Tales With A Texas Twist ─ Original Stories And Enduring Folklore From The Lone Star State

Storytelling is both an art form and a means of passing on significant elements of a culture--the history, the traditions, the humor, the pathos. It is a way of entertaining and being entertained. With this compilation of Texas--and Texanized--favorite myths and legends, award-winning tale teller Donna Ingham applies her own unmistakable voice to traverse her home state through such stories as:
>"The Coming of the Bluebonnet"--an oft-collected Commanche myth about love and sacrifice and the origin of the Texas state flower
>"The Story Behind the Story"--about two early cattlemen and the basis for an episode in Larry McMurtry''s "Lonesome Dove"
>"The Ballad of the Bandit Queen"--about the life of notorious outlaw Belle Starr, who lived for a time in and around Dallas
>"The Life and Times of Pecos Bill"--a selection of tales about this legendary folk hero
>"Diamond Bill"--about an east Texas rattlesnake who fought in the Civil War
>"Cupid Was a Mama''s Boy"--a Texanized classic Greek myth
>And much more!

Donna Ingham leads workshops and training sessions on storytelling and has taught storytelling classes at the University of Texas in Austin. Her repertoire includes original stories and tales based on history, folklore, and outrageous lies. She has five audio recordings and is listed as a Texas Touring Artist by the Texas Commission on the Arts and a Heartland Arts Fund Regional Artist through the Mid-America Arts Alliance. As a humorist and folklorist, she takes the ancient art of storytelling and gives it a Texas twist to entertain audiences of all ages. She lives in Spicewood, Texas, with her husband, Jerry, and has one son, Christopher.

Artist Paul G. Hoffman has illustrated books of many genres, including the Globe Pequot Spooky series. For this title he recalled the storybooks of his childhood.