Lloyd Arneach (Photo by David Cortner)
Trade and Lore Coffee hosts David Joe Miller’s series, WORD! A Celebration of the Spoken Word, on Friday, November 11, at 8 p.m. This popular monthly event began in 2015 with the goal of preserving and celebrating the storytelling tradition in a contemporary setting.
“I love the energy in the diverse audience at WORD shows,” says Miller. “The ages can range from 16 to 85. Bringing people together to celebrate the spoken word, in all genres, has always been my goal.” Each of Miller’s shows brings a different style, energy and audience, and performances can vary from traditional storytelling to slam poetry to buskers.
Performers include Dr. Joseph Sobol from the Storytelling Master’s Degree Program at East Tennessee State University, five-time Moth Story Slam champion Raymond Christian, and 86-year-old Gwenda Ledbetter, Asheville’s original ‘Story Lady’ from the 1960s radio show, “Tales from the Red Rocker.”
David Joe Miller
This month, the list of talented and respected artists grows with a show featuring Lloyd Arneach and Elizabeth Ellis, two elders of the storytelling community. Arneach, of Cherokee, is the recipient of the Mountain Heritage Award from Western Carolina University and has performed at The Kennedy Center and The National Museum of the American Indian. His stories reflect the Cherokee Nation’s rich tradition of legend.
Ellis, of Dallas, received the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network. Mixing humor and honesty, her stories deliver wit and wisdom with a punch of southern style. While in town, Ellis will also host a writing and storytelling workshop at Lenoir-Rhyne University. For more information, visit storytellingcalendar.com.
Catch both Ellis and Arneach at Trade and Lore Coffee, 37 Wall Street, on November 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 from eventbrite.com or $15 at the door. For more information visit storytellingcalendar.com or email David Joe Miller at davidjoetells@yahoo.com.
