Founded in 1993 by Tyler storyteller Evelyn James, we are tale spinners from all over beautiful East Texas ----- Bullard, Canton, Crockett, Frankston, Grapeland, Henderson, Houston, Huntington, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Palestine, Trinity, and Tyler and even SW Arkansas!
Our professions include teachers, librarians, professional storytellers, ministers, musicians, goat farmers, massage therapists, parents, outdoor education specialists, administrators, behavior specialists, principals, cooks, retirees, quilters, poets, and even a retired major league baseball pitcher/recruiter! We are an interesting, fun-loving and talented group of people who love telling and listening to stories!
Throughout the years our guild has participated in the Texas Storytelling Festival, the National Storytelling Conference and Tellabration --- National Storytelling Network's story fests event, held worldwide each November. Since 1995, ETS has been an integral part of art fest celebrations throughout East Texas.
Our Members donate their talents to events sponsored by Kilgore Public Radio - KTPB, the Smith County Cancer Society, the Smith County Historical Society, Touching the Lives of Children through Literacy, Reach Out and Read, the McClendon Historical Home, the Discovery Science Place, Camp Tyler Foundation, Girl Scouts of America, Pets in the Park, as well as libraries, preschools, retirement centers, hospitals, nursing facilities and many Independent School Districts. We just might be the "givingest" group of tellers around!
In 1998 ETS produced the first annual Squatty Pines Storytelling Festival in association with Camp Tyler. We held our 10th festival last March. For information on the 2008 festival just click on the Squatty Pines icon below!
Our Mission Statement:
East Texas Storytellers is a supportive network of storytellers and story listeners from across the East Texas area. Our purpose is to encourage and develop tellers by providing feedback, audience exposure and performance opportunities, to help tellers connect with other storytelling associations and participate in other storytelling events, and to increase public awareness of the art of storytelling.
