Whistlestop JUNE 2012
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E PRESS The Leading Information Resource for Marin's Active Aging Movement
Mill Valley Man Understands The Power of Storytelling By JOHN BOWMAN
A
child who hears fairy school, he takes it personally tales is more prepared and thinks badly of himself. to face real life fears If he’s been exposed to fairy and challenges than one who tales, he realizes that he is doesn't. That’s the theory of not alone – this happens to longtime Mill Valley storytell- other people and they surer and actor Phil Sheridan. vive.” Sheridan, 74, said that Sheridan reads stories to outlook is one he developed children regularly at several by reading the work of Bruno Marin County libraries and Bettelheim, the psychologist schools. He also is popular at and writer who authored the children’s birthday parties 1976 book, The Uses of Enand other events. chantment: The Meaning and “I work mostly with preImportance of Fairy Tales. schoolers, and most of them “He said that children who have not yet been bruised by are read fairy tales grow up some of the world’s realities. with a more realistic and ratio- I like to read them stories nal look at the world,” where cleverness, Sheridan said. “I agree wit and imaginawith this. I like to use 'I love to tion win the day,” stories as a template Sheridan said. on what the world is read them “I am particureally like. In most stories where lar about the kind fairy tales, there is a of stories I select. go od ver su s ev i l cleverness, My main criterion conf lict, and usually wit and is that the stories good wins. If some- imagination must have charone is not exposed to acters who are stories and someone win the day.' courageous, kind takes his lunchbox at and compassionate.
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Phil Sheridan I don’t like the really scary stories that do not have a positive ending.” When Phil was a child, his mother read to him all the time – mostly poetry. He believes one of the greatest gifts a parent or grandparent can give a child is to read to them. Sheridan also reads to older adults — at the Redwoods as an example — “… stuff they grew up with, from the thirties and forties, like Edna St. Vincent Millay and Ogden Nash.” ✦
Whistlestop– New Board Member page 13