Carol Knarr - Storyteller and Drama Specialist

I can’t guarantee that a story a day will keep the doctor away, but I can guarantee a greater connection to the themes and lessons you need to explore. 

 

I have been telling stories professionally for about ten years. In those years I dabbled in all genres trying to find my niche. What I learned was how to tell a story with finesse and how to select stories that speak to me as well as to my audience.

 

Through the years I have developed a number of storytelling concerts that deal with historical stories and have a connection to the Civil War. I also enjoy telling stories about strong female characters who overcome life’s obstacles. These strong women have shaped me as a teller and a woman.

 

One example is Sarah Emma Edmondson, a Canadian woman who dressed as Frank Thompson fighting for Michigan during the Civil War. For two years I have told her story first-person and each time I grow closer to her as if she continues to talk to me directly. Emma’s example has taught me to hold tight to my beliefs, act with resolve, and remain kind even in the toughest of situations.

 

 

Emma Edmonds, a Civil War Spy (excerpt)

“…I wanted to make a difference is all. It’s not that I didn’t want to cook or sew or make gun powder like the other women. It’s just that I could do more, couldn’t I? What if I could do more? What if I could enlist? Couldn’t I ride a horse good as any man? Couldn’t I read and write and shoot a gun? Shave my head, dress me in uniform and you’ll see there will be no difference between me and any man when it comes to fighting in Lincoln’s Army. All I know is I must do something.”

 

I am grateful to the strong females of the past who have paved the way for those of us Modern Millies who wish to make a difference in this world. I learn from their wisdom, humility, and resolve.