Traveling Tales

TBI Poetry

Lethan Candlish — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:27:25 +0000

Hello Friends:

Quick update on where things are at – the biggest news is that Who Am I, Again? a verbal collage of stories about Traumatic Brain Injury is starting to really get out into the world. I just got back from a storytelling tour of my home region, and I had one of the most powerful storytelling experiences of my life. Who Am I, Again? is a performance piece that involves stories about my experience with Brain Injury, and while I was in Pennsylvania, I had the privilege of performing for many people who were a part of my recovery process. Thank you to everyone who was a part of that performance.

As part of my work with Who Am I, Again?, I have also been introduced to several poets who have also suffered brain injury, and so I am going to begin posting some of their poetry on this site. I have come to recognize the importance of expression through poetry as part of the recovery process. My hope is that I can assemble a book of poetry written by TBI survivors, but that plan is just in the beginning stages of brewing.

This is the first of those pieces:

Why did I fall?
by: Scott Crawford

Why did I fall down the stairs that night?

Why did I never see heaven or a light?

Why did this have to happen at all to me?

Why could’nt fate lust leave me be?

After all the treatment and rehab and stuff

Why do I fell lucky and happy and tough?

How have I found peace in this hell of a mess?

Why do I fell lighter and suffer less stress?

I think I fell from more than the stairs that night.

I think I fell from blindness and now have sight.

I worry not about the stuff I left behind.

I worry not because I can be good and kind.

So despite of all the agony and pain I feel.

I savour every moment, for my life is real.

I long to find a friend that really understands.

I’d love to stop and talk a while, but I have plans…

A Published Letter

Lethan Candlish — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:21:20 +0000

So, I’ve been reading about Abraham Lincoln, and they often discuss letters that were published at the time, so I’ve been pondering that idea of a “published letter”.

I also recently had the honor of being a keynote presenter at the annual Wisconsin Brain Injury Association convention, where I performed my piece “Who Am I, Again?” The response to this performance was, and still is, overwhelming.

Returning to Abraham Lincoln, I recently wrote a letter about this conference to the Brain Injury Association of America, and I feel that this letter best expresses my personal reactions to the conference, and so here, I will publish my letter:

Hello,

My name is Lethan Candlish and I am a brain injury survivor and a degreed storyteller. I was in contact with your office and had a wonderful conversation with someone on your staff, but I’m afraid I have forgotten who that was.

I am contacting you because I have a performance piece titled Who Am I, Again? a verbal collage of stories about TBI. This piece looks at brain injury through the medium of storytelling. Because of an extra-ordinary recovery from sTBI, I have been able to revisit the memories of my recovery. I have also interviewed my friends and family to get their stories, and the stories residents at The Crumley House Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center. This has allowed me to examine brain injury from multiple perspectives, showing how TBI effects everyone around the survivor. I have pieced together a selection of these collected short stories in a collage fashion, to show a story about the loss and reclamation of self identity after brain injury.

In the above mentioned previous conversation, I was advised to contact the state BIA boards, and this past Monday (May 3^rd), I gave my first keynote address at the Wisconsin Brain Injury Association annual conference. The performance was an amazing success. The piece was praised for the story, its honesty, its artistic integrity. TBI survivors, family members, and care givers could all intimately relate to the performance. Many told me it was the best keynote presentation they had ever seen. I’m sure Mark Warhus, the BIAW director, would confirm this: mwarhus@biaw.org. Words cannot sufficiently describe my elation from the compliments I have received, so I will simply say I am honored and overwhelmed by the praise.

I am writing because, I feel that with this praise comes a responsibility. Because of my extra-ordinary recovery and my training in the art of storytelling, I have a unique ability in how I can help the public to learn about brain injury, hopefully make them feel safe discussing their own stories. For many families, brain injury is the equivalent of “the uncle we don’t really talk about.” My recovery has been a gift, but it has also given me a mission – to raise the public awareness of TBI.

