February 02, 2007

• The Aristocrats!!!
• Boccacio, Decameron, day 3, story 10. I'm pretty sure this filthy tale has folk origins. Even if it doesn't, it sounds believably "folky" enough for you to tell it as a folktale. more G-rated folktales here.
• (the text of the Decameron story is perfectly worksafe... it's just the events which are filthy. Enjoy)
• Robert W. Service.
• Unexpurgated Grimm?
• Bit of a folktale trove here, as I just found looking for First Nations' stuff. But railroad stories are also cool. Casey Jones, climbin' in the cabin! Casey Jones, orders in his hand! Casey Jones, leanin' out the windah, Takin' a trip to the pro-mised land!
• The Moonlit Road has both text and audio of some Southern folk tales, mostly spooky ones. I'd also recommend a listen to Bill Lepp's story on NPR's coverage of the West Virginia Liar's Contest. Ultimately: focus less on the individual particulars of any given story and pay more attention to overall structure and conversational delivery. You should feel free to embellish the story and make the telling of it your own. And never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
• Garrison Keillor's News from Lake Wobegone.
• The Aristocrats!!! Seconded.
• Alice's Restaurant.
• Does Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts count?
• > Alice's Restaurant. In blank verse! This tale it is about a restau-rant That is by mine friend Alice manage-ed. Though the restaurant is not name-ed Alice'th That simply be the title of mine song. and so on.
• Buy Italo Calvino's "Italian Folktales." Read the whole thing, cover to cover. Any of them will do.
• Something no one's ever heard before. How about an erotic tale from 19th century Norway? (Translated by me, of course.)
• Oh, and don't forget to imitate Christopher Walken; that'll blow 'em away, no matter what you say.
• Come and listen to my story 'bout a man named Jed...
• imitate Christopher Walken Say, there's an idea. Why not tell the story about the gold watch?
• O bless ye monkeys all. I forgot to mention that Toastmaster speeches have to be G-rated so sadly no aristocrats, no gold watches, no bear scrotums... Thanks Pallas for that website plus the Decameron tale which i will read later in private . RTD: That poem is neat and has a good ending. Unlike the vagabond. Cap'n R: Thanks for the site, I'll check it out. I remember reading some American tall tales when i was young...mostly Paul Bunyan stuff. Mytho: That's good advice. Delivery is what i need to work on. The Top Liars story, I will check it out. Koko&Roryk: Alice's Restaurant! One of my faves, I love ol' Arlo. Horrorshow: I have Cosmicomics from Calvino but I will get Italian folktales, thanks. Skrik: Those Norwegians! (I feel for the bear). TUM: Up from the groun' come a bubblin' crude...Texas tea! Looks like i've got a nice pile of reading ahead of me. Yeehaw! thanks again....
• Sir Obie, yea, no falsehood can i tell That envelope beneath that garbage placed I
• Oh, and don't introduce yourself as "StoryBored" before you begin your narrative.
• Alison Lurie's compilation Clever Gretchen and Other Forgotten Folktales was a HUGE favorite of mine as a kid. Whenever I'm called on to tell a story, it's always one from that book-- and usually "Mizilca," which is an ass-kickin' name-takin' tale about a young girl who disguises herself as a boy and goes to serve with the Sultan's knights for a year and a day. "Manka and the Judge" is a good one, too.
• And I forgot to say, "Mizilca" has a hella cool ending! But I won't give it away here :)
• If you can do a Lancashire accent, Albert and the Lion, possibly followed by any of the continuing stories of the Ramsbottom family to make up the 7 minutes. Lots of great old British classics to be found on Monologues.co.uk. Have fun, and make an mp3 so we can listen to you too!
• Roryk: all things can be gotten verily here, excepting the thing known as Alice herself. Underpants Monster: Heh, thanks for the advice. I must say I liked the story about Baby Underpants Monster rolling down the hill. Speedlime: Thanks! I'll check out Mizilca! Mothninja: I can't do Lancashire accents. Rats. But I will check out those websites. This is great...
• Funnily enough, I recently rejoined a society called "Storymasters", and have a similar gig. I have to stand up in front of a group of ten strangers tonight and, for a period of five to seven minutes, make them all 2 pieces of toast.
• *looks for local Storymasters chapter*
• It's true *sob*, "Toastmasters" is a terrible name for a club. And get this until recently one of the awards you get for making ten speechs is a CTM - a Competent Toastmaster. *walks away sadly, fondling toaster*
• Update: horrorshow's suggestion of Calvino's Italian Folktales turned out well. I ended up presenting the first story in his amazing collection: Dauntless Little John. Lots of fun. Still working my way slowly through the rest of the links you folks provided.