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Laura J. Bobrow
storyteller
elegant
clever
informed
Tell me the tales that to me were so dear,
Long, long ago, long, long ago
--Thomas Haynes Bayly




                 In her life Laura J. Bobrow has been a magazine editor, author, folksinger, sculptor, 
        painter, poet, and lyricist. She juggled all of those pursuits at once. It was when she 
        discovered the world of storytelling that everything came together. The music, the art, and 
        the visual excitement were all there. The epiphany came at a children's book writers' 
        conference when she listened to a storyteller describe the techniques he used to turn a 
        told story into a book. There has been no stopping her since. 

                Her work as a storyteller has been recognized by cultural organizations such as the 
        New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the New York City Opera, who have included her 
        performances in their fundraising auction catalogues. In addition to her acclaimed storytelling         performances, Laura has been active in the storytelling world as the author of articles on the craft, a         leader of workshops, and the originator of storytelling series and festivals. Laura introduced storytelling to         the prestigious International Platform Association in 1993 and served on its Board of Directors for many         years. She was the founder of LAUGHS, "Loudoun's Annual Unforgettable Gigantic Hilarious Storyfest!"         which was held in Sterling VA for several years. 

                   Laura has been winning awards for her poetry ever since 1960 when former poet laureate Louis         Untermeyer dubbed her "the American Milne." She has been a judge for the annual competitions of the         Florida State Poetry Association and the Poetry Society of Virginia. She is the author of six poetry         chapbooks: Betrayed, The Book of Names, I Remember, A Little Bit of Banter, Mister Cricket and Other         Poems, and Of the Cat. Of special interest to storytellers, the stories of Basile's Il Pentamerone, are         here retold in narrative verse. Click on Poetry. 

                  A picture book for children, The Captain's Beard, was popularly received in 1995. In May 2002 Laura         was named Artist of the Month by the Loudoun Arts Council. In 2009 she was the recipient of a Storytelling         World honors award for one of her CDs. 

                Laura’s home is lined with paintings and sculpture of her own creation and contains file cabinets and         computer discs filled with manuscripts. She counts close to 700 stories, poems, essays, and lyrics in her         repertoire. She currently shares her house with three cats although she does not, personally, chase         pom-poms or pieces of string, preferring to spend her time creating. 







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19370 Magnolia Grove Square, Unit 210
Leesburg, VA 20176

703.771.7571
eljbee@aol.com



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