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Saratoga Sampler
Professor Sunwolf shares the magic of story
By Mary Ann Cook
RECOVERING LAWYER: Here's a woman who has a doctorate, calls herself a recovering lawyer and tells Native American wisdom tales for a living. She teaches at Santa Clara University and instructs lawyers in the oral tradition of storytelling, the oldest human communication tool going.
She's Professor Sunwolf and, given her long blond hair and European features, she doesn't look as though she has a drop of Native American blood within. But telling Native American (or, as my 4-year-old grandson would say, "Nate of America") tales is what she's all about.
She imparted "The Magic of Story" during a recent talk in the Saratoga Foothill Club's lecture series. Besides teaching lawyers, Sunwolf takes her tales to children's hospitals because of their healing properties. Teaching a child self-hypnosis can help alleviate pain in the treatment of life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, she says.
As for lawyers, they need to learn the art and skills of storytelling in order to keep a jury's attention. People remember stories better than statistics because emotions are involved and thus both sides of the brain are used. Studies show that 26 percent of people who appear to be listening are daydreaming (don't even know what they're thinking). Some 20 percent are reminiscing; 20 percent are thinking erotic thoughts (you know who you are); 20 percent are thinking about future meals; and 2 percent are thinking religious thoughts. That leaves only 12 percent who are actively listening and able to repeat accurately what they have just been told.
And those studies were done with people interested in the subject. Thus, lawyers need to employ all the senses when addressing jurors. "You can taste fear," she says as an example. Myths are a shortcut, too. When you cite Chicken Little, your listener will know you're talking about someone who read all the signs wrong.
Sunwolf teaches intercultural communications and uses the story of the fish who fell in love with the bird. They made it work, but they had to move to a new land (that is, establish new ways of working together and begin new traditions). For a new take (read new culture), Cinderella is told from the stepsister's view and Red Riding Hood is told from the wolf's perspective.
The magic in storytelling has to do with the relationship between teller and audience. Sunwolf tells of a Third World village that had just received TV sets. At first, they were used constantly, but after a while they sat unused because the villagers said the storyteller had no connection with the listener.
One Native American tale explains how the Great Spirit put features on First Man's face. Seven bolts of lightning were called forth--to produce two ears, two eyes, two nostrils and one mouth. In this way man could listen, see, and smell twice as much as he spoke.
TRADITION? BAH HUMBUG: Not everyone hews to the turkey-at-Thanksgiving tradition. One such maverick is Kerstin Stone. Stone says she put before her grown offspring, Jim and Anne Stone, the best filet mignon to which they had ever set tooth, plus whipped potatoes, green beans and homemade apple-cranberry pie.
As for music-biz news from Stone, she will close her School of Piano at Azule Crossing by the end of December and continue to teach privately at her home.
Her Kinderpiano classes will now emanate from the Sweet Musik Studio, at Stevens Creek and Blaney, owned by Pam and Larry Sweet. Stone operated the Saratoga piano school for more than four years, with six teachers instructing 120 students.
The teachers have all found other locations, so even though the locale will change, the music--and the lessons--will continue. The Thanksgiving concert at the Stones' was the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with Jim on trumpet, Kerstin on piano and Anne, who is a singer, applauding. Jim is a Saratoga High graduate of '78; Anne finished in '82.
BUSY SANTAS: There are three places to post letters to Santa in Saratoga: the main post office, where a special box awaits; Mailboxes Etc. on Big Basin Way, thanks to owners Judy and Don Coulter; and the regular, 33-cent stamp way.
No matter where it's posted, it will receive an answer if it has a return address and if it's posted by Dec. 21. The elves involved here are from the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce--Abby Krimotat, executive director, and Carmel Scott, Vanessa Hawkins and Lindsay Tappero.
Krimotat expects an avalanche this year, thanks to the strong economy. Some 500 letters to Santa wouldn't surprise her. Letters can be extremely heart-tugging, says Scott, who has played a responding Santa for several years.
Tappero comes to the chamber via West Valley College's Cal/Works program, with the state reimbursing the employer 75 percent of an employee's wages. Thus, Tappero represents an early Christmas present for the chamber and the village.
The chamber will host a holiday party at the Inn at Saratoga on Dec. 9 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
