About Us
In Memoriam
The Ones Who Inspired Us: Remembering Our Storytelling Elders
One of the strengths of SC-CC is our network of members knowing each other and working together despite long distances apart until we meet up again annually at national conference. SC-CC staff and directors count on its membership across Canada to keep us updated on local news about a member's death, in order for us to share that news nationally with other members. If an SC-CC member you know dies, please send this sad and important news to president@storytellers-
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A frequently told anecdote is attributed, among others, to the philosopher, William James. Here it is as recorded by Jane Yolen in her introduction to Favorite Folktales from around the World:
The ancient beldame came to the front of the hall, after the lecture, leaning on her mahogany walking stick.
"You are wrong, Mr. James," she said as she drew near. "The Earth does not revolve around the sun."
"Then, Madame," asked James politely, "what is your theory?"
"Our world is balanced on the back of a giant turtle," she argued.
"And what," asked James politely, "does that turtle stand upon?"
"Why he stands upon the back of second, larger turtle," the old woman replied.
"And," James continued relentlessly, "on what does that turtle stand?"
The old woman drew herself up and stared James in the eye.
"It’s no good, Mr. James," she said ringingly. "It’s turtles all the way down!"
This truth has been acknowledged by storytellers since first we became human. We stand on the backs of all the storytellers who came before us. Here are some of the storytellers who have influenced members of Storytellers of Canada:
Joan Meade - February 8, 1940 - September 7, 2019
Rene Fumoleau - August 6, 1926 - August 6, 2019
Carol McGirr - d. January 2, 2019
Lesley Parlane - d. November 24, 2018
Bonnie Logan - d. 2018
George Blake - d. January 10, 2018
Jan Andrews - d. September 2, 2017
Phyllis Walker - d. May 30, 2017
Carol Farkas - d. October 2016
Kate Stevens - d. 2016
Robert Frappier - d. December 2015
Max Tell - d. December 13, 2015Peg Hasted - June 5, 1961 - October 17, 2015
Judith Benninger - d. 2015
Helen Lavender - 1934 - 2015
Jack Nissenson - 1933 - June 2015
Susan Getchell - 1949 - 2014
Orunamamu, Mary Washington - 1921 - 2014
Joan Bodger - 1923-2002
Jean Burgess - d. 2005
Richard Dyer Bennett 1913-1991
Jeanne Doucet Currie - Sep 24, 1948 - Jun 20, 2010
Henry "Jock" Farquharson - 1915-1996
Edith Fowke - 1913 - 1996
Floating Eagle Feather- d 1996
Murray Garrett
Margaret Hitchens - 1932 - 2012
Robert Homme, The Friendly Giant, 1919-2000
Carol Howe - 1940 - 1995
Joe Neil MacNeil - 1908-1996
David Parry - 1942 - 1995
Camille Perron - 1929 - 1995
Helen Carmichael Porter - 1946 - 2007
Angela Sidney - 1902 - 1991
Anne Smythe - 1951- 1998
Vince Stogan, Sr - April 19, 1918 - June 28, 2000
To learn more about these tellers, visit the In Memoriam section in the members pages.