Cap’s Off to You! – Michael Perry (Posthumously) and Celebrating Story

Michael Perry had the rare gift of making every space he entered a stage, and every audience a collaborator. Whether in a school auditorium, under a circus tent, or at a storytelling festival, Michael invited people to breathe with him, to pause, and to enter a world where humor and humanity walked hand in hand. A graduate of Ringling Bros. Clown College and a veteran performer, he understood that clowning was never just about red noses or oversized shoes—it was about connection, timing, and heart. One colleague remembered him at a storytelling workshop, saying, “Although I was only able to participate in part of your workshop, the simple steps you referenced were transformative. An ‘aha’ moment. Thank you for that gift.” That was Michael—playful yet profound, always leaving space for others to discover their own moments of insight.

Michael’s storytelling was inseparable from his clowning. In his one-man show Saving Face: Memoir of a Circus Clown, he brought audiences into the interior world of a performer’s heart, balancing laughter with reflection. From the stage, he famously declared, “You can’t kill a clown.” It was not just a line, but a philosophy: laughter, like storytelling, is a resilient thread that weaves through life’s ups and downs. Fellow performer John McHugh reflected on sharing the stage with him: “We shared a clowning background which included the circus and a national clown character. His timing, gestures, and presence made every story come alive. I’ll always remember the way he could make a room feel both playful and deeply connected.”

Beyond performance, Michael shared his craft generously. Michael F. Palmosina II recalled, “He was likeable from the start. Friendly, engaging, and funny. During a performance for children at Variety Pittsburgh, I watched him capture every child’s attention, weaving magic and storytelling together. Even the children who were challenged in various ways were captivated, and you could see their delight on their faces.” His influence extended into workshops as well. Misty Mator shared, “He was wise about validating difficulties while helping you find the laughter in everything. You could feel the joy because of his presence and his understanding that sorrow and joy live side by side.”

Family, friends, and colleagues remember him as a source of curiosity and encouragement. Guy Russo described him as “one of the truly finest human beings we have ever known. His ability to turn everyday moments into stories of humor and insight was extraordinary.” Each reflection echoes the life Michael lived: full of warmth, generosity, and a playful curiosity that touched everyone he met. His daughter Jen wrote, “My father was my light, my hope, my hero… the moral to his story being not to let the joy die. I won’t let the joy die, Dad.”

Even in his final moments, Michael was performing. He left this world having just shared the performance of a lifetime, reminding all of us of the sacred joy that comes from storytelling. His laughter, lessons, and stories continue to ripple through the communities he touched—in classrooms, theaters, and hearts alike. In every punchline delivered, every pause that held meaning, and every smile he evoked, Michael Perry’s spirit remains. The clown cannot be killed, and neither can the storyteller who made joy and connection his life’s work.

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 Michael Perry with the Story Artists Memorial.

Enjoy this video featuring Michael Perry below:

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 remember Michael Perry at the National Storytelling Conferences, always smiling and inviting everyone to join in the fun while opening their minds to new perspectives. His clowning and storytelling were one and the same—full of humor, heart, and generosity. Every laugh he sparked and every story he shared left a lasting impression on those lucky enough to be in his circle. Michael’s spirit lives on in the joy and connection he created wherever he performed.

Michael Perry still has a story. You have a story. We all have stories.

Cap’s Off to You! – Baba Jamal Koram (Posthumously) and Celebrating Story

Baba Jamal Koram, master storyteller, mentor, and cultural leader, passed away on June 11, 2025. Known as the “storyteller’s storyteller,” he shared African and African American oral traditions with a humility and power that drew people close and left them changed.

Story Crossroads was honored to host Baba Jamal at our inaugural festival in 2016, thanks to the Nubian Storytellers of Utah Leadership, affiliated with the National Association of Black Storytellers. From the moment he stepped onto the stage, audiences were wrapped in the rhythms of his jembe drum and the truth of his words. As one listener reflected after his performance, “He didn’t just tell stories—he created a circle where everyone belonged.”

His artistry was matched by his devotion to community. Whether in schools, libraries, prisons, or theaters, Baba Jamal believed deeply in the power of story to uplift. He shared that power not only across the United States but also abroad, in South Africa and Germany. Storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston once said of him, “Jamal carried the traditions with reverence, but he also carried us—he lifted us higher every time he spoke.”

