Storytellers
Melinda Fry
Storyteller
Meet Melinda Fry, one of our storyteller’s for next week’s Campfire with our Advanced Storytelling Class! Originally from Miami, Florida, Melinda Fry has called St. Louis home for 38 years. Melinda started her career at FEDEX, and while a courier, she parlayed a deep desire to help others into returning to school, where she earned a graduate degree and professional counseling license. A healer in the community, she recently retired from counseling, where she helped clients understand and work through their personal stories. Today, Melinda continues to revere the listening to, and telling of, stories as a channel for deepening and healing one’s relationship with self and others. Campfire, and its storied gift of community, provides Melinda a perfect home in which to hone her skills as a storyteller. Moreover, Campfire provides Melinda an opportunity to collaborate with others as they think about, create, and give voice to their own stories
Jude Hagene
Storyteller
Meet Jude, one of our storytellers for Campfire with the Advanced Storytelling class on Wednesday, April 10th! Jude, a St. Louis native, has worked for 40 years in education as a teacher and librarian helping children find the stories that spoke to them. In retirement she has discovered it is her turn to create the stories that others might want to read, listen to, or see performed. She has written a children’s book, a stage play and is now exploring storytelling as a way to be heard. In addition to being a writer/storyteller, Jude is also an adjunct professor for Webster University, a Red Cross disaster relief volunteer, a cat foster mom and a lover of women; all wonderful fodder for still more stories. For Jude, growing older has been an adventure in living new stories!
Cindy Miller
Storyteller
Next on the mic for Campfire with the Advanced Storytelling Class is Cindy! Cynthia Ann Miller was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. She made her living working in industrial environments and is now retired. She has a lifelong love of literature. As important as all this is, it is not as important as knowing that at this very moment–”It’s a Perfect Day for Fishing.” So, grab a pole and come along. She’ll provide the bait.
Carlo Pietro Sanfilippo
Storyteller
Introducing Carlo Pietro Sanfilippo, another one of this coming Wednesday’s storytellers! Carlo Pietro Sanfilippo, was pursuing the American dream as a financial planner for 25 years in St. Louis, MO. After a period of devastating losses, Carlo realized the American Dream as he was pursuing it, was not his dream. All the sorrow and grief, in that short period of time, led Carlo to reexamine everything he had previously thought important. He decided to begin his life again on a new trajectory with his two sons. Carlo began making decisions to live his life on purpose and to inspire his sons to do the same. Most recently he published a book and launched a podcast. The book gives examples and lessons he learned on his journey, the podcast explores the journeys of others who are working to live on purpose. As we make our way towards the end of the plague and as as Carlo’s sons finish school, and go off on their own journeys, Carlo plans to continue his in Italy and beyond. Carlo’s experiences have reinforced for him the adage that gifts sometime come wrapped in problems As Aldous Huxley said: “Experience is not what happens to a man; its what a man does with what happens to him.”
Notable Audience Affirmations
For Jude
you have knocked me out. I love how you reminded us all of our very real need for connection and intimacy, even in the face of COVID. As a listener, I completely understood every choice you made throughout your story. Such truth, such honesty.
For Cindy
Congrats Cindy! Such wonderful details. I was especially moved by your opening, and the way you introduced Jim to us. Good to see you!
For Carlo
Carlo! I’ve learned so much about you, where you come from, and things about Italian culture I never knew before. Thank you for the gift you have offered us all!
