[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1642-E1643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING CENTER

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                           HON. DAVID P. ROE

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks to 
recognize the 40th anniversary of the International Storytelling Center 
in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
  On a warm October day in 1973, Jonesborough--a tiny Tennessee town in 
the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains--played host to the 
first National Storytelling Festival.
  A Jonesborough journalism teacher and his neighbors rolled an old 
farm wagon into Courthouse Square and, around that wagon, told stories. 
The Festival was modest, but something happened that sunny October day 
that has forever changed our culture, the tradition of storytelling, 
and this Tennessee town.
  Recognized as the world's first public event devoted exclusively to 
storytelling, the Festival ignited a renaissance of storytelling that 
has spread throughout America and the world and transformed 
Jonesborough into the Storytelling Capital of the World. In 1975, two 
years after the first Festival, the institution that would one day 
become the International Storytelling Center was founded--propelling 
this growing cultural movement for almost 40 years.
  During the past four decades, the International Storytelling Center 
has advanced the power and possibilities of storytelling--in 
performance, preservation, and professional practice.
  Storytelling can't directly feed the hungry, house the homeless, or 
cure the sick. But within each of us is the capacity to tap into our 
stories, our narrative assets, to communicate more effectively--to 
share knowledge, persuade, entertain, advance a cause, teach, lead 
change, and visualize the future.
  Indeed, a well-told story can communicate truth, concept, or idea 
with immeasurable power. So, based on this belief, ISC is dedicated to 
connecting the powerful tool of storytelling with the voices of 
individuals, organizations, and communities across the world to help 
them achieve their goals.
  The vision of the ISC is a better life, a better world, through the 
power of storytelling. To achieve this worthy vision, the ISC is 
advocating for the power and possibilities of storytelling and 
providing people across the world with the knowledge, experiences, and 
tools to effectively tap into the contemporary applications of this 
longstanding tradition. The ISC is

[[Page E1643]]

inspiring and empowering people across the world to discover, craft, 
and share their stories to: enliven and enrich performance--as teller 
and listener; celebrate our personal, community, and cultural heritage 
through the preservation of our stories and story traditions; and 
enhance health and wellness, education, and community services through 
the professional practice of storytelling.
  On October 5-7 of 2012, the ISC and the Jonesborough community are 
celebrating their 40th anniversary of the National Storytelling 
Festival--the acclaimed event that launched the storytelling 
renaissance and transformed Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee, 
into the Storytelling Capital of the World.

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