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Listen Closely, She's Got A Story To Tell

Photo from Carrie Sue Ayvar

Carrie Sue Ayvar will bring her storytelling skills to the Hugh Embry Library in Dade City on Nov. 22.

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune Correspondent

Published: November 16, 2008

How do you use a peanut butter and jelly recipe to teach the scientific method?

If you're Carrie Sue Ayvar, you tell a story.

"You demonstrate," she said. "That's how kids remember."

Ayvar has told many tales during her 30-year career as a professional storyteller. The Miami resident has spoken to people of all ages at schools, libraries, storytelling festivals and special events across the country.

On Saturday, she'll be telling stories aimed at helping children learn at two Pasco County libraries: 10:30 a.m. at the Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St. in Dade City; and 2:30 p.m. at the Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road. Both programs are free and open to the public.

Ayvar uses storytelling to teach a multitude of subjects. For a history lesson, she might tell a tale about the origins of classic Florida symbols, such as the alligator and the pineapple. Or she might tell the story of a woman who helps shape Florida history, such as Rose Weiss, a community leader who played a vital role in Miami Beach.

"A lot of women didn't make it into the history books," she said. "That's why we need to tell their stories."

For a science lesson, Ayvar might turn the scientific method into a spirited, step-by-step explanation of how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or tell an Australian folk tale that links the rise and fall of the dinosaurs to environmental issues.

She teaches foreign languages by telling many of her stories in Spanish and English. To teach reading, writing and public speaking, she asks students to create and perform their own poems and stories.

"Everyone has a story," she said. "It takes courage to write a story. I want to help them find their voice."

She also wants children to open their minds to the stories of others.

"Kids can find out about different cultures by listening to folklore," she said. "Cultures are formed by people, just like the rest of us, and folklore presents these cultures in a digestible way."

Ayvar serves as an artist-in-education for the states of Florida and Mississippi. She is also a Chautauqua scholar who received training at the Kennedy Center. She is involved in a number of Florida storytelling guilds and is the Florida liaison to the National Storytelling Network. Ayvar also participates in the Florida Humanities Council's Prime Time Family Reading program as a bilingual storyteller.

Put simply, she knows how to tell a story.

"I've spoken to people ages 1 to 104," she said. "I'm a second-generation storyteller who learned storytelling from my parents and grandparents."

Ultimately, she said, her storytelling sessions are what her audiences make them.

"I always leave time for questions and discussion at the end, because we have many beautiful resources to help us find out more," she said. "We can use our ideas to start discussions.

"At my storytelling sessions, I want to start more stories than I finish."

For information, call (727) 861-3020.

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