Author Laura Simms to Speak at UK
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 24, 2015) ‒ The University of Kentucky is pleased to welcome for a three-day campus visit prominent storyteller, writer and humanitarian Laura Simms. Simms is the mother of 2014-2015 Common Reading Experience (CRE) author Ishmael Beah.
Simms has been performing award-winning creative stories and personal narratives since 1968. She works by intertwining ancient oral tradition with performance art to create a unique storytelling experience. She prides her modern use of storytelling to promote tolerance, peace and environmental stewardship.
Currently serving as the Senior Research Fellow for the International Peace Institute at Rutgers University, Simms has always had a passion for being an advocate for people in need. She met her son, Ishmael Beah, at a United Nations conference in 1996. Beah had recently left his home country of Sierra Leone after serving as a child soldier for years. They soon moved to New York to start life as a new family. Today, Simms and her son travel around the country telling their story.
Simms’ UK events include:
“A Long Way Gone”: The Intersecting Stories of Laura Simms and Ishmael Beah
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 11 a.m.to 1 p.m.
Martin Luther King Center in the Student Center
At the free luncheon, Simms will talk about her inspiring journey becoming Beah’s adoptive mother. The award-winning author and humanitarian will also talk about her amazing storytelling process and provide insight on how to incorporate storytelling into our everyday lives. Space is limited. Please confirm your attendance on the following OrgSync form at https://orgsync.com/85745/forms/134772. If you are a student and have class during parts of the session, feel free to still attend as much as you can. Sponsored by the Common Reading Experience, Undergraduate Education, Center for Community Outreach, Martin Luther King Center and Office for Student Involvement.
An Evening with Laura Simms
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
Memorial Hall
In this free and non-ticketed event, Simms will tell the history of meeting Ishmael, what drove her to invite him to be her son, and the first months of becoming a mother to an African ex-child soldier in Manhattan. Laura's story shows how one action can change the world and about doing something that matters.Sponsored by Undergraduate Education, Center for Student Involvement, Martin Luther King Center, Center for Community Outreach and Office of New Student and Parent Programs. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Storytelling Workshop led by Laura Simms
Thursday, Feb. 26, Noon to 2 p.m.
William T. Young Library Multipurpose Room (B-108C)
In collaboration with the Common Reading Experience and the School of Journalism and Telecommunications, a free storytelling workshop and luncheon led by Simms is planned for students and UK faculty and staff. Simms will discuss the learning skills of a storyteller as it lends itself to emotional intelligence, structure and the difference between the one who tells the story and the story itself. This will entail working with a single folktale. Space is limited. RSVP to the following OrgSync form, https://orgsync.com/85745/forms/135079. If you are a student and have class during parts of the session, feel free to attend as much as you can.