What in the World are World Stories?
Posted by admin on Dec 6, 2008
For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. In the fabric of a culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. In any society they define the roots and significance of the peoples. World stories spread as the culture grows.
One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Customs and rituals. Daily habits and geography. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. The differences as well as the similarities of the various countries impress me deeply.
You can find in every culture notions which they hold as sacred. The demonic can also be found. Their stories regularly exhibit these notions. They make up the mythical soil out of which the stories grow. Myth forms the basis for many world stories. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.
Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster. Stay out of the dark forest! Steer clear of wild beasts! Do not talk to strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good is eternally pitted against evil. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. Regardless of genre, any worthy world story can be applied to contemporary life. And that brings us to storytelling today. Contemporary society is far removed from rural villages of old, but the old stories still remain pertinent.
Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are filled with mystery. Many world stories are insightful. Often world stories are enigmatic. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories entertain.
No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories. And in distant worlds they still have meaning.
Listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories” to enjoy the variety found in world stories. It is an award winning recording that will take you on a delightful trip around the world!
Find Inspirational Stories on the Web
Posted by admin on Dec 5, 2008
I am always on the lookout for stories that bring something more to listeners than a clever twist of plot. Something that listeners can take away from the story. Maybe there is a message. It might give the listener a suggestion of a new direction. There could even be an outright moral. It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.
Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Once in a while, a teacher would tell a story that held profound meaning to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. The messages stuck in the memory, too. The Golden Rule. Honesty is the best policy. Take time to smell the flowers. Give back to your community. I am who I am because of those messages.
I find myself using stories I heard long ago when I perform today. The stories are ageless. The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.
Why seek out inspirational stories? First, consider the barrage of daily news and information. Next, we live lives that leave no room for reflection. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? Here is the place for inspirational stories. A listener can mull over inspirational stories. They give us something to consider. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that gives us perspective.
Care for some inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at www.jaystetzer.com. On the “Listen” page of my website, click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories. From the CD Parking in Manhattan, “Service with a Smile” brings a great message to the listener. Long after they are told, inspirational stories stay in the memory. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me!
We live in a complex, fast moving world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us. Inspirational stories help keep us on the road. Think of them as your own personal GPS! My recordings contain a wealth of inspirational stories. Listen for yourself!
Check Out a Unique Gift Children Can Grow With
Posted by admin on Nov 14, 2008
I am both a parent and a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. A memorable story is that kind of gift. And it is suitable for children of all ages. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world. World stories
You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the “Recordings” page to place your order.
Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? A memorable gift is the gift of story. The kind of unique gift children will treasure for a long time to come. More information..
What in the World Makes Priceless Humor Priceless?
Posted by admin on Nov 12, 2008
Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. Why? For one thing, they are entertaining. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even animal characters in stories act out the situations of our own humanity.
For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Wars. Famine. Thorny relationships. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. Some kind of resolution.
At the same time, nobody likes to be preached to. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. That is where laughter comes in. It is the honey in the brew. Witty humor is priceless humor. A unique combination.
As you know, laughter lightens the heart. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). Call it priceless humor.
Look at the great humorists around us. Dave Barry. George Carlin. Russell Baker. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Mark Twain Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Painting scenes with priceless humor.
Priceless humor… what makes it priceless? There is a simple answer to this question. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment. The comic situation. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.
The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.
You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Check out “Rock Soup” or “Herschel in the Woods” from my CD Fables in Four Minutes. Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!
I listen to lots of conversations. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!
There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. Why? Another simple answer. We learn best when we are laughing. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.
Inspirational Stories Inspire!
Posted by admin on Nov 10, 2008
My research into stories in the past few years have uncovered a number of stories that go well beyond a clever plot to amuse my listeners. Call it a message, or perhaps a hint of direction. They might even include a moral. The name of this elusive quality is not all that important. It is more important that the stories I tell possess it. I call them inspirational stories. See more.
A listener can chew on the messages of inspirational stories. It gives them something to mull over. As a result, their internal compass points a bit closer to “true north.” Another similar post.
Go to the “Listen” page of my website. There are a number of story samples where you are liable to find some meaningful direction. And you are likely to find the inspirational stories sticking in your mind. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me! Folk stories
In this fast moving, complex world, we all need a bit of “inner” direction to guide us as we move down the highway of life. The twists and turns can be dizzying and confounding. Inspirational stories help keep us on the road. It is like having your very own GPS. You can find plenty of inspirational stories in all of my recordings. Check them out!
What Are Nifty Stories?
Posted by admin on Nov 7, 2008
When I was a kid, I often heard the word “nifty” in reference to things like fancy cars and outrageous fashion. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories. More..
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!” See more..
So how do I define nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of stories that are nifty are ones that entertain as well as enlighten. There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.
Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories are memorable. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always “stylish,” regardless of the era that spawned them. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Any stories of worth are nifty stories. You can find great nifty stories on www.Jaystetzer.com
What Makes Nifty Stories Nifty?
Posted by admin on Oct 29, 2008
I grew up with the word “nifty” as a standard descriptor in my vocabulary. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more “cultural” experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. Epic stories have many layered lessons Think of the difference between an Aesop fable and a tale from the Arabian Nights. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. The stories I chose for my Fables in Four Minutes and World Full of Stories CDs are good examples of nifty stories with subtle messages.
Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always stylish, regardless of the era that spawned them. These stories are naturally very attractive. Any stories of worth are nifty stories.
Check Out a Unique Gift Children Can Grow On
Posted by admin on Oct 19, 2008
I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Some of them are downright exasperating! One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Birthday gifts. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior. I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. Most of the time it was rough going. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I hoped my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children would enjoy. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!
You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone. If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you.
Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!