Presenters
 Janet Bradford
Janet is head of the Music and Dance Library at Brigham Young University. She has a B.A from BYU in Music Theory with post-graduate studies in musicology. Her MLS degree is from the University of Illinois , Champaign-Urbana. Janet has eclectic musical tastes but her passion is film music. She has given numerous presentations at national meetings including The Transition of Film Music in the 1920s and 1930s, The Shakuhachi Goes to Hollywood, Friedhofer's Best Years: An Overview of the Hugo Friedhofer Collection at BYU, Retakes on Remakes: Variations on a Cinematic Theme, Shooting Stars: Ethel Merman and Bernadette Peters Take Aim at Annie Get Your Gun, and An Introduction to the John Addison Collection: A Neglected Gem in the BYU Film Music Archives' Crown Jewels. Janet is currently focused on acquiring all types of Mormon music for the Library.
 Lon Bowen
Lon W. Bowen is a native of Spanish Fork, Utah. He graduated from BYU in 1973 with a major in Speech and Drama and a double minor in History and Military Science. An Orem resident for about 30 years, he has pursued an interest in the city's history as a hobby. He was a founding member of Orem's Historic Preservation Commission and went on to serve two terms as a member of the Commission.
 Brigham Young University Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band
The swinging music of BYU's Dixieland band, Jazz Legacy, conjures up a sense of 1920s America. The band's reputation for first-rate performance has been earned at international jazz festivals, while its fast-paced stage show and repertoire of Dixieland standards has won it a name for entertainment at schools, conventions, and civic concerts. Featuring clarinet, trombone, trumpet, piano, banjo, drums, and bass, Jazz Legacy brings back the memories of a bygone era.
 Chris Clark
Chris Clark has been acting since he was a boy in plays, television, radio commercials, films, and in professional improvisational comedy. He received a MSA in staging Shakespeare from Exeter University in England and is working on a PhD in Education and Leadership at Brigham Young University. He has performed at the Globe Theatre in London, with Second City Improv in Chicago, and is a Professor of Theatre at UVU where he teaches acting and directing.
 Gloria Cronin
Professor Cronin studied English literature at Canterbury University, New Zealand, during the years it was affiliated with Cambridge University. She studied American literature and Folklore at Brigham Young University. She was born in New Zealand and holds US citizenship. Her fields of interest include African-American, Jewish-American, and contemporary American literature, postcolonial and post-imperial Anglophone literatures, postcolonial theories, postmodern theory, and gender theory.
Dr. Cronin's publications include Conversations with Saul Bellow, Small Planets: Saul Bellow and the Art of Short Fiction, A Room of His Own: In Search of the Feminine in the Novels of Saul Bellow, Conversations with Robert Penn Warren, Jewish American and Holocaust Literature: Representation in a Postmodern World, Tales of Molokai: The Voice of Harriet Ne, and the soon to be released Encyclopedia of Jewish American Literature. Dr. Cronin is also the editor of the Saul Bellow Review. She was recently awarded a BYU College of Humanities Professorship.
 Chris Crowe
Chris Crowe completed his graduate study at Arizona State University and, after teaching high school English for ten years, taught at Himeji (Japan) Dokkyo University and BYU-Hawaii before coming to BYU in 1993.
His areas of research and teaching include young adult literature, English education, and creative writing. He is past president of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) and spent five years as editor of the Young Adult Literature Column for the English Journal.
Dr. Crowe's books include Presenting Mildred D. Taylor (Twayne 1999); Mississippi Trial, 1955 (Penguin Putnam 2002); Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case (Penguin 2003); More than a Game: Sports Literature for Young Adults (Scarecrow, 2004); Two Roads (Deseret Book, 2007); Teaching the Selected Works of Mildred D. Taylor (Heinneman, 2007); How I Came to Write: LDS Authors for Young Adults (Center for Christian Values in Literature, 2007); and Thurgood Marshall: Up Close (Viking 2008). Mississippi Trial, 1955 has won several awards, including the 2003 Children's Book Award from the International Reading Association, and the Jefferson Cup Award.
Dr. Crowe attended BYU on a football scholarship from 1972 through 1975. He married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth, in 1973, and they have four children.
Dean Duncan
Dean Duncan, Associate Professor of Theatre and Media Arts, is a native of Edmonton, Alberta, and has taught at BYU since 1992-93. He received a BFA from Brigham Young University, an MA from the University of Southern California, and a PhD from Glasgow University. He is interested in and has taught about the history of storytelling, the ways that stories have been enacted on stage and screen, and the integration of the arts in various modern media settings. A former UK resident, he is married to Sharon Anderson of California.

