Diane Wolkstein

Monkey King: Journey to the West

Journey to the West is China’s most famous epic. Based on a true story, the epic recounts the adventures of the impetuous Monkey King and a pure–hearted Tang Priest, who journey together from China to India to bring back the sacred Buddhist scriptures in order to relieve the suffering of their people. Visit the Monkey King Epic website for more info. Share with friends and family:Tweet

The Magic Orange Tree now in Spanish

A special Spanish–language edition of The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales is available now from Acoger y Compartir. This special edition features twelve of the twenty–seven stories from the original book in a new translation by AyC’s Paz Pruneda, a professional translator and supporter of their efforts to improve the lives of the people of Haiti. Visit the AyC website (Spanish only) for more info. Share with friend

Stories at the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen

The statue of Hans Christian Andersen is located on the west side of the Conservatory Pond (the small duck & sail–boat pond just north of the East 72nd Street entrance to Central Park). Walk 50 steps west from East 72nd, and make a right down the hill to the statue and pond. Storytelling is held rain or shine every Saturday, 11am to noon, from the start of June through to the end of September. Children are asked to sit with parents or guardians. The stories are appropriate for children five years old and up — and fun for adults as well.

Haiti and The Magic Orange Tree

Traveling through the Haitian countryside in the 1970’s, Diane harvested a rich collection of over 400 tales. Generations of children and adults around the globe have experienced the spirit of Haiti through these remarkable folk tales. Diane's ALA Notable book, The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Stories, in print since 1978, has become a classic among storytellers, people who love good stories, and those eager to learn more about Haitian culture, story, and song.

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth

Written on cuneiform clay tablets dating back to 2,000 BCE, Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth is the oldest written story of which the world has a record. The great Sumerian goddess Inanna — the goddess of love, war, and fertility — gives up her earthly possessions and dares to journey to the Unknown. There she faces her sister and nemesis Erishkegal, the Queen of the Great Below. Two thousand years older than the Bible — tender, erotic, shocking, and compassionate — it is the first story of which the world has a written record.

Diane Wolkstein is one of the greatest storytellers in the Western world. — Joseph Campbell

Introduction

In 2007, New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, named June 22nd of that year “Diane Wolkstein Day,” in honor of Diane’s 40 years of storytelling. Through her performances, teaching, books, and recordings, Diane has played a major role in the renewed interest in mythology and the modern storytelling movement. She has been featured on NPR, PBS, BBC, CNN, CBS News Sunday Morning, ABC News’ Good Morning America, and NBC’s Today.

Author

The internationally renowned author of 23 award-winning books of folklore and mythology, Wolkstein is known for her meticulous research and poetic heart. Her work has been translated into twelve languages and two of her books have become literary classics: The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folk Tales and Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Storyteller

What truly sets Diane apart as a storyteller are her spellbinding performing gifts and the depth of knowledge and research she devotes to the stories she tells. Whether recounting epics, trickster stories, or fairy tales, Diane enters and speaks from the heart. Diane has toured five continents, and has performed at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Institute, the British Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History.

Teacher

Diane holds an MA in Education and is equally at home performing for large school assemblies or working with small groups of children. She also initiated America’s first graduate storytelling program, went on to teach mythology at NYU for 18 years, was a co-founder of America’s National Storytelling Conference and NYC’s Storytelling Center, and has held hundreds of popular workshops on the art of storytelling.

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Upcoming performances, events, and other highlights

Apr 24, 2012