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 BaylyIn 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. But it was when she discovered the world ofstorytelling 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 storytellerdescribe the techniques he used to turn a "told" story into a book. There has been no stopping her since.Laura resides in Leesburg, VA. in a townhouse lined with paintings and sculpture of her own creation and containing file cabinets and computer discs filled with manuscripts. Laura counts close to 600stories, poems, essays, and lyrics in her repertoire. She currently shares her house with three catsalthough she does not, personally, chase pom-poms or pieces of string, preferring to spend her time creating. Laura has been winning awards for her poetry ever since 1960 when former poet Laureate LouisUntermeyer 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. Laura's picture book for children, The Captain's Beard, Willowisp Press, was popularly received in 1995. 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 well-acclaimed storytelling performances, Laura has been active in the storytellingworld as the author of articles on the craft, a leader of workshops, and the originator of storytellingseries and festivals. Laura introduced storytelling to the prestigious International Platform Association in 1993 and served on its Board of Directors for many years. Most recently she was thefounder of LAUGHS, “Loudoun's Annual Unforgettable Gigantic Hilarious Storyfest!” which was heldin Sterling VA. In May 2002 Laura was named Artist of the Month by the Loudoun Arts Council. Laura is the recipient of a 2009 Storytelling World honors award for one of her CDs. Listen:
