I was raised in a family blessed with good stories to tell. Mom told hers over the kitchen table, while Grandma Rose spun her yarns with a kid on each knee. After college I packed my diploma into the saddlebag of my bike and headed west to see what adventures my own story held in store. I taught canoeing in King's Canyon, worked at the Bar 717 Ranch in the Trinity Alps, and waited tables in the Tetons.

In Seattle, I became a teacher, a professional puppeteer, and a Wet Apple Clogger. It was there that I discovered storytelling, first as a teaching tool, then as a profession. That was almost thirty years ago. I met my husband and raised my family in this silver city by the sea, writing books and telling stories all the while.

Into my storyteller's bag of tricks I have packed playful stories as well as stories that teach, stories that heal, and stories to celebrate the marvelous diversity of the world. With hundreds of performances behind me, and thousands of stories still to learn, I find that my story bag expands like the human heart; there is always room for more.

Having grown up in a world steeped with stories, my own daughters have gone from sitting at the storyteller's knee to sharing stories of their own. Now my favorite performances are the ones told in tandem with Elly and Bea. It is deeply satisfying to see the next generation of storytellers finding their voices.

After half a lifetime of writing, telling, and living my stories, I remain in awe of the powerful connections to our past, to our future, and to each other, that can be created through the simple act of sharing a story.

~ Naomi