Introducing our NEW Series: "FIFTY: The Stars, the States, and the Stories"
We are very proud and excited to announce our latest project: a series of stories that explore what it is to be an American – from the perspective of the ordinary, hard-working folk who came from every corner of the world – or have been here for a very long time.
In this video, I introduce our new series – "FIFTY: The Stars, the States, and the Stories":
We’ve had our fill of stories about the “shining city on the hill” and the “great melting pot” - and now, we in Sparkle Land want to hear stories about who dug the Erie Canal, about Taos Pueblo runners, about young sailors on cotton laden steamboats to Havana, about girls on horseback warning of British troops – stories based on historical events that took place in the 1680’s all the way to the 1990’s. These stories identify “America” by describing each of its states – through the people who lived, worked and visited there.
In celebration of tomorrow, January 20th – Inauguration Day – we begin by telling a story about Ohio – a state that has been pivotal in every presidential election we can remember.
Did you know that John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in the world (net worth 600 billion dollars in today’s money) grew up in Cleveland – and it was in Ohio, not New York, that he made his fortune?
Did you know that he took only one flight on an airplane in his entire life?
Do you know who the pilot was?
Did you know that she was the first woman in Ohio to get her pilot’s license?
And did you know that in a cross country air race, her plane caught fire – and that she crash-landed, put out the fire – fixed her plane and then finished fourth?
I imagine the conversation between John D. Rockefeller and Blanche Noyes would have been a good story – and look! It is a story! It's the first story of the new FIFTY series: “Ohio: The View from Above”
You can listen to the story below!
More Ways to Explore FIFTY!
SparkleCast
In our latest SparkleCast we discuss the new Series and the first story “The View from Above.”
Listen to David, Rebecca and award-winning historical thriller writer Steve Sheinkin of “Bomb” discuss the story here!
Sparkle Schoolhouse
Once you’ve listened to the story and the conversation, you can learn more about the history behind the story in our Sparkle Schoolhouse post. Here you can get ideas on how to incorporate “The View from Above” into your child’s appreciation of American history, geography and physics.
Through Sparkle Schoolhouse we use the stories in our library as starting points for lessons you can do at home.
Find the post here.
We would love to hear about YOUR states!
What are some of the unsung heroes of Arkansas? Who was the bravest person in Colonial Delaware? What town is the heart and soul of Nebraska? Name someone that you won’t find in history books that made Nevada what it is today.
Each of the stories for this series comes from collaborations with you all – so please keep the emails, Facebook posts and tweets coming!
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About the Author
David Sewell McCann
David Sewell McCann fell in love with spinning stories in first grade – the day a storyteller came to his class and captured his mind and imagination. He has been engaged in storytelling all of his adult life through painting, film-making, teaching and performing. Out of his experience as a Waldorf elementary class teacher and parent, he has developed a four step method of intuitive storytelling, which he now shares through workshops and through this website.
