“Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.” –Robin Moore

In the second in a series of storytelling events, Fountain Hills Friends of the Library (FHFL) has produced what looks to be a brand-new tradition for the Fountain Hills community.

Sponsored by FHFL, Stories in the Hills is a storytelling experience featuring local speakers telling five- to 10-minute authentic accounts of a pre-selected theme in an intimate experience.

Fountain Hills local Carol Kubota is the creative force behind Stories in the Hills, who approached FHFL with an idea to promote local storytellers and give community members a stage to share their untold tales.

Kubota said Stories in the Hills is meant to mirror the storytelling experience that NPR’s “The Moth” facilitates, which curates storytelling events across the Nation.

“‘The Moth’ is more professional than what we are, but we’re trying to follow the same program,” Kubota said, noting that unlike “The Moth,” there are no judges who score the storytellers.

A storied town

Stories in the Hills kicked off in November, featuring four presenters speaking on the theme, “My Arizona Story.” A successful foray into this new undertaking, the storytelling event brought out nearly 60 attendees.

“Family Matters,” was the theme of last month’s event, which featured five local speakers at the Community Center who spoke on the importance of family in their lives.

Joyce Stehlik was the first speaker in the line-up, who told a story entitled, “Camping with Kids,” a moving account about her young daughter who shared a gentle, fleeting moment with a nameless child in the forest on the Mogollon Rim.

Barb Hansen shared an emotional chronology of love, loss, Kroger flowers, Hide-A-Beds and an Alabama rendezvous with her late husband, entitled, “Who Would Have Guessed?” which had the audience laughing through the tears.

Husband and wife of 58 years, Norma and Patrick Klein, shared a unique singalong set to accordion music using original, handwritten odes passed down through generations.

Donna Yordy spoke about the precociousness of her childhood and the patience of her father in, “Daddy’s Bad, Horrible Day” and last but not least, Author Marlene Jaxson shared a chapter of her book, “Jinxed! Laughing in the face of Alzheimer’s,” who found laughter and creativity to be her most powerful tools in dealing with her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s.

“‘We tell stories because we are human. But we are also made more human because we tell stories,’” Carol Kubota said, addressing those in attendance and quoting the American Poet, Amanda Gorman. “‘When we do this, we tap into an ancient power that makes us, and the world, more of who we are: a single race looking for reasons, searching for purpose, seeking to find ourselves.’”

Full steam ahead

FHFL President Barb Esposito said the tremendous feedback she has received from Stories in the Hills has been uplifting and is eager for what the future holds.

“One individual mentioned how it gave them a human connection and I just liked that. They felt good hearing what other people had to say,” Esposito said.

Free and open to the public, FHFL is already planning its next storytelling event in the Fall. While the date and time are yet to be determined, the theme will be, “The Most Memorable Event in your Life.” Those who are interested in telling their story can contact Kubota at carolkubota@cox.net.

“It seems storytelling is catching on around the country, as people find this interesting way to share ideas and stories about all sorts of subjects,” said FHFL Vice President Cynthia Magazine. “This is an experiment! If well-received by the community, we look forward to continuing this format as a way to offer a different form of communication for our residents.”

Support local art

Fountain Hills Friends of the Library is a non-profit organization that supports the Fountain Hills Library and its programs, including those for children and teens, an annual scholarship for a graduating senior and the annual paper shredding event held last week in the Library parking lot.

“People put themselves in a vacuum sometimes. It’s nice to hear other people’s joys and struggles in life,” Esposito said. “That’s what ends up happening; they’re not always happy endings, but they give you a nice perspective on life.”

Annual memberships and donations are welcome. Find out more at fhfl.org.