Story Crossroads: The Newsletter Volume 11, Issue 42
Welcome to a short & direct newsletter * Week 1: Story of the Month - links with membership * Week 2: Upcoming
Events * Week 3: Cap's Off to You! - people/organization profiles * Week 4: Past & Future News
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Photo Credit: Brother Valdez Photography
Record Number of Youth
Participating
Story Crossroads presents its 11th Annual Story Crossroads Summit & Festival, May 2 and May 4–6, 2026, featuring free in-person events and expanded virtual access. This milestone year includes a record 42 youth storytellers from six Utah school districts, alongside international
participants from South Korea and Malaysia. Alicia Dongjoo Bang—founder of the Korea International Storytellers Association, director of a Story School in
Seoul, and chair of the Korea International Storytelling Festival—joins this global exchange, with one of her students featured in the Youth Virtual Premiere. We are also privileged to collaborate with Sekolah Kebangsaan Kapitangan Banggi in Sabah, Malaysia. This partnership is made possible by the school’s dedicated Unit Bahasa team, led by Dayang Kasimah Binti Jail with teachers Kenn Denver Felis, Naimah Binti Ahmad, and Jaikral Jaidal. Whether in Utah or across the globe,
storytelling is alive and growing with our youth—and we are honored to welcome their voices to the Summit & Festival.
Library Partnerships with Ability
to Grow |
The 2026 festival launches first-time collaborations with three public libraries—Murray City Library, Pleasant Grove Library, and American Fork
Library—bringing storytelling into trusted community spaces and expanding access for all ages. Story Crossroads plans to grow these partnerships statewide in the coming years. Inspired by Utah Humanities and its statewide October Book Festival, this year offers a first taste of a multi-county model, with free in-person library performances across Salt Lake and Utah counties. What begins as three nights at three libraries can scale naturally—five, seven, ten, and beyond. With libraries providing both space and financial support, this model is sustainable, accessible, and rooted in community partnership.
Summit Pass vs. Individual
Option
Get the Summit Pass for the 2026 Story Crossroads Summit & Festival! Enjoy all three live virtual workshops on May 2, plus recordings May
4–6. Learn with Kristin Pedemonti, Chetter Galloway, and Randel McGee. Individual
Workshop - $25 – Live virtual session + on-demand recording of that workshop
- $5 – Live-virtual session only (recording not included)
Summit Pass (All 3
Workshops) - $65 – Live access to all 3 workshops + on-demand recordings + 8 additional performance recordings (3 from libraries, 3 from park, 2 virtual premieres)
Thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Arts; Zoo, Arts & Parks of Salt Lake County; Creative West; Utah Division of Arts & Museums; City of Murray; Salt Lake City Arts Council; Utah Storytelling Guild; Murray City Library; Pleasant Grove Library; American Fork Library; and supporters like you, these stories can be shared far and wide. Sign up for Summit Pass today—free performances and paid workshops await! Explore the Festival webpage.
The Story Beast e-publication is seeking your stories, articles, and art for our next issue,
Cerulean Sighs—submissions close May 15, 2026. Have you stumbled upon a
story born from a happy accident, an unexpected encounter, or a wild idea that appeared out of nowhere? Maybe Cerulean Sighs itself whispered a spark of inspiration. Whether your work drifts perfectly on-theme or wanders delightfully offbeat, we want to see your imagination take flight on cerulean breezes. Separate from Story Crossroads, The Story Beast is a free, worldwide e-publication—an incredible platform to share your work with a global audience. Submit by May 15 and let your story sparkle. Learn more at storybeast.org.
On April 11, 2026, Mo Reynolds led a virtual workshop that included real-time brainstorming within a
Google Doc on fairy tales and then mining our personal narratives so blended stories could be developed. Many people had never blended before despite having years of experience. Enjoy past workshops by ordering at http://storycrossroads.org/AllThingsStory. On April 25, 2026, Karl Behling and Janine Evans told at the 101st house
concert with Tales from 1,001 Nights in Farmington, Utah. Much of the evening drew from “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” inviting us to join in with the iconic “Open Sesame” while discovering just how layered, vivid, and surprising this classic tale can be. Explore streams and future concerts at http://storycrossroads.org/HouseConcerts.
As for future events, we have several coming up. We will have virtual workshops with Kristin Pedemonti, Chetter Galloway, and Randel McGee (May 2) as part of the 11th Summit &
Festival. After the Summit & Festival, our next virtual workshop will be Ilene Evans (June 6). Our 102nd house concert will feature Steffani Raff (June 20).
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Enjoy this one-minute teaser of the 11th annual Story Crossroads Summit & Festival. You can get the Summit Pass or opt for individual workshops. See more videos at our YouTube Channel.
If you or someone you know has a story video that you want us to see, then let us know by emailing [email protected]. |
Story Crossroads - 501(c)(3) - To foster creative and compassionate communities through the art of storytelling.
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