To work on this goal, I am currently interested in seeing is we can work together to present my piece to a national audience. I recognize that all the state BIA groups talk with each other, and my name will eventually get spread in that manner, but I feel that if my piece could get some national attention, it would help to raise brain injury awareness. The piece shows the story of brain injury in a manner that audiences can relate to, thus inspiring people to speak about their own experiences with brain injury, and raising the national consciousness. I feel this is particular important now with so much attention on the health care debate, and because so many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are returning counted as alive, but after TBI, with a new way of dealing with the world. The world needs to be made aware of TBI.

I am writing you ask if BIA USA can assist in this. I know that the goals of your organization are similar to the goals mentioned above, so I come to you to ask if there is any way we can find grant money to fund a national tour and/or event? I recognize that is “one hell of a” request, having only spoken at two conferences (I was a late presenter at the Nashville TBI conference), but the sense I got from speaking with people at the Wisconsin Conference is that this is needed. I do not intend this to sound egotistical, but families came up to me, crying, saying how everyone in the family deeply related to the piece – everyone was convinced this piece had already been performed around the world, and they said I had a powerful professional control on the presentation – I was repeated praised for the interesting and effective theatrical elements of the performance – it was suggested that this piece should be performed for both medical students and high school students to help communicate the experience of TBI. I hope I don’t seem arrogant, I am trying to relate only the events.

I know your organization has far too much to do, and far too little time and funding, so I will not be offended if you cannot pursue this project right now. I bring it to you because of the feedback I have gotten that this top is crying out for some national attention, and I, intending this in all humility, believe this piece could help.

I do have video clips from the first draft of this piece available on my website: www.travelingtales.net/videos/, but please be aware that, while these are good, the piece has undergone a year’s worth of intensive work and has taken on a much deeper sense of meaning. I hope we can explore possibilities together. I have not confirmed this, but I feel confident that anyone at BIAW would confirm these reports, or I can give you more references.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope that we can brain storm together about how we might raise awareness of TBI – I have a few ideas, but I will warn you that I tend to think big. I hope that all is well and that the best tales are tumbling toward you.

Best,
Lethan Candlish
Storyteller
www.travelingtales.net

Who Am I, Again

Lethan Candlish — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:06:25 +0000

May 22, 2010
8:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

AT: Jonesborough Repertory Theatre
125 West Main St,
Jonesborough, TN

Lethan will be presenting his reworked piece about Traumatic Brain Injury. Since his first performance at the Jonesborough Storytelling Center, Lethan has had the privilege of presenting this piece at several brain injury conferences. At all of these conferences, his piece has been applauded. Lethan is now returning to Jonesborough to present this story in its newest form. The performance will be followed by a talk back session where audience members can share any comments, question, or personal experiences that the piece raised.

Frustrating

Lethan Candlish — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:40:36 +0000

Right now I am frustrated! I am trying to find a job, any job, and its a swing and a miss again and again. I was promised one job at the Doubletree Hotel, and that was filled. I thought I had a decent opportunity at a job with TRIO at ETSU, and this job seemed exciting, I would help disadvantaged high school students find a way to get to college, but I didn’t have enough work experience to even get an interview, and I still don’t know if a storytelling gig coming up will pay at all. I hate saying that I need money for gigs, I love to share my art, but I also like to sleep in a bed at night and to eat.
FRUSTRATING!!!!!

I’m not in dire straights yet, but I’m getting very nervous, all the bits I thought would work out are falling through, but now the search continues…

A Whirlwind of events from Nashville to New York City

Lethan Candlish — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:43:15 +0000

It has been a whirlwind of storytelling excitement over the past couple weeks.

It began two weeks ago when I had the opportunity to perform at the Nashville Brain Injury Association’s annual conference. I feel this was a big step in my work with the piece Who Am I Again?, a chance to speak to fellow brain injury survivors. Heather (my girlfriend) and I had a splendid time, met dozens of wonderful people and heard just as many moving stories. A quick stop in the home of country music, but very nice.

