Heroines Journey storytelling workshop with Kate Farrell!
January 6, 2024: CREATE YOUR ADVENTURE STORY
As we journey along well-worn tourist paths or to far flung destinations, we are eyewitnesses. If we gather not only photos and mementos, but chronicle our adventures with well-told stories, we can entertain our listeners.
February 3rd: CREATE YOUR CHILDHOOD STORY
The years of early childhood, the first flickers of memory, are precious. Where did it all start? To get a sense of yourself and your own life story, take some time to reflect.
March 2nd: CREATE YOUR STORY OF CHALLENGE
Life offers many challenges—not all are the same size or type. Whatever a particular challenge meant to you, you faced it down, and became the wiser.
March 30th: CREATE YOUR DEFINING STORY
Defining stories are at the heart of self-discovery. They have the power to express our unique identity to others. Circumstances bring out the best and worst in us, but more importantly, they expose our true nature.
April 27th: CREATE YOUR FAMILY FOLKLORE
Family stories matter. They directly impact how we see ourselves because they give us an idea of where we come from and where we’re going.
May 18th: STORYTELLING SHOWCASE
Enjoy the talent and amazing stories of the workshop storytellers! Each teller will have five minutes to share his or her favorite story created in the West Portal series.
Nita Sweeney at the Ohioana Book Festival!
2024 Ohioana Book Festival
Join award-winning author Nita Sweeney at this year’s Ohioana Book Festival.
Saturday, April 20th
Columbus Metropolitan Library – Main Branch
96. S. Grant Avenue (downtown)
Since its inception in 2007, the Festival has given readers the opportunity to connect with their favorite Ohio writers. Held each spring, the Festival welcomes roughly 140 authors and more than 3,000 visitors every year.
The 2024 Festival will be back at Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library, on Saturday, April 20, 2023!
All of Nita’s books will be available for sale and she will happily sign as many as you would like. The Book Loft will once again handle book sales.
Visit the Ohioana website for the complete list of authors and for the schedule.
The Festival will be in-person at Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library at 96 S. Grant Ave. Columbus, OH 43215. Hope to see you there!
If you would like to volunteer at the 2024 Ohioana Book Festival, we would love to have your help! Please fill out this survey to indicate your interest.
If your organization would like to have a partner table at the 2024 Ohioana Book Festival, please fill out this survey to indicate your interest.
Prompts To Find Your Inner Poet with Lynda Monk
Heart Wisdom with Sherry Belul , Angela Lomenzo, Karen C. Anderson and Brenda Knight.
She holds an Advanced Certification in Feminist Coaching, a Master Life Coach Certification from the Life Coach School, is a Dare To Lead Trained Professional, A Healthy Boundaries for Kind People coach and facilitator, and is an Emotional Freedom Techniques practitioner. Karen is author of "You Are Not Your Mother: Releasing Generational Trauma & Shame," (2023); "The Difficult Mother-Daughter Relationship Journal" (2020); "Overcoming Creative Anxiety," (2020); and "Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters.” (2018)
Effects Of Pickled Herring book signing with Alex Schumacher!
About this Event
Event Location
Mitzi Szereto in person at Indigo Langley (Vancouver BC)
Mitzi Szereto will be signing copies of her new book Women Who Murder: An International Collection of Deadly True Crime Tales at Indigo Langley in Greater Vancouver BC. She will joined by her Vancouver-based contributor Mike Browne (host of the Canadian true crime podcast Dark Poutine).
Weaving Community Through Storytelling with Kate Farrell
Unlock the power of your story in this multi-session workshop with Kate Farrell! Hosted onsite at Mechanics' Institute, our workshop is more than just a learning experience—it's a journey towards discovering your unique storytelling style, whether for personal enjoyment or professional enhancement. This multi-session storytelling workshop is limited to 25 people, and the ticket price includes a copy of Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories.
