Meetings
Story Circle meets alternately from 7-9 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, at the William K. Sanford Library in Colonie, and from 6:15-9 pm on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, at the Pine Hills Branch of the Albany Public Library, to share works in progress. Since rooms can only be booked a few months in advance, (confirmed) and (tentative) will be used to indicate the statue of the room reservation.

Every other month, from 6:15 to 7:00 in Albany, we have a topic for panel/round table discussion. In the list below, the facilitators for the meetings are given. Click here for our facilitator guidelines.

Our 2012 Meetings

Tues. Jan. 17 7-9	Colonie - Facilitator: Carol Connolly This is also a business meeting where the finances will be reported and other matters discussed (for a maximum of 30 minutes.)
Wed. Feb. 15 6:15-9	Pine Hills Branch, Albany (confirmed) - Facilitator: Kate Dudding This roundtable will be a repeat of the presentation Kate made in August 2011 on "Autobiography in Performance," based on articles in Storytelling Magazine, Volume 16, Issue 4, July/August 2004.
Tues. Mar. 20 7-9	Colonie - Facilitator: tbd
Wed. Apr. 18 6:30-9:30	Private master class for members of Story Circle. If interested, please email Kate Dudding asap.
Tues. May 15 7-9	Colonie: Facilitator: tbd
Wed. June 20 6:15-9	Pine Hills Branch, Albany (tentative) - Facilitator: tbd
Tues. July 17 7-9	Colonie - Facilitator: tbd
Wed. Aug. 15 6:15-9	Pine Hills Branch, Albany (tentative) - Facilitator: tbd
Tues. Sept. 18 7-9	Colonie - Facilitator: tbd
Wed. Oct. 17 6:15-9	Pine Hills Branch, Albany (tentative) - Facilitator: tbd
Tues. Nov. 29 7-9	Colonie - Facilitator: tbd
Wed. Dec. 19 6:15-9	Pine Hills Branch, Albany (tentative) - Facilitator: tbd: One Story, Many Voices The tradition for our last meeting of the year is for everyone to tell their version of the same folk tale -- a program idea that started at a storytelling festival in Oklahoma City and was suggested for our use by Sandy Schuman. So far we've told versions of Jack and the Bean Stalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella, Snow White and Kind Girl, Unkind Girl. If there is time, we'll do some storytelling exercises/games. We also have a sharing of holiday stories and food -- appetizers or desserts.

DIRECTIONS:

The William K. Sanford Library is located off exit 4 of the Adirondack Northway (I-87) at 629 Albany-Shaker Road.
Coming from the SOUTH take Exit 4 and turn left at the ramp onto Wolf Road at the next light take a right onto Albany Shaker Road. The library is the second building on the left on the corner of Maxwell Road and Albany Shaker Road. Drive PAST the library, go 3/4 of the way around the rotary, then turn left into the library's parking lot.
Coming from the NORTH take exit 4, where the road splits bear right. At the light at the end of the ramp turn left onto Rt. 155. At the next light turn left onto Albany Shaker Road. Go through the next light and the library is on the left on the corner of Maxwell and Albany Shaker Road. Drive PAST the library, go 3/4 of the way around the rotary, then turn left into the library's parking lot.

The Pine Hills Branch of the Albany Public Library is located at 517 Western Avenue, Albany, between North Allen Street and West Lawrence Street, across the street from the Police Station and Steamer 10 Theater, on the north side of Western Avenue. It has a parking lot.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

It is up to the facilitator to decide to cancel a meeting due to weather. They can consult with Carol Connolly or Kate Dudding if they wish to.

If the facilitator decides to cancel a meeting, they must:
1) Send out an email message via Story Circle listserv (or ask Carol Connolly or Kate Dudding to do it.)
2) Notify the library.

Story Circle members who are planning to attend may call either the facilitator or the library to determine if a meeting is being held.

A Process for Critical Response

To guide our responses to stories told at our meetings, we are using the following coaching method, provided by West Virginia storyteller Granny Sue Holstein. Granny Sue highly recommends it to storytelling guilds for improving and strengthening a teller’s performance.

The Four Part Coaching Process

1. Listening: Close, attentive listening that shows the teller that he/she has complete attention. This is displayed as body language and facial expression that reflects the active listening process.

2 Appreciations: Given only when the teller request them. These can be global (I love the way you tell that story) to specific (You projected that child’s confusion so well). Appreciations end when the teller signals that he/she has heard enough.

3. Suggestions: Given only when the teller requests them. Suggestions are notcritiques or criticisms. they offer an idea the teller might want to try (Have you thought of......), note a reaction to the story (I didn’t understand the part where.....), or ask a question to clarify a point (Why was the mother so angry?). Most importantly, all suggestions must be positive. The teller decides which to accept, reject or save for later consideration.

4. Wrap-Up: The teller’s opportunity to ask questions of the listeners about the story. (Was that part clear to you?), or anything else the teller might want to know.

An important element of the process is that the teller decides when the process stops. For example, the teller could opt to stop after appreciations, or anywhere else in the process. The teller is in control, assisted by the facilitator. All present must be “active” listeners for the process to work effectively.

To be added to our mailing lists (US mail and/or email), for more information, or for comments, please call (518-786-1271) or write to us.