“Inside each of us is a storyteller just itching to come out and play!”
JEANNE HAYNES: An Unabridged Narrative Biography
It was a cold and stormy day in November 1996 when I treated myself to a storytelling seminar. Having just completed a one-year media relations contract with the San Francisco Fire Department regarding its contentious Consent Degree – forgive the pun – but I was burned out and in search of “what next?” In the welcoming warmth of Stagebridge Oakland storytellers I found it. In spite of 4 AM panic attacks, within a year I abandoned 25 years as an independent consultant, sold my Oakland Hills home, moved into a small rental home and immersed myself in the art of storytelling.
Communications Background
Becoming a storyteller was a natural outgrowth of working with words to create effective communication. It began with a B.S. Degree in Journalism from the University of Florida. After a fun stint in New York City’s Columbia Records’ Creative Department, I returned to Florida to become a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel covering hard news – not society in which I had no interest.
In my mid-20’s the exciting 60’s renaissance lured me to San Francisco, but newsrooms as yet did not welcome women. In an interview with San Francisco Examiner City Editor Jim Estes, after appreciably reading my news clips, sympathetically said, “In my 12 years as editor, the Examiner has hired only one woman to work city side. And that’s because she ‘paid her dues’ working for years in our ‘morgue.’” Newspaper speak for library.
I landed various short term, but interesting jobs as a radio script writer, a political public relations firm writer and finally full time community relations for Youth for Service, self-described as “serving hard core ghetto youth.” This small agency was given credit for quelling the Hunters’ Point Riots in 1966. My work there led to Press Director for the United Way of the Bay Area during its controversial “New Directions” replacing many traditional agencies with more relevant minority and drug programs. After developing French Hospital Medical Center’s first public relations department, I went on to become Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Public Relations Director during its growth as the City’s major downtown facility.
When daily commuting to the City with marriage, two children and pets, proved too much, I furnished a home office with computer, fax machine, rolodex and separate business line with a message machine that answered “Haynes and Associates.” As a media relations consultant, clients included:
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California Judges’ Association – first time media training seminars with invited press as presenters and attendees
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San Francisco Fair – media and marketing for two years, doubling attendance
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Fleet Week – media and marketing for two years, winning the Navy’s national award for largest public event
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Oakland Vice Mayor Marge Gibson re-election campaign public relations, press, print materials
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Congresswoman Jackie Speier Business and Professional Women’s Conference, 900 attendees, public relations and marketing
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Oakland Unified Schools District – producing teacher recruitment materials and open house events
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Hospitals: 10 in San Francisco Bay Area, one in Los Angeles – major events, press and public relations projects, and lastly:
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San Francisco Fire Department – media training, releases, San Francisco Chronicle editorial page piece re: ending Consent Decree
Becoming a Storyteller
Into my 50’s as a single woman with children essentially on their own, the leap was made from consulting to storytelling. I immersed myself in Stagebridge classes, credentialed storytelling classes at Dominican University in San Rafael, regional master tellers’ seminar intensives, storytelling swaps and annual festivals. I joined the Storytelling Association of California, the National Storytelling Network, NSN’s Youth Group, and travelled to national storytelling conferences in Los Angeles, Denver Colorado and Brown University, Providence Rhode Island.
Storytelling Venues
While learning – and with enthusiasm I still am – I developed a repertoire of stories from children’s literature, folk tales, fairytales, fables and personal tales from my own life. Taking every opportunity, I began telling at schools, special events, little theaters, libraries, Toastmasters, family camps, book stores, senior centers, medical facilities, churches and cafes.
Recognizing the healing value of stories, I originated Interactive Storytelling Workshops for medical and senior care facilities, with presentations at many facilities, some on a monthly basis. I also enrolled in a class to become a certified facilitator for TimeSlips, a nationally recognized storytelling program for people with memory loss.
For venue listings – which also serve to high light a range of assemblies that can be enhanced by storytelling click on Storytelling Tab
Solo Performance
Combining storytelling skills with solo performance led to creating complex, longer pieces with less narration, more character dialogue and onstage blocking. I studied with the renowned David Ford at the San Francisco Marsh in its iconic Black Box Theater. Taking 52 classes in four 13-week sessions with David, I developed my first one-woman show The Stove Is White. A deeply personal racial journey, dedicated to my biracial children and African American stepchildren, this piece eventually earned a 6-performance run at San Francisco’s Brava! Women for the Arts Theater.
Meanwhile, I had purchased a fixer-upper California craftsman in East Oakland which became the focus of my second one-woman show.
A House Under Water addresses the 2008 financial/housing crisis and an unsavory 3½ years to obtain a modified mortgage.
Excerpts from these shows and other stand alone pieces have been featured over the years at Tell It on Tuesday, the Bay Area’s premiere storytelling/solo performance space, and on KPFA 94.1 FM Berkeley Public Radio.
For a list of original theater pieces, testimonials, venues and videos click on Solo Performance Tab
Master Teacher Schools Artist in Residence
While telling in the schools, I became intrigued by seeing the value of involving children in my storytelling. I recalled my delight as a certified Junior Great Books facilitator working in my two childrens’ classrooms in elementary school. And so I turned to teaching, first in afterschool and summer sessions, and then in the classroom as a master teacher schools artist in residence.
At Stagebridge, I was one of the master storytelling teachers with input into the syllabus curriculum for Storybridge. This hallmark program for underserved communities was awarded a U.S. Department of Education grant to underwrite four years for us to teach storytelling in Title 1 schools for some 1,000 students.
Through Stagebridge, Young Audiences of Northern California, ALICE – Arts and Literacy in Children’s Education, San Francisco Streetside Stories, and as an independent contractor, I have taught in 30+ Bay Area schools working with some 3,500 students in Grades 2-8, including English Language Learners, African-American, Latino and Asian youth predominantly in Title 1 Schools. To increase academic skills, I earned both Praxis English Language/Literature and Communication & SSAT Literature/English credentials.
Published Author
Selected from some 30 storytellers from across the country, I am a contributing author for Storytelling Classroom: Applications Across the Curriculum, a first of its kind book about the power of storytelling in the classroom, edited by Sherry Norfolk, Greenwood Press, 2006.
For more about residences, schools where I have taught and commentary from students, teachers and administration click on Teaching Children
Teaching Adult Classes
After 5 years as a Stagebridge storytelling student, I became a Stagebridge Storytelling Instructor with ongoing weekly classes. I also developed a series of seminars for San Francisco Asian Art Museum Storytellers and was a guest lecturer for both California State University and East Bay Diablo Valley Emeritus College.
Private Coaching