Beyond The Sword Maiden: A Storyteller's Introduction To The Heroine's Journey

Beyond the Sword Maiden: A Storyteller's Introduction to the Heroine's Journey

All too often both traditional storytellers and the media regard the Hero's Journey as the one true recipe for a good story. In this well-researched and clearly written book, Dorothy Cleveland and Barbara Schutzgruber prove that there are other kinds of stories that are just as essential to the human experience: tales of survival and transformation that we may encounter at any point in our lives. With deep knowledge and personal honesty, these two incredible women bring us the Heroine's Journey, tracing its origins and possibilities from the oldest folktales to life in the 21st century. This book is a much-needed addition to any storyteller's resource library.---Csenge Virg Zalka, storyteller, author of Tales of Superhuman Powers and Dancing on BladesReview In this well-researched and clearly written book, Dorothy Cleveland and Barbara Schutzgruber provide stories that are essential to the human experience: tales of survival and transformation that we may encounter at any point in our lives. With deep knowledge and personal honesty, they trace story origins from the oldest folktales to life in the 21st century. A much-needed addition to any storyteller's resource library.-- Csenge Virg Zalka, author of Tales of Superhuman Powers and Dancing on BladesThis warm and easy read provides a clear starter recipe for crafting your own heroines journey. Grounded in personal experience, Dorothy and Barbara are true champions for a feminine story map.-- Megan Wells, storyteller and consultantAn instructive, fascinating account of the heroine in folk tradition. Beyond the Sword Maiden is a valuable resource of exempla for writers, tale tellers, and counselors. The relationship of heroism to events in the modern world is particularly meaningful.-- Gilbert Cross, co-author of World FolktalesA clear, concise guide that a psychotherapist could use to assist clients in reframing difficult life challenges into a heroine journey narrative. Such a narrative would empower the client to resolve conflicts and dissolve barriers, to emerge as a self-proclaimed heroine in her own story. The combination of compelling stories followed by mapping of the narratives into the stepping stones of a heroine's journey is powerful. I recommend the application of this book as an accessible method of psychotherapy for ages 8 through adulthood.-- Jane E. Fink, CSW Psychotherapist.About the AuthorDorothy Cleveland, whose Masters Thesis was subtitled A Womans Journey to Leadership Through Story (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 2005), has been COO of law firms for three decades and has performed stories from Boston to Denver. She was a founding member of Story Arts of Minnesota and board member of NSN. Since earning her Masters in Childrens Literature at Eastern Michigan University, Barbara Schutzgruber has told stories at regional and national events in the U.S.A. and keynoted an event in England. She has performed folktales and other stories at the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, MI), the National Storytelling Network (U.S.A.), and with the Michigan Great Outdoors Culture Tour.