Sharon Kirk Clifton, Storyteller

Programs and Workshops

by Master Storyteller Sharon Kirk Clifton

Putting a Pulse to the Past

NOTE FROM THE STORYTELLER: "I strive to be historically correct, which may not always be considered 'politically correct' by some. All of my programs are family-friendly, but not all programs are suited for young children."

Jack's Mama

In the character of Jack's Mama, Sharon's signature program, she tells the stories from the oral tradition of America's eastern highlands, including the Jack Tales cycle. The roots of these tales trace back to Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, France, Germany, Africa, and Native American traditions.
     Many of the people who immigrated to this new land brought little with them, but, carried safely within their memories their stories. While many of the stories parallel tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, Joseph Jacobs, and other folklorists, others also parallel or contain themes and motifs similar to other works. For example, Jack's Mama tells "Jack Solves the World's Hardest Riddle," which is similar to the "Loathly Lady," Dame Ragnall, of the Arthurian Legend. It also bears resemblance to Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" tale of the Canterbury Tales. Those familiar with the works of William Shakespeare will recognize "Old Bristlebeard" as The Taming of the Shrew and "Like Meat Loves Salt" as King Lear. "Old Fire Dragaman" may remind listeners of Beowulf.
     The Jack Tales, which make up the bulk of the stories Jack's Mama tells, comprise a cycle of stories that include "Jack and the Bean Tree" and "Jack, the Giant Killer." Jack, like the mythical Odysseus, ventures from home on some quest, usually to seek his fortune while helping out "the King's girl" or someone else in distress. He must do battle with someone who means to do him harm. Of course, he overcomes the adversary, usually by wit, a little help from his friends, and an occasional bit of magic. And, like Odysseus, he returns home and Mama.
     The humor and diversity of these tales make Jack's Mama an excellent choice for programs of all ages. With a JM repertoire of nearly 60 stories, Sharon can select stories appropriate to your audience, be they elementary, middle, high school, or college students; adults, or family groups.
     Jack's Mama wears the garb and carries the accoutrements of an early American settler. Her clothing meets the strict standards of rendezvous events. She also speaks in an authentic, but not "holler-specific," Appalachian dialect.
     Sharon received a Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship Grant to research the Appalachian oral tradition. As Jack's Mama, she has told at schools, libraries, festivals, rendezvous, chautauquas, churches, civic group events, and on the street throughout the Midwest and South and for all ages.

Abigail Gray: Living Under the Drinking Gourd

"As Abigail Gray, Clifton kept an audience of about 50 children and adults spellbound..."
~Peggy Vierebome, The Madison Courier

"Sharon Kirk Clifton presents a compelling narrative of the Underground Railroad in Southern Indiana." Spirit of Vincennes Civil War Days website

As Abigail Gray, an Abolitionist farm wife of 1859, Sharon will tell true stories of the Underground Railroad of southeastern Indiana and points North and South from there. These stories are full of real adventure, espionage, intrigue, and danger, sprinkled with humor as "Abigail" tells about the tricks played on the Copperheads and other slave catchers by Free Black and White Abolitionists.
     The Grays operate a feeding station in northeastern Jennings County, adjacent to Ripley County, for the UGRR. The audience for this program become Freedom Seekers, runaway slaves, as Abigail relates to them other stories she has heard from those who have stopped for a meal and respite at the Gray farm. To reassure them, she will tell about others in the area who support the Abolitionist cause.
     While most people are aware of the role many Quakers played in the UGRR, Sharon learned in her research that many of the Abolitionists and UGRR workers in southeastern Indiana were affiliated with other denominations including Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians. The Gray family lives in remote northeastern Jennings County up against the Ripley County line and are part of the Flat Rock Creek Free Will Baptist Church , a congregation that will not even allow pro-slavery folks to be members. The sending party to the Grays is a Quaker Abolitionist in Butler, Indiana.
     With the exception of the Grays, all people named in Abigail Gray: Living Under the Drinking Gourd existed, and all events described are a matter of historical record. Sharon also includes some signal songs and spirituals in this program, including Follow the Drinking Gourd, a map-in-song that led Freedom Seekers up the Tombigbee River to the Tennessee and on to the mighty Ohio (known as the Jordan River in may spirituals), which they crossed to relative freedom.
          Sharon received a Frank Basile Emerging Stories Fellowship in 2004 to develop this important program. She was one of two recipients for the year. Abigail Gray: Living Under the Drinking Gourd premiered in 2004 at the Indiana History Center in Indianapolis.
     Of course, Sharon will present this program throughout the year, but it makes an excellent choice for MLK Day in January, February's Black History Month, and any time when the focus is on American history, the War Between the States, real-life heroes, or even the 1849 California Gold Rush, since it played an important role in the slavery issue.

"I want to thank Mr. Basile for making his Emerging Stories Fellowship Grant available," says Sharon. "I have been working on this program for a few years, actually, but the grant made it possible for me to dedicate myself to getting it finished. I mention well-known Quaker Abolitionist Levi Coffin in the program, of course. While working on my family tree, I learned that his immigrant ancestor and mine were brothers. I guess I come by my interest in the UGRR honestly."

At Home and in Harm's Way

The Role of Indiana Women in the Civil War

Portraying Elizabeth (Eliza, also "Mother") George, a member of the U.S. Sanitary Commission from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Sharon tells the stories of her characater and other Hoosier women during the Civil War, including the Sisters of Providence, Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods, a young Huntington woman who disguised herself as a man and joined the Union Army, and others. "Pvt. Eli" Wullenweber complements this program by playing on the fiddle beloved Civil War songs, including "Marching through Georgia," "Lorena," and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." This program was commissioned by Storytelling Arts of Indiana and the Indiana Historical Society as a part of the "Sharing Indiana History through Stories" series.

Workshops and Residencies

Tell Me a Book! A Workshop for Librarians

Sharon's very first professional storytelling experience was as a children's and bookmobile library staff member. She traveled to schools in Henry County, Indiana, telling during the summer reading programs, under the auspices of the county's public library. Now, she offers a workshop for school and public librarians tailored to their needs. "Library professionals often ask how one chooses and learns stories, how one can tell more interactive stories, and what are the best resources for stories. I answer those and other pertinent questions in this workshop." If time allows, Sharon also provides opportunities for workshop attendees to get up and "Tell me a book!"

"Tell-tale Kids" Workshop

This one-day workshop is designed especially for middle-school through high school library patrons. Within the first hour, your YAs are up and using their "telling tools" of voice, expression, and movement. Throughout the day, they learn to craft two stories: one an energetic tale told by the whole group, and the other, a short tale such as a fable that they will tell by themselves. The day concludes with an olio featuring those workshop participants who are willing to tell (usually all of them) performing both the group story and their individual tales. This olio is open to the public. The skills and self-confidence your YAs will learn through attending this workshop will benefit them throughout their lives. And they'll have a blast!

Contact Sharon Kirk Clifton by E-Mail or call 812 - 346-7930

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Let the telling begin!

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