Ruminations of a Raconteur - October 26, 2026
Ruminations of
a Raconteur
October 25, 2026
Monsters, Moonshine, and a Front Porch Built for One Night
Last night I stood on a front porch that hadn't existed a week ago and told a room full of strangers about a creature that wanted its tail back.
The occasion was Monsters & Moonshine, a brand-new Appalachian storytelling competition at The June Bug Center in Floyd, Virginia. Seven storytellers from across the region took turns on a porch built just for the night, competing for the audience's vote while a lineup of life-size Appalachian cryptids looked on. Every ticket benefited Mountain Valor Veteran Services.
I told my version of Tailypo, the old jump tale about a lonely man, his hounds, and a critter that comes back every night for the tail he ate. Want to hear it? Time permitting, I'll tell it again at Let Me Tell Ya! Things that go Bump (Spooktacular Stories), an online event this Tuesday, October 27, at 7:00 PM.
This time I set the story in Rock Castle Gorge, the deep ravine on the Blue Ridge Escarpment between Floyd and Patrick counties, named for the six-sided quartz crystals early settlers found glittering there like castle turrets. About thirty families once made their lives in the gorge. By 1937, the chestnut blight and the coming of the Blue Ridge Parkway had driven the last of them out, and their cabins have long since returned to the woods.
A place like that, where whole lives were lived and then quietly emptied out, is exactly where an old man might sit alone by his fire with his dogs. And it's exactly where something might come scratching at the door.
It was the competition's first year, and when the votes were counted, I had taken second place. I'll take it. I'm already thinking about next year.
Why This One Was Different
I was proud to serve in the National Guard. For a long time, though, I struggled to call myself a veteran. I had never seen combat. There were men and women who had gone places I hadn't gone and carried weight I hadn't carried, and claiming the same word they used felt presumptuous.
I don't struggle with that anymore. I raised my right hand, I took the oath, and I wore the uniform. The service was real.
I tell more of that story, from Dad's Army years to my own summers at Camp Grayling, in "GI Joe Weekend Warrior," a chapter of my upcoming memoir, A Night by the Fire. The manuscript goes to my editor on November 1, and I'm hoping to have the book available by the end of the year.
Last night I talked about this with Katt Whittenberger, founder and executive director of Mountain Valor and a Navy veteran herself. She told me it's something a great many veterans wrestle with, because there is always someone who gave more. Hearing that from her meant a great deal.
Not long ago I searched the database of The National Military Monument™ for my dad, Cliff, who was drafted into the Army, and for myself. The reply was the same both times: Service member not found.
But I did find others. My stepfather, Gary, and my stepbrother, William, both Marines. And Garret and Jacob, two brothers and longtime friends of the family, both Navy. I am proud and honored to share the title of Veteran with these fine men.
Floyd: Where the Music Plays and the Stories Gather
Floyd has long been an anchor stop on The Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, where Friday nights at the Floyd Country Store spill old-time and bluegrass jams onto the sidewalks.
More and more, Floyd is becoming the place for storytelling in Southwest Virginia, too.
Blue Ridge Story Space is for folks who love telling and listening to stories. It meets the second Saturday of every month, 5:30 to 7:00 PM, at The June Bug Center. Put your name in the "hat" for a chance to tell a 5- to 7-minute story. Admission is free.
Floyd's Living Traditions Festival has included storytelling since its very first year. Tellers from Let Me Tell Ya! and Blue Ridge Story Space have taken part from the start, and we're working to grow that presence.
The 3rd Annual Tellabration! Liars Contest returns to The June Bug Center on Saturday, November 21, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Contestants pay a $10 registration fee (register here), and every dollar supports The June Bug Center. Come tell a whopper, or come vote for the best one.
At Monsters & Moonshine, Katt and I got to talking with Joanne Woodward, executive director of The June Bug Center. We all agreed that the center's Black Box Theater is the perfect setting for a story, and that The June Bug Center is fast becoming the heart of storytelling in our corner of the mountains.
I started storytelling in 2018. I began attending Blue Ridge Story Space in 2019 and produced the first Liars Contest in 2023. And in 2027, I'll be bringing The Living Story Workshops to The June Bug Center. More on that in a future edition.
Connecting Stories and People
The vision of Storytelling Connections is "Connecting Stories and People," and last night, that vision came true on a front porch in Floyd. I'm thankful for the friends I've made in Floyd County and for the love and support they give to storytelling.
As Veterans Day approaches on Wednesday, November 11, please take a moment to tell a veteran, "Thank you for your service." You may be surprised how much it means. Some of them, like me, took a long time to believe they'd earned it.
Sources: Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, "Remembering the People and History of Rock Castle Gorge" · NPS, Rock Castle Gorge Special History Study · HMdb, Rock Castle Gorge marker · The Crooked Road, Floyd Country Store itinerary
Things That Go Bump: A Family-Friendly Night of Eerie Tales Tuesday, October 27, 2026 · 7–8:30 PM ET · Virtual
Every family has one: the story someone tells late at night, after the dishes are done. It might be about a creak on the stairs that no one could explain, or a light in the window of an empty house. It might be the time someone just knew something they had no way of knowing.
Just days before Halloween, Let Me Tell Ya! is leaning into the season with “Things That Go Bump,” the third swap in our Fall Series. On Tuesday, October 27, we invite you to bring a story that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Goosebumps, not nightmares
This month is about the delicious shiver of a story well told. You could share a ghost story passed down through your family, or a strange coincidence that defied explanation. A legend from your hometown works too, as does an eerie moment you’ve never quite understood. All of these belong around our virtual campfire.
