Recently a nonprofit group in Payson, Arizona- The Discussion and Lecture League of Payson - sponsored a storytelling event with Marshall Trimble. Marshall Trimble is Arizona's official state historian. He is a storyteller, novelist, musician and humorist.
We all love a good story and Marshall would be talking about Arizona. According to the local newspaper, the ticket money went to a good cause - scholarships for tutoring local kids who can't afford to pay - so we purchased tickets.
The program was a mixture of songs, tales from his life, odd place names in Arizona, and poems. He told about Payson bronc rider, George Felton, and how he made money betting he could keep a silver dollar that he placed under his foot in each stirrup in place throughout his entire bronc ride. He did. He told about Tuffy Peach, the last USPS mail car
rier to delivered mail on horseback. And he told stories about filming in Monument Valley and how Andy Devine, from Kingman, AZ, made the transitition from silent films to the talkies when no one thought he would. (Remember his voice?!)
Each year nearby Pine hosts Tellebration, a worldwide storytelling event. (See my post in November about the Tellebration event.) The National Storytelling Network is a good source for finding events wherever you travel as are local newspapers.
It's fun to learn about local history and the stories behind places. Did you know there is a place in Arizona called "Nothing?" The town sign reads:
Town of Nothing Arizona. Founded 1977. Elevation 3269 ft.
The staunch citizens of Nothing are full of Hope, Faith, and Believe in the work ethic. Thru-the-years-these dedicated people had faith in Nothing, hoped for Nothing, worked at Nothing, for Nothing.
I can't say I walked away with nothing from the evening - or can I? Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak (Photos by George Bruzenak)
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