The next installment of the “Conversations with Storytellers” series will continue with Dr. Nancy Tolson at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville.
A proud product of the Detroit Public Schools, Tolson received her masters and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, researching the history and development of Black children’s literature. She has been a Ford Fellow, a NEH facilitator as well as a Fulbright scholar/lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (Ghana) while conducting research on West African folklore.
For three years, Tolson was an Illinois Humanities’ “Road Scholar,” storytelling throughout the state. She is the author of “Black Children’s Literature Got de Blues: The Creativity of Black Writers and Illustrators” (2008) and “Tales of Africa” (1998). She is a commissioner for the Columbia Museum of Art, as well as an active docent there.
This curated series will showcase award-winning storytellers from Western North Carolina’s African American, Hispanic and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian communities. Through live storytelling, readings, music and focused questions, the series examines the purpose and power of storytelling in underrepresented communities.
The conversations are casual and will allow for audience participation. The series will continue on the second Thursday of each month through September at the Pigeon Center.
Tickets are $10 for community members, $7 for seniors ages 65 and over and $5 for students. Children 12 and under may attend free of charge. Tickets may be purchased in advance and can be purchased at the door of each performance. Reduced price $50/$40/$30 series passes are also available. Refreshments are available for purchase.
For more information, visit pcmdc.org.