Story

Laughter lightens the heart. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. Call it priceless humor. Check This Out..

What makes priceless humor? The answer is simple. Priceless humor involves situations which most of us have experienced. The lost keys. The comic situation. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.

You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor. Find out more.

You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” My CD World Full of Stories has many examples a listener can enjoy. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them.

There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. What is the reason for it? Another simple answer. We learn best when we are laughing. A story with priceless humor often comes with a lesson attached. It just goes to show that priceless humor is a treasure. Check Out.

I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Some of them are downright exasperating! One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Gifts for birthdays. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. It was tough going most of the time. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I hoped my children would do the same.

I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.

My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone. To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the “Recordings” page to place your order.

Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can enjoy sharing with their friends and family? A memorable gift is the gift of story. The kind of unique gift children will treasure for a long time to come.

When I was a kid, I often heard the word “nifty” in reference to things like fancy cars and outrageous fashion. It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”

What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment.” There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.

Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches using a concrete example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always in vogue. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Any stories of worth are nifty stories.

Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. How come? For one thing, they are entertaining. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.

For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Conflict. Famine. Relationship scuffles. All of which beg for some direction, some assistance. A resolution of some sort.

At the same time, nobody likes to be preached to. We desire to sweeten our bitter medicines. That is where laughter comes in. Humor makes a hard message a bit easier to swallow. Witty humor is priceless humor. An awesome blend of entertainment and enlightenment.

As you know, laughter lightens the heart. Laughter takes the sting out of life. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). This is priceless humor.

Look around you at the great humorists. Art Buchwald. George Carlin. Garrison Kiellor. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Mark Twain Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Priceless humor their brush.

Priceless humor… what makes it priceless? There is a simple answer to this question. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment. The comic situation. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.

The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.

World stories also capitalize on priceless humor. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a very long time. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!

When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a Storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!

There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. Why? Simple answer number two. Laughter makes learning easier. A story with priceless humor often comes with a lesson attached. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.

I am both a parent and a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is suitable for children of all ages. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!

You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you. Story

Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!

I have spent a good amount of my time researching stories that offer listeners something more than simply a clever plot. Something that listeners can take away from the story. Maybe there is a message. Perhaps it gives a hint of direction. There could even be an outright moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.

As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. To this day I still remember and follow those messages. The Golden Rule. Honesty is the best policy. Slow down and notice the things around you. Give back to your community. I am who I am because of those messages.

Today I tell many of the stories I heard as a child. They have an ageless quality. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.

What’s so important about inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? This is where inspirational stories serve us well. A listener can mull over inspirational stories. They offer something to think about. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that offers a little perspective to life.

Care for some inspiration? At www.jaystetzer.com you can find memorable inspirational stories. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages. Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories. From the CD Parking in Manhattan, “Service with a Smile” brings a great message to the listener. I find that inspirational stories stick in the memory long after they are told. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me!

We live in a complex, fast moving world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us. Inspirational stories help keep us on the road. Think of them as your own personal GPS! My recordings contain a wealth of inspirational stories. Check them out!