Performing Members

Introducing Samuel Smith, a fresh voice in the realm of Appalachian storytelling, hailing from the enchanting town of Mountain City, […]

Kiesa Kay, poet and playwright, learned the art of storytelling from her mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. She found fairy tales and […]

The Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast by jury declared Shealy – the Bold-Faced Liar Champion. With a twinkle in […]

One of our favorite tellers and past presidents returning to the stage in 2026. Jeff Stratton retired from the Tucson […]

In 2016 when Betty Ann Polaha signed up to audit a storytelling class, she never dreamed that three years later […]

Jack is from Dorchester SC where he serves as Poet Laureate of the county. He has been telling stories for […]

Ellender Rose Webster comes from a family of Southern Appalachian writers, musicians, and storytellers. As a child she assisted her […]

Zacharias is from Morristown TN and is an East Tennessee State graduate, with a master’s in communication studies. Currently, he works […]

“Once upon a time,” my Grandfather would read to me, and I was totally enchanted. These fairy tales made perfect […]

Emily finally realized what connects her various work in veterinary medicine, classroom teaching, and magazine publishing—it’s communication, and it’s storytelling. […]

Sherrie grew up in Jonesborough with a large extended family hearing stories of farm life and old family values. Her […]

After many years of teaching elementary school,Evelyn Edwards was retired and needed something to do. She made a phone call […]

Travis accidentally became a storyteller through his use of stories teaching languages across the multiverse of ages and cultures. He […]

With a twinkle in her eye, Judy Donley describes her stories as “practically true…at least in my mind!” She grew […]

Cynthia Millhorn is an accomplished storyteller who ignites imaginations and hearts with her thoughtful, intriguing tales of human nature, myth, […]

Since 1990, Leticia’s storytelling has enlivened audiences and educators across the U.S. in classrooms, libraries, and at festivals, fairs and […]

Laurie Herlich loves living in rural northeast Tennessee, where Story is everything. She writes flash fiction and cozy mysteries in […]

Joy is a graduate of ETSU’s Storytelling Certificate Program. Life has brought her from the tenements of Manhattan, to the 11th […]

James (Jim) T Priesmeyer is a retired Builder. During the course of his career he built businesses and buildings. The […]

Delanna Reed is a storyteller, teacher, mentor, and scholar. She began her teaching career and discovered storytelling in 1985 as […]

Some folks say that Judy was just naturally born talking and has never quit. She inherited her love of words […]

Catherine Yael Serota is an author and storyteller. She is a native of Asheville and spent much of her life […]

Founding Member Linda Poland, Jonesborough’s Resident Storyteller, also called “The Jonesborough Flame,” teaches storytelling at the John C. Campbell Folk […]

Vianna Isbister is a dynamic multi-hyphenate performer and academic with a B.A. in Theatre and an M.A. in Communication and Storytelling […]