CDs cover of Marni Gillard's double CD, Without a Splash

Without a Splash

Marni Gillard here -- describing my double CD called Without a Splash: Diving into Childhood Memories, engineered by Erik Kilburn, Wellspring Sound, Concord, MA, and produced and designed by Doug Lipman.

Without a Splash is a coming of age CD of 5 interlocking stories about a girl's life from age "4 and 3/4" to age 13 in a small town in upstate New York in the early 1960's. You see her face the high diving board, big brothers, both public and Catholic school teacher bullies, wise and loving adult mentors, a family member's death, her first kiss and more.

She speaks in the voice of a child but looks back from the perspective of an adult.

The tales are all true, but not necessarily factual. I shaped them to work as stories.

Read words of praise from listeners!

I'd love to have you and yours know about these CDs. They very much connect to my work as a writer (Storyteller, Storyteacher -- Stenhouse, 1996) and my newest book, in progress, Storytell Your Life.

My hope is that these CDs will help us all look differently at children, school life, family responsibility, and the immeasurable affect that a small gesture of love can have upon a child.

Retails for $20 (double CD), shipping $1.43. Special offer of 3 sets for $50, shipping $3.20.

If you run a festival or workshop and believe participants would like to buy copies, let me know and we'll strike a deal.

Thanks for your interest. If you know of others (librarians, educators, child psychologists, etc.) who might be interested in personal story CDs about a child's life let them or me know. I'd appreciate that.

The tales cover a range of my experiences in kindergarten, 4th grade and 8th grade. I would be happy to talk to anyone more via email or the phone about the content of the CDs. It IS for children, but it relates to children's fears in places and I do recommend you listen WITH a child at least the first time through.

When I tell these tales LIVE I adjust wording and emphasis for children of different ages. Obviously on CDs, I couldn't do that.

Here's to all our storying. As Brother Blue, Cambridge, MA storymagician says, "Storytelling's gonna change the world!"