WRITING RESEARCH WORKSHOP
Join professional storyteller Susanna “Granny Sue” Holstein for an in-depth workshop that delves into the process of creating a tellable, fully developed tale. Beginning storytellers, writers and those who simply want to bring life to a family legend will all find this workshop helpful, informative and inspiring.Stories and storytelling have been a part of West Virginia’s culture since the earliest pioneers crossed the Allegheny mountains. People told stories to while away the time during long winter evenings, or on the porch on hot summer days. Stories were a way to pass on family history, traditions, stories from the “old country,” and to teach children the accepted rules of behavior. Ofall the stories told in our state, the most prevalent is the ghost story. Often these tales are only snippets of memory or an anecdote. But what’s the rest of the story?
Writer, poet, professional storyteller, and ballad singer, Susanna Connelly Holstein, from Jackson County, WV, writes the online journal Granny Sue’s News and Reviews, the blog Mountain Poet. Her storytelling performances include Appalachian stories and ballads, family heritage and history, and tales from West Virginia’s weird and wonderful history.
Holstein’s work has appeared in the poetry anthology, Fed From the Blade and the short story collection, Diner Stories, both from Mountain State Press, and other online and print journals and anthologies. She was a founding member of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild and has performed and presented workshops at events from Bellingham, WA to Boston, MA. She holds aBS from West Virginia State College and MLIS from the University of South Carolina. When not writing or storytelling, she spends her time gardening, putting up food, and selling antiques.