Rex Ellis
Rex Ellis is a teacher, historian, and storyteller, and is currently vice president of the Historic Area at Colonial Williamsburg. He is a former chairman of the Division of Cultural History at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and has also directed the Department of African-American Interpretation and Presentations at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Rex grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia and received his doctorate from the College of William and Mary. For years, he has been fascinated with history and storytelling and has used storytelling to educate and entertain contemporary audiences about their own times. Rex believes that storytelling is an excellent means for teaching sensitive cultural subjects within the home and community to break down artificial social barriers. On one occasion Rex noted, "I have seen bridges built with storytelling that invites listeners and tellers to unite in ways that are more potent than a town meeting and more healing than a therapy session. It's pretty hard to hate someone whose story you know."
Rex is the author of seven books, has told stories in countless storytelling festivals and community socials across the country, and was hired by the Williamsburg Foundation to expand awareness of the colonial history of African-Americans in Williamsburg. As a part of his current employ, he tells stories extensively nationally and internationally. "Through this achievement," says fellow storyteller Donald Davis, "Rex has found a way to extend his works beyond his personal presence and even beyond his lifetime."
 Nancy JuddNancy Judd is a former home economics teacher, TV cooking show hostess, guest on the Phil Donahue show in New York, director and instructor of Jr. Chef's Cooking Camps, BYU graduate and wife, mom of 8 and grandma of 32.
 Matt Kammerer Matt Kammerer is an Associate Media Librarian at the Orem Public Library. Matt was born out east (NY), moved out west (HI), and now lives in between (UT). He enjoys movies, music, photography, writing, cooking, and art. He daydreams too much, writes films and doesn't finish them, and if you put on a song with a beat, he'll probably be dancing to it. Matt also likes the outdoors until it gets cold, and his biggest pet peeve is bad luck with stop lights. It is a curse. But he considers himself lucky to work in two areas he so loves... libraries and media!
 Kristin Matthews
Kristin L. Matthews teaches courses in American Literature. She specializes in Twentieth Century literature and culture, particularly Cold War fiction and film, with a sub-specialty in Twentieth Century African-American literature. She employs an American Studies methodology in her research and teaching, putting literature into conversation with a range of political, historical, sociological, and popular texts to best examine American letters and life.
Professor Matthews received her BA in English from Brigham Young University in 1995 and her Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004. While at UW, she taught a range of courses from freshman composition to American literature surveys and was awarded the UW Madison Capstone Ph.D. Teaching Award.
She is originally from Wisconsin, and has spent much time paddling in the many lakes there. Her interests include kayaking, biking, singing, playing piano, and watching sport (Boston Red Sox and Green Bay Packers, in particular).
 Mark Pulham
Mark is an Orem celebrity, especially at Westmore Elementary, where he teaches fourth grade. He also works at the Orem Public Library and acts in theater productions at the Hale Center Theater. Mark's puppet shows are full of imagination and humor, and his character voices are a delight.
 Steffani RaffSteffani Raff blends her creative spirit with her love of life to craft memorable tales that jump-start the imagination. Her gullible nature and selective memory have worked together to form a gold mine of humorous story material. She is a gifted teacher and enjoys mentoring others in creating and telling stories from their own lives. She currently serves as a board member for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, where she helps select and coach the youth who tell stories at the Festival every year.
Resonance Story Theater
Resonance is an organization that addresses the need for greater community connectedness in our society. Using the art of story, Resonance creates programs and specialized storytelling experiences designed to foster connection, education and imagination. In a media-saturated world, Resonance believes that there is power in all forms of story to widen perspectives, heal hearts, spark learning, and connect individuals, families, and cultures. Resonance believes that connecting through story is vital to growing a community where all of its members are appreciated, accepted and valued.
Resonance member Wendy Gourley is working on a degree in Theater for Young Audiences and is a professional storyteller. She was on the teaching staff at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City, was co-director of Vocalworks, and taught music and drama at The Colby School. Currently she is President-elect of The Utah Storytelling Guild, writes for Storytelling Magazine, and serves on The Timpanogos Storytelling Conference Committee.
Besides being part of Resonance Story Theater, Karla Huntsman is a faculty member in BYU's Theatre and Media Arts Department, where she teaches storytelling and child drama, and works on the Arts Initiative. She is a professional storyteller, director and actor. She has taught theatre arts in elementary, secondary and university classrooms for over 35 years. She has also presented at numerous conferences. She serves on The Timpanogos Storytelling Conference Committee.
Member Nannette Watts is a graduate of BYU's Music-Dance-Theatre program and now works as a professional storyteller. She is the author of Youth Tell: Starting a Youth Storytelling Festival. She is a performer with the Utah Performing Arts Tour and the Timpanogos Outreach Program. She is also a choreographer and actor. Nannette serves on The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Committee.
