Once Upon a Biography...
Just the facts:
The Legend of Cathryn*Tells*All
Once upon a time, little Cathryn, a fifth generation Californian, grew up in foggy redwood country and went forth to travel the world. Cathryn left her foggy kingdom to battle dragons at San Jose State University and went on a quest to China to study dragons close up. Then she returned to conquer a degree in the History of Art. Her magic carpet was whisked up by a tornado and after much twirling across Asia, Europe and Latin America, Cathryn landed in the romantic wine country of Healdsburg, the town where she was born.
She enjoyed painting and performing in theater while working as a librarian at Healdsburg Junior High School. Cathryn dreamed, "When I grow up, I want to be a storyteller." Then a Handsome Prince appeared and said, "You don't have to grow up, my dear. You can tell stories until you are 99 and never grow up!" Naturally, Cathryn fell in love with him and traded in for a carpet built for two. Since 1982 she has been performing traditional folk tales and mythology from around the world. Traveling, listening and telling, are her passions.
Cathryn is an active member of the storytelling community and has been on the Bay Area Storytelling Festival committee for years. She was board member of Storytelling Association of Alta California for seven years and edited and still contributes to their newsletter, Storyline. She is also a proud member of Storytellers of Canada. Cathryn produced the Story Swap on public radio for three years and has written and received grants for her story guild to bring storytelling into the schoolroom. She has told tales on Turkish trains, at Irish pubs, in Buddhist caves, at Balinese ceremonies, around the kitchen table in Guatemala, at festivals, libraries, elementary through college classrooms, private parties, conferences, senior centers, and even in graveyards.
This legend has a happy ending. Cathryn still travels the world as a full-time teller since 1999 and enjoys tasting and serving up myths and folk tales wherever she finds herself. Currently she is working on her Master’s Degree at Sonoma State University with a thesis on Chinese storytelling. She performs at festivals, conferences, private parties, schools, libraries, senior centers and cemeteries and leaves her audiences listening happily ever after. And she still has no intention of growing up.
