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Folklife Storyteller         Appalachian Festival

Folklife Storyteller

Excerpts from Roundabout, February 2003, Madison, Indiana, by Helen E. McKinney.

Storytelling has been an oral tradition handed down through the ages in all cultures. Even before there were books, there were stories to tell. Cincinnati resident Martha McLeod is the scheduled performer for the “Wednesdays at One” series at 1 p.m. on February 12 at the Carroll County Public Library. This seasoned storyteller will present a program that will include stories about historical figures relating to abolition and the Underground Railroad and folk tales coming out of African American Traditions.

McLeod said that as an only child she was an avid reader. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in history. These two interests surface to combine into an unforgettable experience for her listeners. “For me, one of the joyful parts of storytelling is searching books for tales from all over the world, whether they are historical or folk and or any other type of story,” she said. “It is particularly challenging with historical figures to find quotations and aspects of their histories that can be transformed into a compelling story.”

Author, educator and fellow storyteller Marni Gilland said, “Martha McLeod transports listeners with her tales. She can help us see history’s characters and events with new eyes.” Every one has a story to tell, and history is sprinkled with anecdotes from which to draw. McLeod also obtains stories from other tellers who grant their permission for her to use them.

But storytelling is not just a hobby for her. As a psychotherapist and licensed independent social worker, she listens to stories every day as told to her by her clients. Drawing upon her own public speaking skills, McLeod also presents programs to educational and professional groups on handling stress, improving people skills, managing emotions, and a presentation titled, “Finding Your Funny Bone: Humor for Better Living.”

McLeod plans each program in advance, targeting a specific topic. Her repertoire includes stories "from outhouses to presidents, and countries and groups from Australia to Native American Peoples," she said.

A native Midwesterner, she has performed in all regions of the United States, including Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin and Wyoming. While raising a family in Idaho and Colorado, she was a professional weaver by trade.

She now resides in Cincinnati, where years ago she ran into an acquaintance at a storytelling performance celebrating Black History Month who informed her of the Greater Cincinnati Storytelling Guild and other nearby festivals. From that point on, she was hooked. Monthly meetings of the Guild have provided McLeod and other storytellers with the opportunity to test the waters with new stories and learn about storytelling classes, workshops and conferences. "I have gained a great deal from other tellers," she said.

Her fascination with storytelling has led her into other venues within the genre. McLeod produced and hosted a weekly one-hour, summertime radio show on public radio WAIF-FM in Cincinnati. This provided her an opportunity to meet a variety of people in this field of work. In February 2001, she worked on a weekly radio show for Black History Month, "Freedom Journeys: A Storyteller's Tribute for African American History Month."

Nancy Colegrove, a former principal and school administrator from the Cincinnati area, has seen McLeod's presentation on the Underground Railroad and called it "historically grounded." Colegrove said she is quite a master storyteller that has a growing reputation for storytelling in schools, churches and different organizations in the Cincinnati area. "She is really good at gearing storytelling to an audience," said Colegrove. "She's very easy to listen to, with a nice voice that resonates. She really gets into the character."

Appalachian Festival: Tales of the Storytellers

Excerpts from The Cincinnati Post, May 8, 2003, by Connie Yeager

For psychotherapist Martha McLeod of Clifton, another featured storyteller at the festival, the art of storytelling came not from family history -- her Scots/Irish/German ancestors settled in Minnesota and Iowa, not Appalachia -- but through an African-American history month event at Union Terminal.

There she was introduced to the Greater Cincinnati Storytelling Guild. "I got really hooked," she said, noting there are ties between her profession and her storytelling passion. "I do a lot of hypnosis, and often I use a story for metaphor in that, healing stories."

It (storytelling) also gives her a chance to talk, rather than listen, although she emphasizes that "the interaction with the audience is what I just love; you're sharing the story together."

A member of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, she calls herself "a psychotherapist and humor activist," McLeod said. "These parts of my life are always interacting."

She also does a summer radio show on WAIF-FM, "Stories for All," and teaches University of Cincinnati Communiversity courses on using humor as a coping mechanism and in relationships.

"I will own to being a workaholic -- but with something that's a whole lot of fun," she said. "I get really passionate about storytelling," said McLeod. "We're getting more passive as a society."

She pointed to research that has shown that kids watching television have flat brain waves. "Storytelling is one of the last vestiges of imagination," McLeod said. "It also gets kids involved in stories and reading. It's important just to get people talking and relating."

"The values slip in there," she said. "I'm always looking for something to think about.” --"My main shtick is that this is a place to preserve our own personal heritage, and to preserve thinking and imagination. -- It's sort of simple and elegant all at the same time."

McLeod will be one of the recipients of this year's Heritage Awards, which are given to festival participants who have made a long-term commitment to promoting Appalachian culture through the festival.

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