 Debi Richan
Popular performer Debi Richan tells stories with humor, passion and understanding. An energetic and polished artist, Debi has been a regular performer at the renowned Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, Thanksgiving Point, Hans Christian Anderson Storytelling Festival, Weber Storytelling Festival as well as a frequent and enthusiastic performer in libraries, schools, bookstores, festivals, family parties, business meetings, museums, university conferences and gatherings of all kinds throughout the West. A professional performer for over 13 years, Debi has been heard on radio and television, as a featured performer at the 1995 BYU Women's Conference, at the Federal Bureau of Land Management, the Western Museum Conference, and the Western Literacy Conference as well as numerous other performances. In addition, she teaches workshops in the art of storytelling and in the researching of the unique historical stories for which she has become so well known.
 James Scarbrough
James Scarbrough is the Media Librarian at the Orem Public Library. He grew up in East Tennessee and has lived in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Utah. He played guitar in various rock & roll bands for 15 years, made many 8 mm films as a high school kid, and dreamt of being a literary novelist. He enjoys reading, movies, meditation, hiking, music, writing, spicy fattening foods, and, whenever possible, playing with his father-in-law's firearms. He's been joyfully married to Marcia Smith since 1999. They recently welcomed little Cecilia Clare into their family.
 Charles Shields
Charles J. Shields spent four years researching and writing Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. A former English teacher who taught Harper Lee's novel for a number of years, he later became a writer of nonfiction books for young people. For Mockingbird, he interviewed over 600 of Harper Lee's neighbors, childhood friends, law school classmates, and Kansas residents who became her friends while she was there helping Truman Capote research In Cold Blood. As a result of Shields' research into Truman Capote's papers, the papers of Harper Lee's agent, and the archives in the courthouse and historical museum in Lee's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, information never before known appears in this insightful portrait of the Pulitzer prize-winning author, who stopped giving interviews in 1964. From her beginnings as an Alabama tomboy, to her novel's beginnings as a handful of stories, to a rough draft called Atticus, to its present form as one of the most popular books of the 20th century, the story of To Kill a Mockingbird and its author is told here for the first time.
Shields has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in American history from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where he was a James Scholar. He lives in central Virginia with his wife, Guadalupe.
 Rebecca de Schweinitz
Professor de Schweinitz received her doctorate from the University of Virginia and now teaches courses on United States History Since 1877, American Civil Rights, United States Women's History, and Children's History, at Brigham Young University.
 Meg Spencer & Jared Anderson
Married since 2002, Meg and Jared are both graduates of the University of Utah's Department of Theatre. Jared is a playwright who was chosen as a high school student to attend the Sundance Playwright Lab, and his recent original play "The Least of These" was the recipient of a Meritorious Achievement Award from the American College Theatre Festival. Currently, Jared is an intern at the Plan B Theatre in Salt Lake. Meg has an MLS in Library Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is a Division Manager and Librarian at the Orem Public Library. Both are fans of obscure film, absurdist theatre, and reading at the dinner table.
Lori StevensLori is the Division Manager over the reference areas, programs, and checkout. Her love affair with libraries began at age 3 with The Bumper Book by Watty Piper and the Yakima Valley book mobile. She has been a permanent fixture at various libraries ever since. She holds a BMu in voice from BYU, and an MLS from Emporia State University. She loves gardening, walking through national parks, quilting, singing, piano, and of course reading with her fellow bibliophile husband. Her favorite question from patrons is "Do you have any good books?"
Deb ThorntonDeb Thornton earned her Ph.D. in American literature in 1999 from University of New Mexico. She currently teaches literature and editing at Utah Valley University. With Marilyn Arnold, she edited A Reader's Companion to the Fiction of Willa Cather. She is also interested in the writings of Flannery O'Connor, Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Annie Dillard, Hannah Arendt, and Marilynne Robinson. The subject of grace is what keeps her awake thinking in the wee hours of the mornings.
Timp Tellers
The Timp Tellers are the Utah Valley Chapter of the Utah Storytelling Guild. Inspired by the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, founder Nancy Alder organized the guild as a place where stories could be crafted and enjoyed. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at the Orem Public Library under the direction of current President April Johnson. Avid promoters of their craft, the Tellers often appear at community and library events.
 Utah Old Time Fiddlers
The Utah Old Time Fiddlers are a non-profit national organization that promotes and perpetuates old-time fiddle music. The Utah County chapter has over 60 members from all walks of life, ranging from 8-90 years young.
 Eliot Wilcox
Eliot Wilcox is an Associate Reference Librarian at the Orem Public Library. His love affair with literature continues while he concludes a Master's Degree in American Literature at Brigham Young University. Eliot spends any free time with Susan, his wife, and Brandt, their son.
|