Donald Davis was born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories.   For Davis, storytelling is a way of giving and living life.  He invites each listener to come along, to pull deep inside for one's own stories, to personally share and co-create the common experiences that celebrate the creative spirit.   Davis is internationally renowned for both his stage performances and his expertise, leading workshops that advance the art of storytelling in the classroom and across the wide spectrum of life.  In 1996, the National Storytelling Network honored his work with the Circle of Excellence award.

Elizabeth Ellis is a versatile and riveting teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories of heroic American women, though her personal stories are arguably her best. She has captivated over 250,000 children and countless adults at schools, universities and festivals in her 25 year career as a storyteller. Elizabeth's storytelling journey has taken her from her local library to as far away as New Zealand. She was selected as a "Listener's Choice" at the 30th Anniversary National Storytelling Festival and a Storyteller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center. She was the first recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award from the Tejas Storytelling Association and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Association.

Diane Ferlatte was steeped in the oral tradition as a youngster. Her early childhood years in Louisiana were spent on her grandparent's porch with the family and neighbors swapping stories, lies, and tales. Diane has wowed audiences across the globe from Graz, Austria, to Auckland, New Zealand. Providing workshops for other tellers, ministers, and teachers, as well as serving as keynote speaker/storyteller at professional conferences and conventions has become a rewarding part of her work.  Diane continues to focus on schools and libraries as much as possible however, because she believes this is where the tradition of storytelling is to be nurtured and the lessons of the stories most need to be heard.

Heather Forest has a unique minstrel style of storytelling blends original music, folk guitar, poetry, prose and the sung and spoken word. She has toured her repertoire of world folktales for the past thirty years to theatres, major storytelling festivals, and conferences throughout the United States and abroad. Ms. Forest holds a Master's Degree in Storytelling, is a recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award presented by the National Storytelling Network and is currently an adjunct professor of Oral Tradition in the Library Science Dept. at Southern Ct. State University.

David Novak is a remarkable speaker with a background in theatre arts including Shakespeare, clowning, creative dramatics, playwriting, and directing.  Mr. Novak recently received the 2002 Circle of Excellence award from the National Storytelling Network, for excellence in the art of storytelling. His aesthetic education programs have found audiences across the country from the Lincoln Center Institute to the Los Angeles Music Center On Tour.  Mr. Novak has been guest instructor for the University of San Diego, International Storytelling Institute, Oklahoma Arts Institute, John Campbell Folk School, and Walt Disney Imagineering.

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Florida Storytelling Association, Inc.  ·  PO Box 49023  ·  Jacksonville Beach, FL  32240-9023
Phone: 1-800-940-1972 (toll-free)  ·  Email: fsa @ flstory.org