INSTRUCTOR: Dartmouth Professor of French and Italian, Nancy Canepa (by livestream on screen). 
Music: West Liberty University West African Drums and Dancers
Storyteller: Vince Marshall, "The Ogre"

Professor Canepa did the translation, and wrote the introduction, and notes for a new edition of Giambattista Basile's collection, "The Tale of Tales or Entertainment of Little Ones." Canepa's teaching and research centers on early modern Italy (1550-1700). She is particularly fascinated by the development of new literary forms and languages during this period, in genres that range from the fairy tale to the mock epic to the travelogue. Related interests include seventeenth-century Naples, dialect literature, the history of the European fairy tale, and translation. Dr. Canepa regularly teaches courses in beginning language, and on early modern Italian literature and culture, fairy tales, and translation

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FEATURED BOOK:
The Tale of Tales; or, Entertainment for Little Ones,  by Giambattista Basile; translated with an introduction and notes by Nancy L. Canepa; foreword by Jack Zipes (Penguin Books, 2016).

INSTRUCTOR: Jack Zipes, professor emeritus of German, comparative literature, and cultural studies, and folklore (by livestream on screen). 
Storyteller: Don Feenerty, "Hansel And Gretel"

In the latter part of his career, Professor Zipes translated two major editions of the tales of the Brothers Grimm and focused on fairy tales, their evolution, and their social and political role in civilizing processes. Zipes's focus on fairy tales has transformed the ways which fairy tales are analyzed. He is known for his lectures and published works on fairy tales, how they evolved, and the social and political significance of those works.

Zipes holds a PhD in comparative literature. His political activism in the late 1960s lead to his interest in critically analyzing fairy tales. While fairy tales are often perceived as just children's stories, Zipes scholarly work examines their social and political roles in society. Fairy tales have a "meaningful social function not just for compensation but for revelation: the worlds projected by the best of our fairy tales reveal the gaps between truth and falsehood in our immediate society" (Zipes).

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FEATURED BOOK:The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre,  by Jack Zipes (Princeton University Press, 2012).

INSTRUCTOR & STORYTELLER: Bil Lepp
“Just as New Jersey has Bruce Springsteen, West Virginia has…Bil Lepp.” – Goldenseal Magazine

Bil Lepp is an award-winning storyteller, author, and recording artist. He’s the host of the History Channel’s Man Vs History series, the occasional host of NPR’s internationally syndicated Mountain Stage, and a contributing columnist to the West Virginia Gazette-Mail. Bil’s humorous tall-tales and stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages and from all walks of life. Though a five-time champion of the WV Liars’s Contest, Lepp’s stories often contain morsels of truth which present universal themes in clever and witty ways. Audiences all across the country, from grade schools to corporate execs to the Comedy Central’s Hudson stage, have been delighted by Bil’s mirthful tales and delightful insights into everyday life. Bil’s books and audio collections have won awards including the PEN Steven Kroll Award for Children’s Book Writing, Parents’ Choice Gold awards, and awards from the National Parenting Publications Assoc., and the Public Library Assoc. He is also the recipient of the Vandalia Award, West Virginia’s highest folk honor.

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FEATURED BOOK:
The Monster Stick & Other Appalachian Tall Tales,  by Bil Lepp (August House Publishers, 1999).

INSTRUCTOR: Jessica R. McCort, Associate Professor, Director, Composition, Program, Literary Arts and Social Justice Studies, Point Park University
Storyteller: TBA

Jessica McCort, Ph.D., is an associate professor of composition and rhetoric in the Department of Literary Arts and Social Justice at Point Park University. McCort earned a Ph.D. in English and American literature from Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in American literature and women’s writing. McCort's scholarship focuses largely on the appropriation of children’s literature, particularly Grimm’s and Andersen’s fairy tales and Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, by American women writers. She is also the editor of a compilation of essays concerning the intersection of the horror genre and children’s and young adult literature and culture, titled Reading in the Dark: Horror in Children’s Literature and Culture.

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FEATURED BOOK:
My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales,  edited by Kate Bernheimer (Penguin Books, 2010).

INSTRUCTOR & STORYTELLER: Alan Irvine, Professional Pittsburgh-based Storyteller

For years, Alan's ghost stories and humorous tales have kept people huddled close to the campfire. In time, his repertoire of stories grew to include folk tales and legends, Irish and Celtic tales, Pennsylvania history, tales of King Arthur and other heroes, Shakespeare and more. Alan tells his tales at many diverse venues including libraries, schools, colleges, and festivals. He was a Commonwealth Speaker for the Pennsylvania Humanities Council for many years. He has appeared at Renaissance Festivals, Irish Festivals, and science fiction conferences. Alan also leads walking tours of Pittsburgh. He works with Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks, where he tells stories of Shakespeare's plays, as well as hosting the popular Bring Your Own Bard reading series. He is the co-founder of Brawling Bard Theater, a troupe specializing in high-energy comedy and stage combat. Alan writes and directs for the company.

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FEATURED BOOK:
Treasury of Irish Myth, Legend & Folklore,  compiled and edited by Claire Booss (Crown Publishers, 1986).

INSTRUCTORS:  Irene Alby, Professor of Acting and Directing, and Mary McClung, Professor of Costume Design and Puppetry, both from the School of Theatre and Dance at West Virginia University
STORYTELLERS: WVU School of Theatre and Dance, Three Little Pigs and Aesop’s Fables

WVU's BFA course work in Puppetry includes intensive study in children’s theatre; the practice of puppetry as a theatrical art form; and educational and creative dramatic activity as methods of learning and self-development for children. In addition to a broad-based curriculum in theatre studies, students work under the direction of a faculty member to operate a complete puppetry theatre with comprehensive study in a variety of construction, manipulation, historical study, and performance techniques. The School’s Puppet Mobile tours the region while children’s theatre productions provide hands-on experience and performance opportunities.

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FEATURED BOOK:
Fractured Fables, (a graphic novel) edited by Jim Valentino and Kristen K. Simon (Shadowline, 2010).