Journeys east o the sun and west o’ the moon”: What does a storyteller’s life, performance style, and signature story tell us?

Gudrun Thorne-Thomsen was one of America’s most revered storytellers. Her practice and reputation arose during the Progressive Era. From the 1890s until her death in the 1950s, she trained significant numbers of teachers and librarians to tell stories while also influencing many others’ ideas regarding storytelling. Her understanding of what storytelling is and its effects on listeners still resonates with contemporary storytellers. This paper looks at the overlapping aspects of Thorne-Thomsen’s life, art, and educational philosophy by focusing on a story associated with her. Doing so will refresh how we view storytelling as both a performance art and an educational tool.