Course Schedule (5 workshop sessions on Wednesday evenings + optional performance at a culminating Storytelling Showcase at Mechanics' Institute)
- May 8, 6:00-8:00 pm
- May 15, 6:00-8:00 pm
- May 22, 6:00-8:00 pm
- June 5, 6:00-8:00 pm
- June 12, 6:00-8:00 pm
- June 26, 6:00-8:00 pm - Culminating Storytelling Showcase
About the Instructor
Kate Farrell, MLS, is a graduate of the School of Library and Information Studies, UC Berkeley. She has been a language arts classroom teacher (pre-school and grades kindergarten through 12th), author, librarian, university lecturer, and storyteller in Northern California since 1966. She founded the Word Weaving storytelling project, funded by grants from Zellerbach Family Fund, San Francisco, 1979-1991. As consultant to the California Department of Education, Farrell conducted Word Weaving staff development trainings and developed statewide language arts curriculum. More recently, Kate has contributed to and edited award-winning anthologies of personal narrative. Kate’s award-winning book, Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories, is a timely, how-to guide on the art of storytelling for adults. In 2023, Kate founded Woven: Telling the Heroine’s Journey to share the ancient tales of the feminine quest and learn their modern meanings from archetypes in fairy tales and myths, long suppressed.
What You Will Learn
Our interactive workshop series is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of storytelling through a mix of step-by-step coaching and peer coaching. Here's what you can expect:
- Seven Steps to Effective Storytelling
- Storyboard Techniques
- Crafting Personal Narratives
- Practice in Small Groups
- Directed Peer Coaching
- Delivery and Performance Skills
Join us at the Mechanics' Institute for a journey into the heart of storytelling. Together, let's unlock the stories within us and share them with the world.
Additional Information
Mechanics' Institute offers both member and non-member registration options for this multi-session storytelling workshop. To join as a member to access the member pricing for this seminar, please join here.
For questions about registration, contact programs@milibrary.org or 415-393-0103.
Cancellation policy:
For each workshop, we reserve the right to cancel at any time and issue a full refund. If you are unable to attend the seminar, please email programs@milibrary.org or call 415-393-0103 by Wednesday, May 1, 2024, to receive a full refund less any non-refundable ticketing fees which may be applicable. All fees must be paid at the time of registration. After Wednesday, May 1, 2024 no refunds will be issued.
Lynda Monk book talk and signing
oin author Lynda Monk for a signing of her new book Affirmations for Self-Love May 11th from 12:00-3:00.
About the book: In these difficult times, nothing is more important than self-love. A job may come and go, a relationship may end, something new and troublesome may occur in the world, and through all that flux we can maintain our emotional health if we remember to love ourselves and apply abundant self-compassion. If we don’t matter to ourselves, how can we matter at all?
In Affirmations for Self-Love Lynda Monk and Eric Maisel explore the intricacies of self-love. With decades of experience between them in the helping and healing professions, Monk and Maisel bring their personal warmth and their deep understanding of what actually helps and heals.
Richard Weylman in person at Barnes & Noble
In Store | Saturday, May 11, 2024 1:00 PM ET
Special Event
Local Author Richard Weylman
About this Event
Event Location
Dianette Wells in person at Barnes & Noble
About this Event
Join us in welcoming author and athlete Dianette Wells for a signing of her book Another Step Up the Mountain!
Dianette will be in store signing copies for a few hours starting at 7pm on the second floor balcony!
This event is free to attend and open to everyone.
See you there!
Climbing over adversity. In her groundbreaking memoir, Another Step Up the Mountain, Dianette tells of her unique experiences climbing the Seven Summits, participating in adventure races (including four Eco-Challenges and ultra marathons around the world), as she raised three wonderful children. Trying to survive a tumultuous marriage, Dianette felt empty and unhappy. However, everything changed when she discovered adventure racing. Full of beautiful and uplifting moments, Dianette’s story will inspire you to discover the meaning of joy in your own healing journey.
Grief recovery and restoration with every step of the way. In 2015, Dianette lost her son Johnny to a wingsuiting accident, driving her to withdraw into severe depression. However, with the support of those around her, Dianette’s desire to compete in endurance sports and her love of mountain climbing helped her find an inner strength to begin healing. As she had in the past, she faced adversity and found her inner power by embracing her devotion to sports and family. Full of beautiful and uplifting moments, Dianette’s story will inspire you to rediscover what joy means to you and how we must cherish our intrinsic abilities.