Ford
Courtesy photo
WAPAKONETA — Internationally respected, fourth-generation Affrilachian storyteller, author and workshop presenter Lynette (Lyn) Ford will present at two locations on Feb. 12.
The Lake Campus of Wright State University in Celina will be celebrating Black History Month on that day in James F. Dicke Hall. The evening will begin at 4 p.m. with Ford followed by a musical performance by Trio Pi + One featuring the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and other great contributors to the American Jazz Playbook. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, email [email protected].
The Auglaize County Historical Society, in conjunction with the Wright State University—Lake Campus Outreach and Diversity Committee, will host a presentation called NOW LET ME FLY: Stories and Legends of Hope, Humor, and Heart from the Routes of the Underground Railroad with Ford on the same day at 7 p.m. at St. Paul United Church of Christ at 101 Perry St. in Wapakoneta.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees should use the West Mechanic Street entrance to the building.
Ford’s folktale adaptations and original stories are rooted in her family’s multicultural Black Appalachian (or Affrilachian) heritage. Ford’s work has taken her to major storytelling festivals and literacy and storytelling conferences across the country, as well as in Australia and Ireland, and, via the Zoomiverse, in Germany and for the Federation of Asian Storytellers story swaps.
Ford is an Ohio teaching artist with the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and the Ohio Teaching Artists rosters, and a Thurber House mentor for young authors, with more than 30 years of experience and several award-winning publications. Ford is a two-time recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s ORACLE Circle of Excellence award, and a 2023 recipient of the National Association of Black Storytellers’ Black Appalachian Storytelling Fellowship and NABS’ prestigious Zora Neale Hurston Award.
“Many local residents will remember the joy-filled and inspiring presentation Lyn provided via Facebook a few years ago. We are thrilled to be able to bring this renowned storyteller to Auglaize County in person. We know she will be equally engaging for all who attend,” Auglaize County Historical Society Director Rachel Barber said.
The Historical Society notes that this event would not be possible without many collaborators and extends its special thanks to Dane Daniel and the Wright State Lake Campus, host site St. Paul, and the Holiday Inn Express, which is providing Ford’s accommodations.
About the Historical Society
Founded in 1963, the Auglaize County Historical Society collects, preserves, interprets, and shares the history of Auglaize County, enriching lives by connecting people and communities to the past and to each other.
For more information about this event or the Auglaize County Historical Society, please contact [email protected] or 419-738-9328. The Auglaize County Historical Society is also on Facebook.
