Willy Claflin ~ Storyteller |
Repertoire and Bookings
 Photo: Dean Zatkowsky |
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Festivals
Willy Claflin is a one-man festival. Spanning intergalactic yarns, Mother Moose Tales, and counter culture misadventures, he covers the spectrum of spoken word entertainment.A headliner and master of ceremonies at the National Storytelling Festival, Willy is a favorite at festivals throughout the US. He offers stories for adults as well as children, often weaving music into his telling. An accomplished acoustic guitar player, singer-song writer, and narrative ballad specialist, Willy accompanies himself—or sometimes croons a splendid a capella baritone. His tributes to departed tellers, especially Gamble Rogers, revive wonderful talent that might otherwise be forgotten. Festivals love sidekick Maynard Moose. Original, traditional, historical, personal, comic, regardless of genre, Willy fits any playbill. Coming soon: a new story featuring his redoubtable Aunt Vickie (Victoria Claflin Woodhull), guaranteed to fascinate in an election year. Brian Claflin, vocalist and songwriter, occasionally joins Willy for festival performances. |
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"Willy Claflin was the biggest hit at the National
Storytelling Festival. Every event that he appeared
in was packed with standing room only."
~ Denton (TX) Record Chronicle
"Wherever he performs, Willy Claflin leaves behind the memory
of a committed, talented, life-loving, philosophical and creative
man through his storytelling and song-making."
~ Hawaii House Resolution #117 |
"Claflin's performances reflect an astute ear for the
incongruous and a blithe love of the absurd. This is
an irreverent folkie who kicks the stuffing out of museum
pieces."
~ The Boston Phoenix
"This is art in service to humanity."
~ Boston Globe |
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Schools and Libraries (mostly for kids)
Willy delights and reaches students at every level. Committed to language arts, he imparts this through performances that kids adore.Fellow storyteller Maynard Moose has been traveling and working with Willy since 1977. Maynard inspires kids of all ages to tell their own stories, to understand how stories are created and passed on, and to find ideas with their own imaginations. Maynard values honesty, bravery, kindness, helpfulness, curiosity, word play, and originality. Oh, yes—and laughter. Willy offers both classroom and teacher workshops. Residencies allow students to practice and perform their tales, and Willy collaborates with teachers to best serve the students’ quest for literacy and oral communication skills. |
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"His remarkable creativity touched everyone, students,
faculty, staff and parents... He
is truly a master of his trade."
~ Marsha A. Cabbab, Teacher, Hanahauoli School
"An inventive style and wacky humor infuses
Willy's 'altered' fairy tales in a way that will
grab listeners and not let go."
~ School Library Journal |
"Willy's thinking is so quick and his facility with language so
good that our students learn to write better stories almost
instantly. On the first day he was supposed to arrive at school
this fall, I encountered three fifth grade boys skipping down
a path, arm-in-arm, singing 'Willy's coming! O, Willy's coming!'"
~ Bruce Shaw, Director, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA
"(Willy is) such an extraordinarily talented storyteller and musician... ...far and above my favorite."
~ Carolyn Potter, Fairfax Library, CA |
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Additional Repertoire (mostly for adults)
Talking head, Dr. Albert Alligator, a Willy Claflin cohort, offers long-winded – er, brilliant commentary on anything, since as a professor of psycho-linguistics from LSU, he is an expert on everything, including nothing at all. Contact us for more details.Workshops: In collaboration with the SAAC, Willy offers storytelling workshops at The Friends Meeting House in San Francisco. Weddings, wakes, openings, closings, parades, and birthday parties are also reasons for hiring Willy, or one or more of his hiliarious alter egos. |
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Bookings, CDs, and More: 415-346-0103 • e-mail Willy Claflin
640 4th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118 © Willy Claflin 2001-2012, all rights reserved |
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