Storyteller, Author, Teacher

Teaching: Schools, Libraries, Universities & Workshops

Popular Workshop Programs:

An intimate, supportive workshop full of wondrous surprises for both leader and participants.

An intimate, supportive workshop full of wondrous surprises for both leader and participants.

Diane’s workshops are for everyone who loves stories, wants to hear more stories and wants to learn to tell more stories. In her workshops, she incorporates exercises dealing with voice, gesture, and character development. Depending on the focus of the workshop, she speaks about story content, understanding of story genres (folk tale, fairy tale, myth, epic), and understanding the persona of the storyteller.

Among those who attend her workshops are parents, librarians, actors, therapists, educators, writers, dancers, lawyers, taxi drivers. Everyone who attends has the opportunity to tell at least one story. Participants at Diane’s workshops leave with an increased appreciation of the skills and importance of storytelling as well as with a treasure: a new story — their story.

60 minutes to all–day workshops for adults and teenagers

The story of Inanna’s coming of age, her descent into the underworld, and her powerful rebirth is as relevant today as it was in ancient Iraq. The first part of Inanna’s story is springtime. It is lusty, earthy, sensuous, compelling and courageous in its clarity of emotion. The second part of Inanna asks the questions we all ask: Who are we? When we give up everything that covers us, what remains? That is the story of The Descent. It is the unmasking of the persona, the letting go of the outer riches to see what it is that continues to live. In the workshop we will speak about the meaning of Inanna’s story and investigate similar stories, including our own.

60 minutes to all-day workshops for adults and teenagers


What People Are Saying:

Being in Diane’s presence taught me more in one evening about storytelling than I had learned in 30 years as an educator.
Charlene Kohler-Britton Director, Early Childhood Center Program, Brooklyn College
By precept and example you gave the assembled storytellers a great deal to reflect on and to emulate.
Louise Love School of Continuing Studies, Northwestern University
The children’s librarians are still talking about the workshop. They rated it exceptional. I never attended a workshop where so many people had such a wonderful experience. Your performance was captivating and I thought it was the best storytelling program I ever attended.
Wendy Ramsey Program Administrator, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Ohio
I offer my sincere thanks for the brilliant storytelling workshop you presented at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. Those who attended loved every minute and left feeling exhilarated. You were the key factor in the success of the day.
Helen F. McKay President, Storytellers at the Writers Centre, Australia

Qualifications and Educational Experience:

Teaching Posts:

  • New York University, Mythology, 1984 – 2002
  • Pacifica Graduate School, Mythology, 1992 – 2000
  • The Open Center, New York, Storytelling, 1995
  • The New School, Mythology, 1988 – 1991
  • The Open Center, New York, Egyptian Mythology, 1987
  • Sarah Lawrence College, Mythology, 1983 – 1984
  • Bank Street College of Education, Storytelling, 1972 – 1995

Visiting Lectures:

  • EEC – City University of New York, Honoring the Self & Other, 2008
  • Theosophical Society, London, Inanna, 2007
  • Vanderbilt University, Judith, 1999
  • Vanderbilt University, Hannah, 1998
  • Union Theological Seminary, Preparing for the Light, 1994
  • Andover Theological Seminary , Text and/or Midrash, 1993
  • University of Windsor, The Role of the Helper, 1992
  • Jewish Theological Seminary, Biblical Heroines, 1990
  • Syracuse University, Initiation in Psyche and Eros, 1989
  • University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, The Trickster, 1988
  • Brown University, Descent to the Underworld, 1987
  • Rutgers University, Researching Ancient Myths, 1986
  • University of Kentucky (Lexington), Creation Myths, 1984

Formal Education:

  • Bank St. College of Education MA, Education 1967 – 1968
  • Etienne Decroux, Paris Pantomime 1965 – 1967
  • Smith College BA Theatre, Music 1964
  • Sat Hon T’ai Ch’i, Taoism 1990 – Present
  • Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhist Studies 1991 – Present
  • Shlomo Carlebach Hasidic & Biblical Teachings 1968 – 1994
  • Roy Hart Theatre, France Movement/Voice 1984 – Present
  • Herbert Bergdorf Studios Theatre 1969 – 1970
  • Martha Graham Movement 1967 – 1969

