The Apple Seed

Latest Episodes:

Community Helpers - Stories by Donald Davis and Andy Offutt Irwin May 18, 2023

Show notes

Stories from Donald Davis and Andy Offut Irwin, both recorded live in The Apple Seed Studio. (1:27) North Carolina storyteller Donald Davis remembers his first day of school and all the new adults he met in a story he calls "The Principal." (13:34) Georgia storyteller Andy Offut Irwin shares a story about the types of shenanigans that you can get up to at church before you have your own relationship with God. It's a story he calls “Marguerite Can Read Braswell's Mind.” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:38 - "The Principal" by Donald Davis 00:13:40 - "Marguerite Can Read Braswell's Mind" by Andy Offutt Irwin

Mother's and Auntie's - Mother's Day Stories by Kevin Kling and Lyn Ford May 11, 2023

Show notes

Stories about mothers and mother figures, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:36) Ohio storyteller Lyn Ford brings us a story called "Monkey Loves Trouble" from her Aunt Queenie, a Caribbean storyteller who had a formative influence on Lyn. (19:45) Minnesota storyteller Kevin Kling ponders a mythical artifact found in most of our homes that dispenses resources great and small in a story called "Mom's Purse." 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:42 - "Monkey Loves Trouble" by Lyn Ford 00:19:51 - "Mom's Purse" by Kevin Kling

Contending with Monsters - Stories by Bil Lepp and Ed Stivender May 04, 2023

Show notes

A King Arthur tale and a tall tale, both recorded live in the Apple Seed studio. (2:00) Philadelphia storyteller Ed Stivender shares "The Legend of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell," a tale from the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. (16:22) West Virginia storyteller Bil Lepp shares a tall tale about a tense encounter on the hiking trail in “The Ojai Mountain Lion.” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:06 - "The Legend of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell" by Ed Stivender 00:16:27 - "The Ojai Mountain Lion" by Bil Lepp

In Search of More - Stories by Simon Brooks and Mara Menzies Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

A pair of folk tales, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:55) English storyteller Simon Brooks shares an ancient story from Scandanavia about a young man who goes on a quest that takes him to the end of the world in "In Search of Luck." (14:23) Kenyan/Scottish storyteller Mara Menzies shares a tale from the Gikuyu people in Kenya about a curious woman who butts up against the village's traditions in “Washu and the Forbidden Meat.” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:03 - "In Search of Luck" by Simon Brooks 00:14:29 - "Washu and the Forbidden Meat" by Mara Menzies

Musical Stories by Josh Goforth and Charlotte Blake Alston Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

A pair of musical stories, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:48) North Carolina storyteller and musician Josh Goforth unfurls the hidden story behind the well-known folk song “Tom Dooley.” The journey to that song’s meaning all begins with a performance of another song, “A Locket and a Curl.” (20:56) Philadelphia-area storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston shares a rhythmic tribute to the great Jazz musician and cultural ambassador Louis Armstrong in a piece she calls “Louis Armstrong Rap.” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:53 - The Stories Behind "Tom Dooley" and "A Locket and a Curl" told by Josh Goforth 00:21:10 - "Louis Armstrong Rap" by Charlotte Blake Alston

BONUS: Presenting "Kaboom," a New Audio Drama Podcast from The Apple Seed Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

We've got a special treat for you today: an audio adventure from the new podcast "Kaboom" from the Apple Seed team. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while you may have heard some of our original audio drama adventures. They are highly produced, immersive stories made for the whole family to enjoy together, full of action and adventure, and they may even give your family some nice things to talk about together. We have spun these audio adventures off into their own series, and today we are going to share the first episode, "Out There." It's about a couple of estranged brothers who unexpectedly reunite while looking for a UFO in the middle of the ocean. If you enjoy the show today, go subscribe to "Kaboom" wherever you get your podcasts. https://linktr.ee/kaboompodcast We'll be back next week with more of your favorite storytellers here on The Apple Seed.

Easter Stories by Dolores Hydock and Rev. Robert B. Jones Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

A couple stories for Easter week, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:30) Alabama-based storyteller Dolores Hydock, about an early job she had working at a chocolate Easter Bunny factory. If she was expecting Lucille Ball-style chocolate factory hijinks, that was not exactly what she got. (19:48) The Reverend Robert B. Jones shares the story of blues musician Blind Willie Johnson and how his recording of the song "Dark Was the Night," a haunting lament about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, came to be sent off into space on the Voyager Golden Record. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:34 - "Easter Eyes" by Dolores Hydock 00:19:54 - "Dark Was the Night" by Reverend Robert B. Jones

Roller Skates and Swings - Childhood Stories by Adam Booth Andy Offutt Irwin Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

Today's stories will take you on a trip back to the roller rink and to visit old friends. Both stories were recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:48) West Virginia storyteller Adam Booth a story called "Roll-a-Rama," and it's sure to send you right back to that feeling of freedom you had as a child when you went gliding around the roller skating rink. (18:45) Georgia storyteller Andy Offut Irwin has created a wonderful world around his fictional Aunt Marguerite, and the stories featuring her family and friends are filled with humor and heart. He calls this story, “The Swing in the Park.” 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:59 - "Roll-a-Rama" by Adam Booth 00:18:49 - "The Swing in the Park" by Andy Offut Irwin

Scotts-Irish Songs and Stories by Mara Menzies and Ed Stivender Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

An ancient Scottish story and a comic sing-along, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:34) Kenyan/Scottish storyteller Mara Menzies shares a fairy tale from the British Isles, "The Tale of Tam Lin." The fairies in this story are not the cute and small ones we think of nowadays, and it speaks to the cost and complexity of holding onto love in extreme circumstances, like, say, the one you love becoming a lion or a snake. (22:00) Philadelphia story-teller Ed Stivender pulls out his banjo to share the comic songs "Old Joe Clark" and "The Mud Miner." You’ll probably want to get up and dance, sing along, and maybe laugh out loud. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:45 - "The Tale of Tam Lin" told by Mara Menzies 00:22:13 - "Old Joe Clark" and "The Mud Miner" performed by Ed Stivender

Showdown with a Giant - Stories by Bil Lepp and Simon Brooks Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

Stories from two beloved storytellers, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (3:42) Tall tale teller Bil Lepp delivers one of his classic stories about his misadventures with his buddy Skeeter in the tiny town of Half Dollar, West Virginia. It's a rowdy story involving a giant pumpkin and a rampaging bull he calls “Bored Gourd.” (21:46) Simon Brooks shares a story about a family trying to rid their garden of a big bully in "The Goat from the Hills and the Mountains." We're also thrilled to announce "Kaboom," a new spinoff podcast from The Apple Seed full of audio drama adventures for the whole family to enjoy. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and hear the trailer at byuradio.org/kaboom. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:52 - "Bored Gourd" by Bil Lepp 00:21:55 - "The Goat from the Hills and the Mountains" by Simon Brooks

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