And then to Washington DC where we spent some time with Heather’s father and got to traverse the city a bit, making new friends and seeing sites and taking a yacht to watch a St. Patti’s day parade. i also gained a new appreciation for GPS systems - the streets are all macrame-ed together with such a high traffic load that, unless you know the city, it seems like it must be next to impossible to traverse it without becoming endlessly lost, needing new directions every five minutes. Fortunately, Heather has GPS, and although we missed our turn several times, we would hear the electronic voice state “recalculating” and we would soon be on the right path again. I certainly hope to visit again, but only if we can still use GPS.
From there it was off to New Jersey where I had the pleasure of performing at the HW Mountz School in Springlake, right on the shoreline. It was a long day, but I shared stories with grades preK-8, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Special thanks to Linda and Chris Krebs for being such generous hosts while Heather and I made a visit. The time was beautiful.

And, after the performance, we could not be so close to THE CITY (New York) with out making a visit. What’s more, a friend was performing a critically acclaimed version of “Our Town” Off Broadway, and another close friend just happened to also be visiting the city, so all the stars aligned and we all saw the show and got to visit afterwords, and it was just nice. I even was called on to try out a new piece, and I believe it was well received. (There were no chairs, so I sat on a stool, and the actress who played Mrs. Gibbs asked me to tell a story, and I quickly accepted).

The next day allowed us a tour of the NY NPR studio. It’s a brand new studio, and Heather’s aunt and uncle are friends with one of the radio anchors, and he gave us a tour, very exciting and exclusive. Apparently he also sent word out that a storyteller was coming to visit, and several people at the studio inquired about what I do, and as I explained, I think their interest grew. It was exciting. New York and New Jersey are two places I would love to continue to perform at.

Of course, while in the city, I had to check out one of the MOTH storytelling events, and they did have an open mic event that I was able to attend. I even prepared a brand new story for it (titled Rules for Dancing), but my name wasn’t called, and I was bummed out by that. But I did get to see the scene and it is hip. Far younger than the traditional storytelling scene, I thought it was great to learn that the love of story was still so publicly embraced. The event was Packed, a line waiting to get in that stretched around the block. The event was certainly sold out, and Heather and I were lucky to get in. All the tales were short (5-6 minutes), and were told by a variety of tellers, with various degrees of talent (no one was terrible, but some tellers were certainly better than other tellers). The subject material also had the freedom to be much more risque. The event was judged and the winner told a story about her rebellion from her Mormon roots by seeking out a one night stand. All the tales told were funny, but I was informed that at times the stories at these events can be deeply moving. Each time there is an open mic, there is a theme that is supposed to be followed, and I’ve decided to create a story for every theme mentioned on the site. I don’t know how many events I will be able to attend, but I want to use the work as an exercise to keep my new material flowing. I also hope to attend several more of these events, and this way I can have several stories ready in case I decide to attend any MOTH event at the last minute. If you’re interested in seeing how storytelling can be brought to young adults, definitely check out any MOTH events you can. I’m not saying they’re better than any of the traditional storytelling scene, but they certainly have an exciting new energy.
That is only the very brief bit of what happened over these past two weeks. It was a lot. It was fun. It was tiring. And I’m glad to be home…so I can do it all again one day soon.

Nashville Performance fast approaching

Lethan Candlish — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:23:17 +0000

I am getting excited for my performance of Who Am I Again? at the Nashville Brain Injury Association annual conference. The piece has been undergoing some major re-wrights and some new performance choices, and I’m excited to reveal this newest draft. It will be interesting to see how the audience receives it. I anticipate a good response, but the level of response is unknown. I do recognize that I’m dealing with sensitive, emotionally charged material, especially with an audience of TBI survivors and caregivers.

I do feel slightly nervous, but I also feel ready. I have worked with the script to an extent I have never done before, and feel confident in the performance. I have a feeling that Nashville will be a great trip!

It’s been a good week.

Lethan Candlish — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:59:07 +0000

Hello friends. Put simply, lately I’ve been having some really great days, involving a lot of improvement with my storytelling, primarily concerning my piece Who Am I, Again? I’ve been working with several friends and mentors and have begun to look at the work in a new manner. My friends and mentors are helping me find what the “universality of the story” is. I’ve begun to look at more spiritual (not religious, but spiritual) aspects of the story, and I feel I’m beginning an interesting journey with the work.

Now, in just a few days, I’ll be performing at the Nashville Brain Injury Association Annual Convention, and we shall see what happens there.