We keep things family-friendly, so we’re looking for thrills and chills rather than gore. Think of the tales your grandmother told with a twinkle in her eye. They stay with you long after the lights go out, but they never keep you up all night.
Need a spark?
If you’re not sure where to start, try one of these:
A ghost story or family legend about something unexplained
An eerie coincidence you’ve never been able to shake
A local legend or haunted place from your hometown or culture
A spooky folk or fairy tale, the kind told around the fire
How the swap works
Let Me Tell Ya! is a monthly virtual storytelling swap where communities gather to share stories on a shared theme. Stories are told from memory, without notes, and run 5–7 minutes. Personal and family narratives, folk tales and fairy tales are all welcome. You’re also welcome to come just to listen. A good ghost story needs an audience, after all.
Event details
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Time: 7:00–8:30 PM ET
Format: Virtual (link sent upon registration)
Story length: 5–7 minutes
Content: Family-friendly
Cost: Free
So dim the lights, pull your chair a little closer to the screen, and register today. We can’t wait to hear what goes bump in your night.
Calling All Fibbers: Liars Contest Registration Is Open
Six spots remain for the 3rd Annual Liars Contest at The June Bug Center, and they won't stay open forever.
Every family has one. The uncle who caught a fish so big it pulled the boat backward. The grandpa who walked to school uphill both ways, through snow, in July. If you've ever stretched the truth just to see how far it would go, this is your stage.
How It Works
We're limiting the field to eight contestants, and two brave souls have already signed up. That leaves six spots for the rest of you fibbers, embellishers, and tall-tale tellers.
The contestant registration fee is just $10, and every dollar goes to The June Bug Center. So even if your whopper doesn't win, you'll have done some good by telling it.
What's Up for Grabs
There's real money on the line for the best liars in the room:
1st Place: $100
2nd Place: $50
3rd Place: $25
And, of course, the bragging rights that come with the title of Liars Contest champion. Though if you win, nobody will believe you anyway.
Seasoned Fibber or First-Timer
You don't need years of experience to compete. Some of the best tall tales come from folks who've never stood in front of a crowd. All you need is a good imagination, a straight face, and the nerve to tell it like it really happened.
With only six spots left, now's the time to claim yours. Register as a contestant, start polishing your story, and get ready to let your imagination run wild.
I promise you this much is true: it's going to be a blast.
A Night by the Fire — Pre-Buy Now Open
For six generations, my family has gathered around a fire circle at Shady Acres — nineteen acres of logged-over land in northern Michigan that my grandfather had the vision to see in 1964, and that have grown, generation by generation, to thirty. It's the place where I first learned that a story is something you pass on, not something you keep.
A Night by the Fire is twenty-five of those stories, gathered into my first memoir. The manuscript is finished. I'd hoped to have it in your hands this September, but I've decided to take one more editing pass before it's ready — these stories have waited since the early 1960s, so a little more time to get them right feels like the least I can do for them.
In the meantime, I've opened a pre-buy list so I can stay in direct touch with readers who want this book — sharing updates as we get closer to release, letting you know about upcoming Meet the Author events and book signings, and making sure you're among the first to know when it's ready. There's no pressure and no catch, just a way to keep the fire circle open between us until the book is in your hands.
If you'd like to join the list, you can sign up here: https://forms.gle/T4rkujcVwhDF79oW7
The fire's still burning. Pull up a chair.
3rd Annual Buzzard Festival
The annual Buzzard Festival is a community gathering featuring vendors, a wine-and-beer garden, live music, games, and wagon-ride tours of the Chatham Burial Park and Union Cemetery. Both cemeteries highlight stories of historical figures. The band's stage will be in front of the courthouse. Food vendors will be on Court Place. The wine/beer garden will be hosted in Competition Alley. Wagon tours featuring storytellers Paul Armstrong and Clint Atwater will start from an area just south of Competition Alley.
This event is hosted by Chatham First. It is a street fair and festival starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026. The event ends at 9:30 p.m.
🗓️ Once Upon a Date… Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars
Let Me Tell Ya! Guild Meeting Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 7 pm ET
A free monthly virtual gathering for storytellers of all levels — share your work and get warm feedback.
Join us for our monthly virtual gathering — storytellers sharing their latest work and getting honest, generous feedback from a community that wants to see you succeed.
We give feedback along three simple, supportive prompts:
What did I like?
Where did I get hung up?
What did I want more of?
New to the group? Come anyway. Stage fright welcome. No story too unfinished.
This Guild Meeting is open to storytellers of all experience levels — we've built a positive, encouraging community for storytellers and listeners alike.
Bring a story — we'll bring the rest. See you there.
Let Me Tell Ya! November Open Mic Story Swap Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at 7 pm ET.
Theme: "The Seat at the Table"
In the spirit of the season, we gather around the table — the real ones and the metaphorical ones. Tell us about belonging: the person who made room for you, the meal that held a family together, the community that welcomed you in, or the moment you realized you were home.
Bring warmth, memory, and meaning. Stories should be told from memory, without notes, and run 5–7 minutes.
STORY SPARKS
A meal or gathering that meant more than food
Someone who made room for you when you needed it most
A tradition — food, ritual, or gathering — that defines your family or community
A folk tale about hospitality, belonging, or the stranger at the door
Let Me Tell Ya! is a monthly virtual storytelling swap where communities gather to share stories on a shared theme. Stories are told from memory — no notes — and may be personal or family narratives, folk tales, or fairy tales.
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