October 21 "R"Storytellers- 5 minute Halloween Stories

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Mary Parkhurst claims to be a former teacher, retired dentist 
forever grandmother and have had a long-timelove of Stories
I have been a fan of this group for many years, touched by the many stories of others’ lives.  I finally decided to jump in and share some of mine, a scary move but I have been supported every step of the way.

Tara O’Hea is an 8th grade special education English Language Arts teacher who loves helping her students discover their voices as readers and writers. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from St. Norbert College. Teaching has given her the chance to combine her love of literature with her passion for supporting students in finding confidence, creativity, and connection through words.Outside of the classroom, Tara is a married mom of three who enjoys traveling, baking gluten-free desserts, going to concerts, and getting lost in a good book. A strong cup of coffee is her daily ritual, and yoga helps her find balance and calm. At home, her two cats, Wednesday and Norbert, make sure there’s never a dull moment. Whether she’s guiding students, spending time with her family, or sharing stories on stage, Tara believes in the power of words to open hearts.

Amy Curtis was an early participant in the Inspired! live lit storytelling classes and told her first story in 2019.She believes stories express our common humanity and connect us to one another. Amy paints, feeds her backyard birds, is curious about almost everything and enjoys a good book and a good cup coffee above most all other things. She is a local real estate agent and a Lockport resident.

Clint Cargile is the manager of public programs at the Gaylord Building Historic Site in Lockport, Illinois. He has worked as a historian, public radio producer, English instructor, freelance writer, book editor, magazine editor, academic conference coordinator, landscaper, dish washer, car washer, dog washer, and veterinary assistant. At WNIJ, Northern Public Radio, he was the creator and host of the podcast Drinkin’ with Lincoln and the series This Week in Illinois History. He is the author of two history books, Five Mile Spur Line: A Railroad History of Sycamore, Illinois (2014) and In Search of a Fair Wind: The Sea Letters of Georgia Townsend Yates, 1891-1892 (2017). He and his wife, Gillian, also publish children’s picture books about Type 1 Diabetes.

Nan Clinton is a lifelong Joliet, Illinois resident.  She enjoyed a long and fulfilling career in education as a Montessori teacher, high school teacher, and school administrator. Nan has many stories to tell that are playful, hilarious, and entertaining. Along with sharing her whimsical side and life experiences, Nan's stories also can be both poignant and thought-provoking. Nan believes that storytelling is the bond that reconnect--stories convey the humanness in all of us.

Casey is first and foremost a curious student of the human experience. Some of his favorite teachers are (in no particular order) his 8 children, 2 grandchildren, his wife of 28 years and JRR Tolkien. Although much of his time is spent delivering mail for the postal service, he dreams of traveling the US and becoming a full time writer/storyteller. Casey has been with Stories R Us for 2 years and this is his 5th time sharing.

Barbara Kirby spent many years as an elementary school teacher. Eventually, she transferred her teaching skills to become an editor for textbook publishing companies, such a McGraw Hill and Pearson. She also became a consultant for an educational testing company--a job that required quite a bit of travel to multiple states. A few years agoher children bought her a subscription to Storyworth. They asked her questions about her life, and she loved writing the answers. A book was published with her short stories. Now she enjoys telling these stories to the Stories R Us audiences. She wishes to thank Barbara Eberhard for mentoring her through storytelling workshops.

Barbara Eberhard is the producer and host of STORIES R Us. She taught photography at the University of St. Francis and was staff photographer at the Philip Lynch Theatre for over 30 years She was the director of the children’s theatre Eberhard and Friends. Barbara is a member of artitude and Chicago Society of Artists. You can view her work at barbaraeberhard.com

Act 1 of Carol's life took place all over Chicago's Southwest side, racking up unique life experiences. In 1994, Act 2 moved her to Lockport with her husband and Son #1, to refine her parenting skills as they acquired Sons #2, #3, and #4. Carol's "plot twist" came in 2010, when her beloved Vietnam Veteran husband died from Agent Orange, leaving her to raise their four sons, alone. Now in Act 3, with her sons grown, Carol volunteers with Lockport's Limestone Stage Community Theatre. After a 30-year hiatus, she's back performing on stage, as well as working as Marketing Director. This year, Carol wants to improve her writing enough to be published again! When she's not at home practicing "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning," Carol's excited to improve her storytelling with Stories R Us!  She hopes to give her memories a voice and to touch your heart with her words. 

Barbara Guschwan is widowed and is the mother of 3 , the stepmother of 6 , and the grandmother of 15. She spent her career listening to people’s stories by working in mental health as a psychiatric nurse and later as a psychotherapist. She created and facilitated several Community Groups; including ‘Empowering Women’ and ‘Nightwriters’ , a writing group for the mentally ill.