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Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate

01 Nov 09 - 05:40 PM (#2757533)
Subject: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: mouldy

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


01 Nov 09 - 05:47 PM (#2757540)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: gnu

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


01 Nov 09 - 05:54 PM (#2757545)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Andy Jackson

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

Congratulations Taffy

Andy


01 Nov 09 - 07:16 PM (#2757605)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Ruth Archer

previous Taffy Thomas laureate thread


02 Nov 09 - 04:20 AM (#2757744)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: mouldy

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

Andrea


02 Nov 09 - 04:25 AM (#2757748)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Folkiedave

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


02 Nov 09 - 04:47 AM (#2757752)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: bubblyrat

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


02 Nov 09 - 04:51 AM (#2757756)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: GUEST,nickp (cookieless)

Superb news and well deserved.


02 Nov 09 - 04:54 AM (#2757759)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Brian Peters

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


02 Nov 09 - 05:02 AM (#2757761)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Bonnie Shaljean

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

Bonnie    xxx


02 Nov 09 - 05:11 AM (#2757765)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: SylviaN

This is absolutely wonderful news - congratulations, Taffy.

xxx

Sylvia and Keith


02 Nov 09 - 07:20 AM (#2757825)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Stower

Fantastic news.

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


02 Nov 09 - 09:02 AM (#2757869)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Cats

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


02 Nov 09 - 10:49 AM (#2757932)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Bettynh

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.


02 Nov 09 - 02:20 PM (#2758087)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Herga Kitty

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


02 Nov 09 - 02:35 PM (#2758097)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Herga Kitty

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


02 Nov 09 - 04:45 PM (#2758214)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: greg stephens

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


03 Nov 09 - 06:02 AM (#2758531)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: Jack Blandiver

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!


03 Nov 09 - 07:26 AM (#2758576)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: GUEST,Adrian at lunch

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


03 Nov 09 - 11:14 AM (#2758671)
Subject: RE: Taffy Thomas - 1st Storyteller Laureate
From: GUEST

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