The life of the Cathedral, like the lives of every institution and human being, is made up of stories. The story of how it began, the story of what happened next, the stories of all the people involved. Stories are how we make sense of things, and at the Cathedral we listen to a lot of stories

To honor the art of the story, we have invited two remarkable storytellers to join us in the coming months. Details are still being worked out, but we expect Laura Simms to offer two evenings for adults: Under the Surface, folklore and fairytales about the realms under the waves; and An Ocean of Story, a sampling from the great store of prophetic and mythological stories about water. For kids (of all ages) she will offer two Saturday afternoons: The Water of Life, and The Mud Sisters and Other Stories.

Laura has been telling stories to enthralled listeners for 40 years. She has recorded her stories on numerous albums, CDs and DVDs, and created theater and dance pieces. She teaches storytelling workshops all over the world, as well as at the University of Milwaukee, New York University and Naropa University.

Laura's projects include A Key to the Heart and Other Afghan Tales, (Chocolate Sauce, 2003) benefiting children's education in Afghanistan; the Next Generation Environmental Program sponsored by the Murie Center for the Environment (with Terry Tempest Williams); and the Gaindeh Project, an international initiative to aid youth in crisis by teaching storytelling as a way of binding generations and communities together.

Simms will also join Kewulay Kamara for an evening called Healing Waters, where she will tell stories, and Kamara and a group of musicians and poets will perform a multimedia piece called Je (water). Kamara is a fina–a storyteller, in the West African language Mandeng–born in Sierra Leone. He came to this country when he was 18, earned an M.S. in economics from The New School, and taught for two decades at John Jay College of Criminal Justice while raising a family in New York City and telling stories. Kamara has performed at Cooper Union, The Kitchen, Alice Tully Hall, City Center, The American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of African Arts and Poets House.

Je is an epic story based on stories, rituals, and events from Dankawalie. It speaks to the importance of reciprocity and kinship between humans and all spirits including animals, plants, and places. As part of the event, the performers will lead the audience in pouring (giving) libation to water, life to life. Unlike traditional African libations where the offering is made to the ancestors, this libation will give water to water. Kamara said, “Through art we give back to the spirit of water.”

Please check on our Cathedral website soon to find out when these upcoming events will be held. We hope to see you there!