Memories

I was hooked. Ted told Jack tales for the rest of the afternoon and I clung to every word he said.

…[Ray] shut his eyes and started an afternoon and evening of talk, stories, reminiscences, reflections on the practicalities of life and the mysteries of existence, jokes, ghosts and outrageous lies.

It is because of those like Hicks that I pursued a major in Appalachian Studies…

Ray’s telling unfolded the power, strength and beauty of nature…

When I saw Ray on the stage, I thought I was looking at a tableau by Norman Rockwell with audio by Jackson Pollock.

What a joyful and healing presence Ray Hicks had in my classroom, 1000 miles from Beech Mountain!

Ray taught me the Swapping Song which I still sing to this day. I knew that I was in a rare and wonderful situation and thanked the storytelling muse for putting me there.

I am 10 years old and I live in Chicago. I remember when Ted told a story on the phone to my second grade class. We put a speaker-telephone on the rocking chair and pretended that Ted was right with us. His story was about The Man in the Moon. Normally my class is noisy. … Read More