What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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"I don't know that I do identify myself as a storyteller, as such," says Dragonwagon, who was co-founder of Dairy Hollow House, an inn and restaurant that helped put 1980s Eureka Springs on the map. "But I have always told stories, even as a little girl. I have also loved listening to them read or performed by others, and of course, reading them. "Life is big and chaotic and often appears senseless and random," she muses from her home in Fayetteville. "We all come into the book of life somewhere midway through, and we all leave before knowing how it comes out. Narrative is a bowl giving shape and meaning to existence. And what a generous bowl it is. "I believe our desire or compulsion to hear or tell or read or watch stories is part of the universe figuring itself out. "And," she adds, "I believe that stories about a community expand and deepen our understanding of it — it being that corner of the universe in which we find ourselves — and ourselves, and the part we play in it." Dragonwagon says she will tell "something lightweight, funny, cheering, welcoming, as kind of a post (knock on wood) pandemic celebration. So I'm working in that line … have two or three ideas. We'll see which ones make it!" "My story is actually a humorous account of coping with two parents with dementia at the same time," says Spotts. "Sort of the universe telling me, 'This is going to be tough, so you'd better stop and take in the absurdity of it all.'" "When it comes to the type of stories we would like to be told, we have few restrictions," says Taylor. "Sandra and I together look over submissions, and we tend to favor stories that have a down-home feel and give a glimpse into the life of the storyteller. We occasionally do have a themed show, especially during holidays, but most of the time we are just looking for good storytellers and well-written material. "Listeners and readers tell me that my tales bring back memories from their past, and often they then tell me their stories," he concludes. "Regardless of age, gender and location, it seems we all have, in a way, lived the same stories. That commonality can bring us closer together and can create a greater understanding of each other." www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com 4 WHAT'S UP! JULY 4-10, 2021 Al Larson says he will read his "very short story, 'Bareback Riding,' … the story of his employment as an actor in the Great Passion Play nearly 50 years ago," when "Homegrown Tales" returns to Eureka Springs. (Courtesy Photo) EUREKA SPRINGS Tales Continued From Page 3 Eureka's favorite daughter, Crescent Dragonwagon, pictured here with Zeek Taylor, will be one of the storytellers when "Homegrown Tales" returns to Brews on July 7. Dragonwagon founded Dairy Hollow House, a bed and breakfast in Eureka Springs that drew international attention and visitors in the 1980s and '90s. She is also a much-published author, teaches "Fearless Writing" and is known for her cookbooks and her influence on Ozarks cuisine. (Courtesy Photo/John Rankine)