Storytelling at the Celtic Knot Pub

A few weeks ago, Jeff and Christy invited us to attend the Illinois Storytelling Festival in Spring Grove. I had no idea that "professional storytelling" was still being done, or that it was still so popular. I expected it to be quaint, but somewhat dull. I was happily mistaken. Most of the stories ranged between stand-up comedy and morality tales, and we were enthralled.

So last Thursday, Kristin and I went down to the Celtic Knot Pub in Evanston to hear Sid Lieberman perform. It was a long drive, but I enjoyed spending the time with Kristin (it's not something we get to do very often). The Knot is a nice Irish pub in downtown Evanston. Kristin had the steak, and I (of course) had the Shepherd's Pie (very well made). Then we retired into a little room off the main dining room called The Snug (because, well... it's snug). Sid told us two stories: one brand-new one about his father, and an old one about his daughter. The story about his dad was a "first telling," so he asked us to offer some suggestions for improvement.

I think I'll look for some more opportunities to hear professional storytellers. There's just some kind of innate purity to the art of storytelling. There's an intimacy to the stories that you don't find in the other forms of communication (novels, plays, movies, artwork).

Here are some links to Sid Lieberman telling The Telltale Heart by Poe. There's a video here, and just the audio here.