Featuring Ashley Bryan

“We Are Born of Cast-off Pieces”

Puppets, Poems, Masks

A Brunswick Community Forum on the Art of Story-Telling

Featuring Ashley Bryan

 “We paint, we write poetry and we express ourselves out of our desire to bring people together in a way that goes beyond who we are as individuals,”

so says Ashley Bryan, artist, story-teller, and award-winning creator of children’s books who will be the featured presenter at a community story-telling forum Saturday, October 4.

The event will be held from 9:30am to 3:30pm in the Great Hall (Union Street entrance) St Paul’s Church, 27 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, stpaulsmaine.org. This forum is sponsored by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and Portland’s historic Abyssinian Meeting House, whose executive board is honoring Mr. Bryan as their first inductee to the Abyssinian Hall of Fame.

Ashley Bryan will be telling African Folk Tales, reciting poetry, and sharing some of his art which he has been creating for most of his 91 years!

The forum will include

• a presentation from Maine Inside Out, and original theatrical work-in-progress by incarcerated youth from Longcreek Correctional Facility,
• African drumming by Resounding Rhythms.
• For those interested in learning to tell their story, The Telling Room, a non-profit writing center in Portland dedicated to the idea that children and young adults are natural story-tellers, will be among those offering workshops.
• Other workshops will include
  • puppet or mask-making,
  • African drumming,
  • reading to children.

Jane Burke, Christian Formation Director at St. Paul’s Church is thrilled to be chairing this event with James Ford, member of St. Paul’s and of the Education Committee of the Abyssinian Meeting House.

“It’s hard NOT to be inspired by Ashley Bryan’s child-like energy. To be in Ashley Bryan’s presence is an unforgettable experience!” says Ms. Burke.

Mr. Bryan’s morning program, featuring the poems of his puppets, will be of interest to both children and adults. The workshops that follow are for all ages.

For adults and youth, the afternoon will begin with Mr. Bryan’s presentation of African American poets and African folktales, followed by Maine Inside Out’s dramatic presentation and a discussion with the audience.

Sandwiches will be available for purchase.

Books by Ashley Bryan will be available on site through Gulf of Maine Books.

The event is free and open to the public. Reservations would be helpful but not essential.

Please visit stpaulsmaine.org and either email us, stpauls@stpaulsmaine.org or call (207) 626-0738 for the schedule of events and to make your reservation.