What others say about A Telling Experience:

I recently did some training with the good people at Biltmore Estate in preparation for the opening of the new Antler Hill Village. One of the hosts, Jennifer, had this to say:

Hi everyone -

I just wanted to make sure I said "thank you" for the wonderful training experience. It was so much more than training! I think we learned a lot about ourselves and each other as we created our stories. Thank you for bringing David in, because he is truly a treasure - I think we may have sensed how to create a story before, but he gave us a form and perspective that helped immensely! I know this week has changed how I think about stories - no matter where I am!

I had a wonderful week - sometimes feeling over whelmed - but wonderful none the less! Some evenings I went home and was surprised to see how exhausted I felt - it must have been all that brain activity!

Since this is a learning experience for all of us, I just wanted to say what a rewarding learning experience it was for me!

Thank you so much!

Jennifer




David,

I wanted to share with you something you inspired. My class has written pour quoi tales and today we had the parents come in for our storytellers' campfire. We made a "campfire" out of a crate, a lamp, and yellow and orange tissue paper taped around the outside. We made construction paper twigs and sticks then snapped our fingers, popped our palms, and slapped our hands to get our fire going. Finally we warmed them by the blaze before sharing our stories with our parents. It was magical! THANK YOU!

:-)
(click the fire to see houw David creates A Storytellers' Fire)

Fran Emmel
Charles Townes Center @ Sterling School
Greenville, SC 29607


Here's what North Buncombe 3rd Grade teacher, Jonathan Burnette, had to say:

David,

Thank you again for coming to visit. The class was very excited both before and after your presentation. I thought the stories correlated nicely with some of the subject matter we have been working on in class and the students enjoyed being able to actively participate. I hope you will be available in the future for more telling experiences. I have told several others of your storytelling and I hope they will take advantage of this opportunity.
Thanks!
Jonathan Burnette

"He tells his stories with great physical awareness, a real sense of suspense, humor, and integrity. His range, personality, warmth, truthfulness, imagination, ability to transform, taste, all combined, make him a unique artist."             June Dunbar, Artistic Director,   Lincoln Center Institute

"Novak, a gifted teller who regularly performs at festivals around the country, enhances his stories with a bag of tricks.  His fluid voice can become a dozen different characters.  He sometimes takes out a looped string and turns cat's cradle tangles into antlers, beards and other costumes for his protagonists."
            Smithsonian Magazine

"In him, The Brothers Grimm and Carl Jung meet Monty Python."
             Jeannine Pasini Beekman, Houston Storytelling Festival