Cap’s Off to You!-Alice Kane (Posthumously) and Celebrating Story

Featuring: Alice Kane

Delightful Librarian, Storytelling Pioneer, Enchanting Storyteller

While born in Ireland, she then lived in Canada and co-founded Storytellers School of Toronto. The audacity to create such an organization already brings warmth to my soul. One can always be a storyteller. Not everyone is a leader in the art. Yet, Alice inspired so many including those who had led as well as continue to lead the Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada.

Yet, does it stop in Canada? Of course not. While I never met Alice, I have heard her name whispered or celebrated upon the wind. Yes, much of what she did was in Canada. She was a children’s librarian who then shared stories from the page and gave it life to all who heard. She easily bridged Canada and Ireland, as her stories celebrated her ancestry and gave happy permission to anyone who would wish to share them. She laughed that although a children’s librarian, she told many of her stories to adults and often sang Irish tunes or even was accompanied by an Irish harpist.

One of Alice’s inspirations was Augusta Baker, another name known for creating a foundation for the national and international movement of storytelling. Alice quoted Augusta when she said, “If you recall the story and not the storyteller, then the teller is good.”

So it is fitting that Elinor Benjamin, former president of Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada, told one of Alice’s stories in the video below.

Let us remember Alice’s stories AND her. For she is good. Beyond good.

If you have links to add – video, audio, articles – please share by emailing info@storycrossroads.org or commenting on this blog post.

You can see more details on Alice Kane with the Story Artists Memorial.

—————-

Story told by Elinor Benjamin but was heard first by Elinor on a cassette tape of stories told by Alice Kane. The quality of video is a little off at the beginning but gets better a few seconds later.

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 Alice Kane for her way to go down the path of storytelling and waving people onward to also continue that path.

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