Cap’s Off to You!-Wanna Zinsmaster (Posthumously) and Celebrating Story

Featuring: Wanna Zinsmaster

Glitter Queen, Active in Heart & Body, Storyteller

I learned a bit a glitter can go a long way when thinking of Wanna Zinsmaster. I saw her at the National Storytelling Conferences, though never had the chance to truly connect or work together in projects. Yet, Wanna was an active one in teaching creative dramatics for 30+ years at the California State University Los Angeles in the School of Education. Here I lived in Fresno and only about 3 1/2 hours away. Learning that Wanna passed on lingered in my mind. I did not know enough about her. I reached out and learned more fun sides of Wanna.

Karen Golden told me that Wanna always wanted a baby grand piano. One day, she got it. Wanna never had age get in the way and pursued what she dreamed about. She played that piano and danced those fingers as much as she danced about in her apartment. When someone would knock on that door, she often danced to the door. She danced to the very end…though what is really “the end”? I am positive Wanna is dancing right now. With glitter. No matter the story told, she loved putting glitter on her face and sparkling for the whole world.

Debra Olson-Tolar noticed that Wanna was either Vegetarian or Vegan “for forever.” She watched as Wanna brought Tupperware of foods so she was “eating correctly” at the National Storytelling Conferences. Beyond that, Debra remembered that one of the last times she performed with Wanna. As Wanna served in the Navy during World War II, she still had her jacket. Despite many decades later, the jacket fit while Wanna told the story for the audience. Debra reflected, “Wanna has the most beautiful smile ever.”

While searching for more about Wanna, her website no longer was active. She passed on in her sleep on Christmas Day of 2020. Though, thanks to some sleuthing, I did find cache pictures of her website back from 2017 (clickable, too). There, I found a quote. As Wanna puts it, “My stories are not only for entertainment, but perhaps more importantly, to encourage listeners to live their lives with zest, confidence, understanding and gratitude.”

“Zest” is the right word.

I scoured the Internet to see a video or some audio to celebrate this zest of Wanna. Nothing. Well, almost nothing. I found Wanna’s YouTube Channel, but it was not of storytelling. It was of Wanna as an 88-year-old taking a run in a park. At the end, she hugged a tree. The person filming it noted her love of trees. She quickly agreed. I then remembered all the pictures of trees featured on her website. She loved to exercise and hike and be in nature.

Do you know of any video or audio that features Wanna? Perhaps she performed with storytellers, thus making it harder to discover? Can you help?

I did find an article in the LA Times that quoted many people though had some decent space for Wanna. It featured the 13th National Storytelling Festival (at the time of this blog post, NSF is about to have its 49th on October 1-2, 2021). Keep in mind, she said it was her THIRD time attending the National Storytelling Festival…after only 13 years in existence! She traveled from California to Tennessee. Her personality definitely comes through in the section of the article called “Spoke in Thick Brogue.”

On Facebook, Michael D McCarty said that Wanna hosted Doug Lipman’s coaching sessions in her home where others joined her in the learning. Later on, when Wanna “retired” (not sure what that means yet, but I am positive not the typical kind), she gave much of her “extensive storytelling library that took [him] 5 or 6 trips.”

Through more Internet searching, I discovered that quite often were Friday evenings called “Stories of Spirit” that involved storytellers Wanna Zinsmaster, Debra Olson Tolar, Nick Smith, Leslie Perry and Bill Howard. These were held at the San Gabriel Valley Red Cross Headquarters in Pasadena. These tellers were part of the Community Storytellers that still meets to this day – whether in-person or virtual. One of the founders of Community Storytellers was Kathleen Zundell. When Kathleen passed in 2009, the storytellers there named an award after here and presented it to four recipients in 2010. Wanna Zinsmaster was one of these recipients. She was the LA committee member and one of the recipients and presented by Michael D. McCarty during the opening ceremonies.

Do you know a Story Artist who has passed on and want others to remember them? Memories? Pictures? You can submit names and memories of Story Artists who have passed on through our online form. 

I appreciate Wanna Zinsmaster for her delight in life and being herself on and off stage. I look forward to getting to know her better some day when I, too, cross that veil.

Wanna still has a story.  You have a story.  We all have stories.