Resources

Wisdom's Tribute; Stories of Rites of Passage for Young Adults (CD) by Susan Klein. Self-Produced, 1997. $18 & S/H

Susan Klein, whose guide for emcees of storytelling events (And Now, Would You Please Welcome ... ) is also reviewed on this site, is a storyteller, emcee, author, and festival producer. While I have long been familiar with her name and reputation, I never had the opportunity to hear her before receiving this tape. I will take every opportunity to hear her from now on.

Her voice is arresting and distinctive, her style compelling and intimate. Add to that well chosen stories and the result is a tape not to be missed.

This tape is the first in a series for young adults. The rites of passage stories represent four genres: mythic, folkloric, literary and biographic. Klein says, " The stories within are four of my favorites for inspiring listeners to 'experience' the shift from childhood to young adulthood to see that the price of the advantages of maturation and wisdom will be exacted, the levy being responsibility and a more informed world view." An important lesson.

Too many young adults fail to recognize that there is a price for maturation, that with independence comes a concomitant responsibility to oneself and society. We in North America generally lack the cultural rituals that mark the transition into adulthood, and the need for them is evidenced by the tendency of young people to try to make up for the lack by creating their own, often destructive, rituals.

Wisdom's Tribute will be a welcome addition for anyone who works or lives with young adults. The stories will entertain, but also provoke thought, and can serve as excellent starting points for discussion.

To order  http://www.susanklein.net - available as a CD $18 [OK Jun 2014]

The Second Story Review, Vol 2, No. 3, Sep 1997