Judith Black’s traditional and original stories have rocked laughing audiences to their feet. A creator and teller of tales for over 30 years, Judith’s stories wrestle with everything from familial dysfunction, to the search for spiritual connection, to the questionable joys of aging. Her background in theater, early childhood development, political activism, the the wryly observed life, inform her work. Recipient of the Oracle: Circle of Excellence, the most coveted award in storytelling, Judith has been featured on stages as far reaching as The Montreal Comedy Festival, The National Storytelling Festival, The Smithsonian Institution, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the National Art Museum in Cape Town, and NPR. She has created stories for the US Department of the Interior, NPR, The Mass. Foundation for the Humanities, and many others. A graduate of Wheelock College, she holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and has been an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University for twenty years. For more information about Judith’s work: www.storiesalive.com and www.tellingstoriestochildren.comAt home she’s the nurturer of an organic garden, sings in a women’s chorus, raised a U.S. Marine, and is married with Michael Elkin. She developed, with her friend Dr. Jack Weltner, and runs a peer mentoring program, Bridging Lives which matches high school teens with elementary students who could use some additional TLC in their lives. She meets with the teens bi-monthly and orchestrates 4 annual programs for the entire population. She also cooks monthly at Lifebridge. Specialties: Creating original stories out American historyStories that use humor to wrestle with contemporary issues:AgingParentingAlzheimers DiseaseUtilizing stories in education to further curricular, cognitive and socia/emotional objectivesTraining others to use stories as a communication tool