Local Story Teller Julie Moss Herrera stopped by the local
Small Business Development Center (589-3682) to find out if there was any
assistance to someone who wanted to make their next career in life as an
entrepreneurial story teller. Julie
founded the local storytelling group and led the way for story telling hour on
local public radio. Through the
assistance of the SBDC, Julie navigated her blog and blossomed her online
presence. Finally, the big day arrived…her
first book has been published! She is now a published author and story teller.
Julie visited China in 2008 with other storytellers as part
of the National Storytelling Network and People to People Ambassador
Programs. She visited Beijing, Shanghai,
and Guizhou Province over the span of two weeks and was engaged in learning
more than a dozen Chinese folktales.
During the trip they met scholars, storytellers, folklorists, museum
guides, school children and rural villagers. She vowed to herself and to her hosts that
she would share these stories from the Chinese culture and help other people
understand the meaning in these tales. She
is currently striving to fulfill this pledge, and by doing so, she published
the book “Old China through the Eyes of a Storyteller.” The trip significantly changed her
perspective of China. Prior to the trip,
her opinions about the county were shaped in part by memories that her mother’s
close friend disappeared during Mao Zedong’s so-called Great Proletarian
Cultural Revolution. She quickly
learned, however, that Chinese people are basically the same as Americans are:
They love their families and they work hard for a living. Julie believes that these stories can help
bridge the gap between the two cultures.
You may contact Julie directly (Julie@storiesbyjulie.com) to
purchase her book or hire her for a program or event. Her number is 719-588-2583. Or you can visit her web site at www.storiesbyjulie.com. The book can also be purchased on-line at www.parkurstbrothers.com. Click on the catalog link.
