A program of music and storytelling suitable for the family will be presented at 7 p.m. April 5 at the First United Methodist Church fellowship hall.
Back Porch Stories is sponsored by the Anson County Writers’ Club and the Anson County Tourism Development Authority.
“A lot of things create tourism, and that’s one of them,” said Lewis Evans, director of the tourism authority that is providing the funding for advertisement and promotions.
“Locals of Anson, as well as other surrounding areas show up for the event,” Evans added. “It’s a very interesting event and some really good stories are told.”
On the lineup are Brenda Gilbert, “Santa” Cliff Snider, Leon Smith and moderator J.A. Bolton. Tickets for Back Porch Stories will be sold at the door for $5; children 10 and under free. Complementary coffee, tea, soft drinks, and cookies will be served in a cozy, “coffee house” atmosphere.
Gilbert first appeared at Back Porch Stories in 2014, and is returning by popular demand. She studied music at Greensboro College and theater at East Carolina University, and has performed in many theatrical productions over the years. She spent more than 25 years as the director of school-sommunity relations for Scotland County Schools.
Gilbert began telling stories in 1980, when a middle school librarian invited her to tell stories to her students. Since then, Gilbert has told stories to tens of thousands of students in Scotland and surrounding school systems.
She is the founder of the Story Spinners Storytelling Guild, co-founder of the Storytelling Festival of Carolina, chairs the board of the Storytelling and Arts Center of the Southeast, and is a member of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild.
Snider is a 1995 graduate of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School. He has a Doctor of Santa Claus degree from the International University of Santa Claus. His book, “Santa’s Journey,” chronicles the personal story of his Santa ministry.
Snider has been featured on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club,” on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Society’s website and in “Guideposts” magazine. In August of 2012 he was awarded by the governor “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine” for his 50 years of service to the children of North Carolina as Santa Claus. Also in 2012 he was inducted into the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame in Santa Claus, Indiana.
Snider has been featured in over 60 paintings. Through paintings, fine-art photographs and manufactured gift products, his image has become America’s most recognized Santa Claus.
Smith, a contributing columnist to The Anson Record, said he began writing stories in song in the 1990s with the earliest version of “Daddy Songs.” In December 2015, he began offering a couple of stories per month to the now defunct Marshville Home, and in 2017 began writing for this newspaper.
Smith grew up in Polkton, attended Polkton High School, and what was then Wingate Junior College. He left home for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Clemson and Ohio. Following graduate school, he produced television shows in Ohio and Virginia, and taught communications classes. He retired from Wingate about a year ago.
Smith also said he has been accused of having a photographic memory.
“What memory I have comes from following useful advice, such as Daddy’s, ‘Son if you’ll listen to the other fellow, you’ll know what you know and what he knows too,’” Smith said.
He added that he received a lot of experience in listening from his father.
Smith also said that while working on his master’s in English at Clemson, Harriet Holman said to him, “Keep a pen and pad with you at all times,” and told him to “be one of those people on whom nothing is lost.” Smith said he tried to follow this advice too, and other advice from various people throughout his life.
He also said that he puts the date on everything.
“Writing stories and singing songs does more for memory than truth serum, and now and then brings forth a message worthy of giving away, which I pray will happen at Back Porch Stories,” Smith said.
Bolton returns to reprise his role as moderator for the event. Bolton started telling stories at a young age “when the fellas at the local store would buy me a drink and a candy bar to tell ‘em a story.” He said he soon found that telling stories was a good way to take a break from hard work on the farm, too.
Since then, he’s gone on to tell some pretty tall tales that include “huntin’, fishin’, and workin’ on the farm.” His motto is “Live, Love, Laugh.” Bolton is the author of “Just Passin’ Time” and co-wrote “Just Passin’ Time Together” with his wife, Azalea Bolton.
