Nevada County Reads & Writes: The Power of Storytelling with Joe McHugh on March 13

Nevada City, Calif. March 4, 2019 – Cultural historian and author Joe McHugh will explore the power of storytelling in a multi-media presentation, “Slaying the Gorgon: Message, Medium, Magic,” in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Rood Center in Nevada City on Wednesday, March 13, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Using a combination of common sense language, intriguing imagery, historical examples, and humor, McHugh will examine how stories are told in the modern age and how they influence our beliefs and behaviors.

McHugh is a storyteller, cultural historian, and award-winning public radio journalist who has spent more than 40 years helping communities and organizations find better ways to tell their own authentic stories. Incorporating his deep understanding of the art and practices of storytelling from ancient times to the present, McHugh will examine how stories are told in the modern age, given the dynamic and transforming influence of new technologies. His engaging style will provide audience members the opportunity for reflection and discussion regarding humanity’s need for stories and the three fundamental aspects of all effective storytelling: message, medium, and magic.

McHugh is appearing courtesy of Nevada County Reads & Writes and Book to Action. Nevada County Reads & Writes, an annual collaboration between the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools and the Nevada County Community Library, presents programs, book discussions, and activities related to themes from a carefully selected book. The 2019 Nevada County Reads & Writes selection is Ties That Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First Ten Years of StoryCorps by Dave Isay. Nevada County Reads & Writes receives financial support from Book to Action, funded by the California Center for the Book. The California Center for the Book is a program of the California Library Association, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

For more information on Nevada County Reads & Writes or to submit an application to participate in StoryCorps interviews in Nevada City at the end of March 2019, visit www.mynevadacounty.com/library or call 470-2692.