And tonight, to cap off an artistically exciting week, I performed for a teen audience at the Jonesborough Public Library, and it was a GREAT show. We were all laughing and smiling and having a great time. This was the first time a storyteller performed for the teenage groups, but I have a feeling it won’t be the last time.

This has been a good week.

Blogs and blogs and blogs

Lethan Candlish — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:35:02 +0000

Today I’m thinking about blogs and posts on the internet, so I’ll make a post about that.

And you will read this post (if there is anyone reading this post, then that is you), or perhaps no you will read this post. For me, the only person I really want to read this post is you.
The internet takes the idea of free speech to the extreme - on the internet, when we say something we are free to say what we want, and many times free from recognizing the consequences, and often free of identity. We are part of the inter-ether, a world where we are voices are equal to those who have a similar skill at computers.

But who do we listen to? What is true? While almost anyone can now say almost anything via the internet, so many people take advantage of it that there seems to be less and less actual content in what is put out on in posts, instead of content there is a lot of fowl language and egotistical ramblings. Mind you, I recognize that I am taking part in this mass of ramblings with the posts on my blog, and I don’t pretend to be better than everyone else. Also, I don’t know if anyone will read my posts, which raises the question, if no one hears (or reads) our free speech, is it speech at all? With so many blogs and posting sites out there, I find it hard to believe that they all actually get read. I don’t even know if mine is read, but it seems to be what is expected of contemporary performance artists - you need to have something out there for people to read, if they would like to.

I think I’m just still trying to figure out exactly where I stand on the whole blog trend.

I also recognize that there are no major revelations in this post, nothing I haven’t heard from various other sources (though I can’t name them, I know I’ve heard all this before), but it’s on my mind because I’m working on a new storytelling where I use the nonsense of internet postings for some humor. It’s what I’m thinking about, and I suppose that’s what a blog is for, to state one’s thoughts, whether the thoughts are actually viewed by anyone seems almost secondary. The important thing is that they’re out there.

Obsessive Dedication

Lethan Candlish — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:25:34 +0000

I’ve been watching the Olympics over the past couple days, and I’ve been thinking more about the obsessive dedication that it takes to be at the very top of your athletic field. I’ve also been doing some reading about one of my favorite rock musicians, Trey Anastasio of the band Phish, and I’ve been recognizing his obsessive work with music – if he’s not working on material for Phish, he’s working on one of his other seventeen projects. Trey is also inarguably at the top of his field (I won’t suggest he’s the best, but he is among the top).

This is all making me think about my storytelling. I want to be one of the top in my field, and I find the idea of an obsessive dedication exciting, in an artistically romantic sort of way, but I’m looking at my life and trying to decided if and how I can make that commitment. There are many things that I like in my life that aren’t related to storytelling, and I like these aspects of my life a lot, but if I am to achieve my goal of becoming one of the top in my field, how many of these can I continue to allow to take my focus? Could I, as a person, give any of these “other” (non-storytelling) things up? If I can give anything up, will I be able to be even more focused? Will I become a better storyteller? Is it possible that my storytelling might suffer?

I’m not looking for answers by this blog, just putting out some thoughts that have been running around in my head.

Romance Day

Lethan Candlish — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:58:03 +0000

Today is the national day dedicated to romance, much of it commercial, but I like to think that there does tend to be some real romance that does tumble out of the day. As part of that, I will place my romantic contribution as this poem, written for the wonderful woman who is my girlfriend. May your day be filled with joy. And chocolates, because yes giving chocolates is part of the commercial aspect of Valentines day, but chocolates are just good, what ever the reason. But now the poem:

Let Me Tell You About Her

She smiles with grace.
Lips curling up to meet sparkling eyes,
Laughs rolling out,
Joy filling the room,
Responding to a compliment
that is nothing but the truth.

She speaks with melody.
Words intertwining to create song,
Tones comforting,
Verses inspiring,
If concerned, cadences questioning,
The chorus, I love you.

She seduces with lust,
Every aspect of her arousing,
Words implying,
Gestures suggesting,
Evenings bliss,
Concluding as she closes her eyes,
Gentle breaths,
Drifting to sleep next to me.

Bliss.