The National Storytelling Network

The National Storytelling Network(NSN) is an organization of storytellers. Five times a year they publish Storytelling Magazine. On the About NSN page is says that:

“The American storytelling revival was jump-started in Jonesborough, Tennessee, by the first National Storytelling Festival in 1973. The success of that first festival led to the founding of the National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling (NAPPS), which changed its name to the National Storytelling Association (NSA) in 1994.

In 1998, in an effort to serve the needs of the diverse storytelling community better, NSA divided into two separate organizations, the National Storytelling Network (NSN) and the International Storytelling Center (ISC). Both organizations are dedicated to advancing the art of storytelling, and both jointly own the annual National Storytelling Festival, although ISC alone produces the event. NSN produces the National Storytelling Conference…”

Under the Resources tab in the Knowledge Bank the very first article answers the question What is Storytelling? It begins by stating that:

“Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination.”

Then it continues by noting that storytelling:

1. Is interactive.

2. Uses words.

3. Presents a story.

4. Uses actions such as vocalization, physical movement and/or gesture.

5. Encourages the active imagination of the listeners.

Thus storytelling and great public speaking often have much in common.