Storytellers
Al Batt Hartland, Minnesota is home to Al Batt writer, speaker, storyteller and humorist. He was born and raised on a farm near Hartland and currently lives near there in the Batt Cave with his wife Gail. Al writes three weekly humor and nature columns for many newspapers, and does a regular radio show about nature on a number of radio stations. His resume also includes: writing a number of popular cartoon strips that are syndicated. He has written for numerous magazines and books, including the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. His speaking engagements at conferences, conventions and festivals take him all over the United States. Al leads tours to Alaska, disappears into the woods whenever he is able, usually on the pretext that he is taking the dog for a walk, and he speaks to anyone who will listen. His mother thought he was special and so do Sterling Storytelling Festival audiences.
Beth HornerBeth came to the art of storytelling naturally, having been raised in Boone County, Missouri by a city grandmother who told her fairy tales learned from library books, an English Professor mother who introduced her to literature and poetry, a sister who starred her in farmyard productions of plays and musicals and a farmer/meteorologist father who regaled her with stories of her ancestors – of both good and questionable repute! Horner’s goal as a storyteller is to entertain and to encourage her listeners to dip into the wealth of their own imaginations. The stories you hear create images in your mind. In an audience of 50 people, there are 50 different movies going on in their minds. Nothing is as powerful or vivid as one’s imagination. Beth’s love of all kinds of stories – traditional, literary, family, musical, historical and hysterical – makes her the perfect emissary into the world of story and a favorite at the Sterling Storytelling Festival.
Oba William King
Oba was fairly new to storytelling when he performed at our first festival in 2003. Always popular with audiences he has performed at three Sterling Storytelling Festivals our first, second and fifth. Since that first festival he has gone on to earn many awards and honors. The festival is pleased he has agreed to return to help us celebrate our tenth year anniversary. Oba is electrically interactive with children and adults as he conveys deep concepts, historical facts and fun information sometimes in music, rhyme or dance but always in stories. He allows your family to be a part of each telling. By the end, you'll believe YOU are the storyteller! His love of story and people is what makes him great at drawing people in and getting them involved in stories and rhythm. We appreciate Oba and are proud of the history he has with the Sterling Storytelling Festival.
Sadarri Saskill
Sadarri calls Kenosha, Wisconsin home, but she has traveled from Africa to Arkansas, France to Fiji, Haiti to Honduras and to Sterling, Illinois. She inspires her listeners with her energetic performances and the use of rhythm and rhyme. Her specialty is authentic multicultural/multilingual tales as well as dialect stories. She has been nationally recognized for her contributions to the preservation of the oral tradition. Sadarri is often accompanied by one of her talented daughters and husband. Sadarri and company performed at both the 2003 and 2007 Sterling Storytelling Festivals and we are thrilled to have them return to perform at the tenth anniversary of the festival.
Beth Horner