StoryMuse

I received the most wonderful, affirming words from Ashley Robinson at Oakhurst Baptist Church after having the opportunity to lead storytelling activities for their all-church retreat in North Carolina.

I so enjoyed holding space for this large, intergenerational group with a deep well of stories traversing many chapters of history and change in Atlanta.

After spending some time working on our individual stories, and having some fun celebrating generational differences through cultural touchstones (movies, songs, dances, clothing, etc.), we constructed what I called the "epic, bodacious timeline," with parallel tracks of historic/cultural, the church's history, and people's individual histories.

We made sure to take time for the future, manifesting stories we want to make sure are included in that timeline. And, you better believe, Saturday night's talent show was one of the best I've ever had the privilege to witness!

"Shannon was a breeze to work with from the very beginning of our planning through our all-church retreat. She engaged with our intergenerational group with humor, care, and compassion. She created a brave space for storycrafting, which allowed all of us to consider how our personal stories intersect with the larger story of our church. Her work over a weekend started what we hope will become an ongoing community practice of storytelling."



Photo Credit: Most of these photos (the good ones on the third window) were taken by church historian, Lynn Farmer. A few supplemental ones were from me.

After many years of participating in the Decatur Book Festival in a variety of fashions, I finally reached my dream of being there as an author! Well, still not quite the way I dream someday of having written a whole book, but I've written a chapter of a book that's just now out.

"It’ll Take Some Tellin’: Stories from Alternate ROOTS" chronicles the origins and fifty-year journey of , which began in 1976 to meet the needs of community-based arts and regional artists committed to social and economic justice in the U.S. South.

I'm so pleased and humbled to moderate our session as we explore the journey of bringing this book to life, featuring a lead author/editor and wrangler for the many, many contributing authors Kathie deNobriga, as well as normando ismay, and D Patton White.

Our session, Artists & Cultural Workers in the South: Alternate ROOTS, will take place on Saturday, 10/3, 4:00-5:00 PM in the Marriott Henry Oliver Room, 130 Clairemont Avenue, Decatur, GA.

We'll discuss the transformative power of community arts, democratic leadership, racial and gender equity, and navigating organizational and generational change.

Signing to follow immediately after at 5:15.

Been working hard this weekend, facilitating a retreat for a group up in North Carolina. Am totally exhausted but replete with the feeling of doing good work, filled with my purpose and mission in life.

Got back just in time to catch the gloaming hour at Pine Lake. Recently I was able to watch a live conversation on Substack between two of my most favorite and esteemed thought-leaders, Priya Parker and Samin Nosrat. It was just an absolute delight; I geeked out the entire time.

But nothing tickled me more than when they geeked out with each other about this book that I was already reading! It's been a minute since I've read writing this beautiful. It makes you fall in love with reading all over again.

Highly recommend "The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny" by Kiran Desai.

Are you getting excited about Priya's new book coming out next month, "The Art of Fighting"? I sure am! Who wants to book club it with me?

Also, sigh, I'm really glad I was able to seize this little bit of time in the sand because does it not feel like summer is starting to slip away from us...?

I'm proud to be getting together with these folks again for the second year to bring this event to Downtown Decatur! We're going to have so many fun things going on that day: live music, bubbles, snow cones, food vendors, and yes storytelling! Hope to see you Saturday, September 12th on that big, beautiful green lawn at the corner of Clairmont and Commerce. (The one where all the action takes place for the Decatur Book Festival. And stay tuned for news for me about that!)

Today's Dolly reflections...

A few years ago, as I entered into a new phase of perimenopause, I created this diptych for the door in my office. I wanted Dolly to remind me that aging is (can be) about a process of constant creativity and reinvention.

"9 to 5," as one of the most important songs in the soundtrack of working people, is featured prominently in two parts of , first in the dance/movement sequence I do at the beginning and then in the closing.

Much has already been said about the copious amounts of money Dolly gave away, but did you know this? My sister works in the NICU at Children's Hospital in Knoxville. She'd sent me this photo on Monday. They'd recently been renamed to the Dolly Parton Children's Hospital because she...endowed the hospital.

What are you doing as you sit in mourning today?

I'm watching "Steel Magnolias." I played Truvy, Dolly's role, when I was in college. I've loved tapping back into this most highly quotable story periodically throughout my life since, especially when I need to feel feels.

"I'd rather walk on my lips than to..." has become one of my most common sayings, something that often baffles new friends.

Some of you may know that, when I was in my twenties, I invented an alter ego, Miss Destiny Shantée, who hosts variety shows and such. Miss Destiny is...a lot. Amongst the lore that appears in her "bio" in playbills that has grown over time, including the fact that she had a song that nearly broke the Country Hot 100 in 1982, "Don't Leave Me in the Lurch (at the Church)," and...that Dolly Parton had a longstanding restraining order against her.

It just so happened that I have the time and space to really let myself feel into it all today. I'm glad I recognized the need, and I'm not making myself push through.

Look, a lot has been said and a lot is going to be said about Dolly. I have a rich and complicated history, having grown up in her state. Ultimately, she was just the best of us all. An inspiration. A storyteller par excellence.

May we all take up the mantle of knowing our purpose, and living a life boldly, full of love and open-heartedness.

It's been a while since I've built a new Case Study on my website. It was a total joy to tap back into this fun project earlier this year. Check it out ~ tell me what you think. Did I miss anything important? Any glaring typos?

https://storymuse.net/case-study/spoke-and-word/
And link in profile!

In the deep heart of summer...🌞 - Read the latest edition of StoryMusings! All the news you can use from StoryMuse...

https://tinyurl.com/deep-heart

Inside:
*news from the Green Bay Fringe Festival
*meditations on our turns of phrase
*Stand for Peace
*the book that's currently burning down my nightstand

It was my great pleasure to work in the Starlight Heights neighborhood this weekend with a project through DeKalb County. I was supporting a greater initiative known as a "Small Area Plan," to help the neighborhood think about where it's come from, and where it wants to go. This neighborhood has seen a lot of change recently, as so many neighbors have in unincorporated DeKalb. It was my honor and privilege to be able to hold space for these conversations.

Neighbors placed their names on the tree far down if they were deeply rooted ("legacy residents") and further up to the top if they were newer branches.

Then they plucked a leaf off the tree with a question to sit down and ask each other.

At the end, they made a flower for the most salient point they wanted to plant or leave behind for DeKalb County to know.

We chose the tree metaphor because advanced conversations with the neighborhood indicated that they felt super proud of their tree canopy here. It was one of the things they talked about was so important, how they wanted to make sure to preserve as much green space as possible. This is a thread that runs true through so much of Metro atlanta. We truly are the City in the Forest!

I gotta say, the storytelling booth was pretty popular!

My next project involves community building and story documentation in a neighborhood of Unincorporated Dekalb County. (I also live in Unincorporated Dekalb so I'm really digging this work.)

The next best compliment anyone has ever paid me from saying you tell a great story is you ask great questions. It's truly something that makes my heart zing.

I look forward to holding space for residents of this community, some of whom are deeply rooted, others of whom are newer, to sit down with each other and swap stories, learn from each other, and dream about what they want for the future of their neighborhood together.

More to come!