In this unique collection of stories and personal interviews, folklorist
Margaret Read MacDonald examines storytelling through the distinct
voices of the tellers themselves. Ten Traditional Tellersoffers an
intimate look at their lives and art as they discuss their reasons for
telling, their uses of the stories, and the influence of their cultural
heritage.
Coming from places such as Ghana, Brazil, and Thailand, the tellers
include colorful characters like Vi Hilbert--a member of the Upper
Skagit tribe--who continues to work despite near blindness, and Rinjing
Dorje, whose bawdy shepherds' tales shock his audiences and validate his
identity in a western culture that expects piousness from Tibetans. In
addition to the interviews, the book also includes brief introductions
for each teller and one or two of their representative stories.