the story, and in the telling of it you weave it afresh. There's one of these transcriptions featured as part of an interview HERE. Must have been a good night!

*

I can't think of another individual more deserving of being the first Storytelling Laureate than Taffy - always a joy to listen to and an honour to work with, Taffy is the catalyst of the storytelling revival and a master of his craft. A regular feature at The Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering these past three years has been Twilight Tales with Taffy and myself doing an al-fresco two-hander with a flaming torch and a fire of logs. Is it happening next year? Let's hope so!

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: greg stephens
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 04:45 PM

I've seen Taffy tell about a million stories and I can't remember ever seeing him read one

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 02:35 PM

Ah, I was confused by Bettynh's post because BBC4 is a TV channel! Thanks for the link to the interview. But Taffy doesn't generally read the stories, he tells them, based on oral sources. I wonder whether the text on the Today programme website got it wrong in saying that he was reading the story?

Nice that James Naughtie mentioned Stanley Robertson, too!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 02:20 PM

The Today programme runs for 3 hours from 6am-9am. Could someone (Dave?) who heard Taffy this morning give us a clue what time he was on?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Bettynh
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 10:49 AM

Taffy Thomas on BBC4

Syd Lieberman tells essentially the same tale in his 'Elijah and the Poor man' in "Joseph the Tailor and other Jewish Tales" downloadable here: Syd Lieberman downloads

I'm struck by the apparant literary flavor of Taffy Thomas. He's introduced as a reader of tales. Here in the USA, storytelling is seen more as a performance art.

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Cats
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 09:02 AM

Fantastic. I remember when he got his gong from the queen we all said he should be a storytelling laureate then.

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Stower
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 07:20 AM

Fantastic news.

There are 2 threads on this good news. Do they need to be merged?

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: SylviaN
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 05:11 AM

This is absolutely wonderful news - congratulations, Taffy.

xxx

Sylvia and Keith

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 05:02 AM

GO, Taff!! Couldn't happen to a more deserving person. Big hug from

Bonnie    xxx

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Brian Peters
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 04:54 AM

Taffy was great on BBC 'Today'. A well-deserved honour.

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: GUEST,nickp (cookieless)
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 04:51 AM

Superb news and well deserved.

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: bubblyrat
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 04:47 AM

What ?? A lorry ate Taffy Thomas ? That's terrible !

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Folkiedave
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 04:25 AM

And on Radio 4's "Today" programme this morning.

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: mouldy
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 04:20 AM

Oh good, cos I don't do the blue clicky things!

Andrea

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 07:16 PM

previous Taffy Thomas laureate thread

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 05:54 PM

Hey thats brilliant and so well deserved. What an ambassador for all of us.

Congratulations Taffy

Andy

Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: gnu
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 05:47 PM

I would think you did. Links to the good stories?

Subject: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: mouldy
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 05:40 PM

Seen in today's Independent, a report that from January 2010 Taffy Thomas is to be Britain's first Storyteller Laureate. It's a newly created position, and I can't think of anybody more deserving of being the first!

(By the way I hope I did right putting the thread in this section)!


Andrea