Stories Help Us Know Who We Are

Adults, as well as children, are fascinated by Millie Sieber's storytelling. Hundreds of listeners of all ages, from Catoosa County, Georgia to Rochester, New York and in Denmark and Sweden have responded to her tales with laughter, insights and sometimes – shivers. She agrees with her audiences: "Storytelling is too much fun to limit it to children."

Adults say:

"Wonderful stories!"
"Mesmerizing performance. We were captivated."
"I could have listened all day."
"A delightful time for children and adults alike."

Children tell Ms. Sieber:

"Really cool stories"
"The stories were funny. So are you."
"You make the stories come alive."
"Please come back soon!"

Millie tells Tennessee tales and stories from around the world. Her stories are about ordinary folks who do extraordinary things — personal narratives, stories of HEroes, SHEroes, and peacebuilders. She shares ghost stories, stories that really happened and tales that are make-believe. Hearers say that her stories "let us walk in someone else's shoes, see life from another person's point of view."

The storyteller grew up hearing her uncles and aunts bring her grandpapa and other relatives to life, as they swapped tales on the front porch. Her father, the late Rev. James R. "Jim" Beard of Maryville, would tell stories "at the drop of a hat," she says. "We never had to ask twice. Stories of his boyhood in small southern towns and his student days in Chicago influenced our own lives."

Millie Sieber's recent Tennessee appearances include:
     •  Laurel Theater
     •  Cumberland Gap Storytelling Festival
     •  Rural Metro's Family Fun Night
     •  Children's Adventure Land at Maryville's Fall Festival
     •  Kick-Off for the Writing Project at Foothills Elementary School
     •  Maryville Intermediate School
     •  Farragut Presbyterian Church
     •  Life Beginners at New Providence Presbyterian Church
     •  Monte Vista Baptist Church
     •  "Warm Stories and Hot Cider" in Cleveland
     •  Gathering of Muslim and Jewish Children and their Families in Knoxville
     •  "Picking Porch" with Mike and Connie Clemmer in Townsend.

Along with other members of the Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association, Millie Sieber led a workshop for area teachers, "Teaching Children to Tell Stories." She presented "All God's People Have a Story – Stories and Storytelling Tips" for the Older Adult Ministry of the Presbytery of East Tennessee. Other workshops include: "Choosing and Learning Stories," "Making Stories Come Alive," "Discovering Your Own Stories," "Gathering Family Stories," and "Telling Bible Stories."

In the summer of 2003, Millie shared stories with enthusiastic sixth graders in Gotteborg, Sweden, as well as with adults in Denmark and Stockholm. An incurable collector of stories, Millie gathered folktales from Swedes, Danes, and Belgians, and from visitors from Myanmar and Nigeria.

Millie Sieber is a member of Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association, the National Storytelling Network, and a board member of Tennessee Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling (TAPPS.) One of her proudest accomplishments is that she co-founded the highly respected Cleveland (TN) Storytellers Guild, which sponsors OCOEE STORY FEST each spring.

Call or email Millie to discuss how her storytelling can enrich your event.