Professional Activities:

  • Director of Storytelling at The Statue of Hans Christian Andersen in Central Park 1972 – Present
  • Director, Storytelling at Scandinavia House Winter Program 2005 – Present
  • Director, CelebrateStory Festival 2007, 2008
  • Founding Member and Director of New York City Storytelling Center 1983 – 1990
  • Conceived and Directed the First New York City Storytelling Festival 1979
  • Founded National Storytelling Association’s Institutes, Jonesborough, TN 1977
  • Radio Program: Stories with Diane Wolkstein twice weekly over WNYC-FM Radio 1968 – 1980
  • Interviews on TV & Radio: NPR, NBC, ABC, CBS, BBC 1979 – Present

Recent Workshops:

“This workshop reminded me of something I knew, but had forgotten about: deep listening.” — Oscar

“Diane knows how to make the water stream flow in people” — Josie Wowalla

“She took us all beyond the small self into our larger possibilities.” — Gillian

“Diane inspired me to explore my dance as a way to connect with others heart to heart.” — Mei

2011's Moonshell Festival, Nebraska

“Ms. Indiana Jones, I take the liberty of calling you “Indiana Jones” because of your experience exploring and discovering stories from past ages, and much like the hero in the famous Raiders movies, making that knowledge accessible to others through your stories and workshops. In the workshop, you were able to bring the best out of all the participants and gave us exercises that I’m still playing with. Can’t wait until you visit Nebraska again!” — Ed Green, Workshop Participant, Nebraska

 

Diane refreshed our skills and encouraged many of us to explore story for the first time, with wonderful steps into voice work, one-on-one exercises, and dared to just tell as much as we remember. The good comments keep coming in. We hope you come back. Thank you for everything!” — Lynn Piper Carpenter, Librarian and Workshop Organizer, Alabama


Working with Children and Schools:

Diane has been telling folk and fairy tales at schools throughout the United States for more than forty years. Her stories are rooted in such values as compassion, courage, kindness, and tolerance. She is equally at home performing for large school assemblies or working with small groups of children in intimate classroom settings. In terms of age suitability, duration, and performance fees, most of Diane’s programs can be custom tailored to meet the specific needs and budgets of your school. Diane’s repertoire can be found here.

Diane earned an MA in Education from Bank St. College of Education. In 1972, she initiated Bank St. College’s storytelling program and taught a graduate course in storytelling to teachers and librarians for 25 years. Diane is the mother of Rachel Zucker and the grandmother of Moses, Abram, and Judah Goren.

Diane is a licensed vendor in the city of New York.


School Testimonials:

“You have touched all of us, not only with the power of the stories and your delivery, but also by your caring for the girls and the mission of the school. The creation myths will be with us for the rest of our lives! I know we all have a new respect for the importance of remembering stories, and the responsibility to pass them on. We looked deep within ourselves on many occasions during your presentations. Your stories and the responses generated were some of the most special gifts our school could have hoped to receive. We are eager for you to return.” — Courtney Sale Ross, Founder of The Ross School, East Hampton, New York

“Diane Wolkstein has grabbed all of our students’ attention during her 45 minutes story-telling. It is really difficulty to do that, not only because the audience was as young as 4 years old, but also because 40% students have special needs, such as autism, down syndrome, ADHD, etc. Usually our students can’t even sit still for 10 minutes! Diane, together with her amazing musical partner, Jeff, transformed herself into the Monkey King character and took all of our students and teachers on a wonderful journey. Now the students can’t stop talking about her storytelling. As a teacher working with special needs students, I know firsthand how challenging it is to get their attention. Diane and Jeff did it perfectly! We can’t wait to have them back to tell more stories.” — Zoe Shanyan, The Ideal School of Manhattan, New York