An Interview with Diane Wolkstein, International Storyteller

This podcast is Part I of the interview and includes the story of Inana. Part II airs on 12 p.m. on March 31, 2012 and includes the story of the Monkey King.

Diane Wolkstein is more than a storyteller. She is an interpreter of life.

Since 1967, Diane Wolkstein has occupied a unique place in the world of storytelling and literature. Through her performances, teaching, books, and recordings, she has played a major role in the renewed interest in mythology and the modern storytelling movement. Whether recounting epics, trickster stories or fairy tales, Diane enters and speaks from the heart of each story she tells.

The internationally renowned author of 23 award-winning books of folklore including the classics, The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folk Tales and Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Wolkstein is known for her meticulous research and her wide range as a performer. Joseph Campbell calls her “one of the greatest storytellers in the Western world.”

Diane initiated America’s first graduate storytelling program, pioneered a year–round storytelling program for parks and schools, hosted her own radio show on WNYC radio, and taught mythology at New York University, The New School, Sarah Lawrence, and the Pacific Graduate School.

Diane has toured five continents, has performed at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Institute, and the American Museum of Natural History, and has been a frequent guest on PBS, NPR, and the BBC.

Visit: www.dianewolkstein.com.