A poem Brian "Fox" Ellis animated by Vin Luong that celebrates the dance and migration of Whooping Cranes.
Brian Fox Ellis is a gifted storyteller, poet, artist, and raconteur who draws on traditions in American history to bring nature to life and cultivate love. He is currently working on a documentary about John James Audobon, and you can watch him in character here. Brian blogs about everything from his latest publications to his love for the most recent Green Day album, no subject is too off-kilter for his narrative tapestry. In case you're curious about the Green Day reference, here is what he posted:
“An American Idiot.” One of the best new musicals anywhere! Yes, I am exuberant by nature, but I cannot say enough about this brilliant music, the astounding choreography, the intriguing use of video, the chemistry of the ensemble, and the amazing music. Did I say the songs are stupendous? In case you were wondering, the music is great. (I bought the sound track and I am listening to it now as I type this!)When this Green Day album was first released Bush was president, the twin towers had just come down, American Idol was in ascension, and America was lost in a fog of distortion and media manipulations. This album, like very few of the many others who have been so acclaimed, truly captured the angst and frustration of a generation, but it also did something more, namely it bottled that rage and love and fear in a set list that let a faint glimmer of light leak out from under the helmet clamped tightly onto the heads of so many. The album was written with a theatricality and broader story line that should make The Who’s Tommy weep, redefining Rock Opera.
But there is much more to Brian than quasi-punk aesthetics. Since I'm feeling rather list-ish today, I'll leave you with a list of twenty things to love about the man who calls himself "Fox".
1. How to tell a story and learn it by heart
2. Capturing the Haiku Moment lesson plan
3. Fun with Fables lesson plan
4. Telling personal tales, a how-to
5. A recipe for a story, a printable chart activity
6. How to plan a porque story, a printable guide to writing your own how-and-why tale about nature
7. Telling Tales Tall and True lesson plan
8. Myth into Reality lesson plan
9. An array of early childhood lesson plans
10. An array of adult literacy and ESL lesson plans
11. How to host a family literacy night
12. A food web activity you can print and color
13. Audubon and Bird Tales lesson plan
14. Bird Is The Word, a lesson plan which blends ecology and creative writing
15. Arbor Day Tall Tree Tales lesson plan
16. Bioregional quiz to help develop and cultivate a sense of "place"
17. Stories Stones Can Tell creative writing activity
18. Speaking Truth to Power, a lesson plan about promoting peace through communication
19. Stepping into Character in 6 easy steps, a guide
20. The Lives of Saints, a storytelling and storymaking lesson plan