Baba Jamal’s life was a balance of rhythm, wisdom, and love. He mentored young storytellers, built programs and Rites of Passage camps, and became a guiding elder whose presence was both grounding and inspiring. His work was recognized with honors such as the Zora Neale Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers and the Circle of Excellence Oracle Award from the National Storytelling Network, yet those who knew him remember first his kindness. As Mama Linda Goss, co-founder of NABS, once said, “Jamal was a brother in the truest sense—steady, generous, and always ready with a story that healed.”

He leaves behind his wife, children, and grandchildren, as well as generations of listeners and storytellers who carry forward his legacy. At Story Crossroads, we remember him with gratitude for the gift of his presence in our early days, and we join the worldwide community in honoring a man whose stories still sing in our hearts.

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 Baba Jamal Koram with the Story Artists Memorial.

Enjoy this video featuring Baba Jamal Koram below:

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 remember when I first heard Baba Jamal Koram tell a story. Little did I know that his beauty of language was more than words and rhythm but of presence as well. His legacy of story, drum, and wisdom lives on in every circle he created and every heart he touched. Through his voice, his guidance, and his vision, Baba Jamal continues to remind us of the strength, resilience, and love within the human spirit.

Baba Jamal Koram still has a story. You have a story. We all have stories.

Cap’s Off to You! – Ashley Bryan (Posthumously) and Celebrating Story

For nearly a century, Ashley Bryan poured his creativity and compassion into poetry, performance, and art, forever transforming the world of children’s literature and storytelling.

Born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, Bryan began making books in kindergarten by stitching together letters and numbers. That playful beginning grew into a lifelong vocation of blending words, rhythm, and imagery through painting, collage, stained glass, puppetry, and prose. He often said, “I try not to accept walls and boundaries and definitions in a strict way. I would hope that everything I do is interrelated.”

Drafted into a segregated unit during World War II, Bryan kept a sketchpad in his gas mask to preserve his humanity in the midst of war. His later memoir, Infinite Hope, revealed both the hardships and resilience of that time. Afterward, he completed his studies at Cooper Union, pursued philosophy and literature at Columbia University, and traveled to Europe on a Fulbright, before teaching at several institutions and retiring as Professor Emeritus at Dartmouth College.

Seeing few children’s books that reflected Black characters or the African oral tradition, Bryan made it his mission to change that. He retold folktales and spirituals with rhythm, music, and joy. His more than seventy titles include Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum, Beautiful Blackbird, and Freedom Over Me. His work garnered numerous honors, including four Coretta Scott King Awards, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, the Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, and recognition as a New York Public Library Literary Lion.

Yet those who experienced him in person remember not just the books, but the way he embodied story. Bryan was a poet and performing artist who did not simply speak—he sang, clapped, and danced the words into being. Children and adults alike were swept up in his storytelling, eyes shining as his voice carried the rhythms of African and African American traditions.

Beyond the page and stage, Bryan was a humanitarian. He supported literacy efforts in Kenya and South Africa, earning the affectionate title “LongPapa.” He believed in connection, once sharing, “At every moment I strive for connection. If you are in the moment, you are stretching out to reach that which you recognize in others. That’s my secret.”

Connie Regan-Blake reflected, “My heart is so full, thinking about Ashley Bryan (1923–2022) and all that he gave (and through his creativity and compassion, continues to give) to the world. An amazingly gifted artist, author, friend and human being. I am so grateful to have known him.”

We at Story Crossroads join countless others in honoring Ashley Bryan. His books, poems, art, and performances ensure that his story lives on—sung, spoken, and celebrated.

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 Ashley Bryan with the Story Artists Memorial.

Enjoy reflections, advice, and performance in this video of Ashley Bryan below:

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 remember when I first read Beautiful Blackbird. Little did I know that his beauty of language was more than writing and illustrating but of performance as well. His legacy of poetry, performance, and art lives on in every page he created and every story he brought to life. Through his books, his voice, and his vision, Ashley continues to remind us of the beauty, resilience, and joy within the human spirit.

Ashley Bryan still has a story. You have a story. We all have stories.