The Journal

Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: LifeStyle

Media Credit: Erin Whitson Professional storyteller and professor emerita Lynn Rubright recently published her first children's book, "Mama's Window."

For Lynn Rubright, becoming a professional storyteller was a natural decision. She always loved telling stories. It is a passion that she first pursued as a mom. Her two sons, Dan and Ted, loved listening to her stories about "Jack and the Beanstalk" when they spent time together.

"Ted would say, 'Tell it again Mommy,'" Rubright said. "That is what started my career as a storyteller."

Rubright has been a professional storyteller for more than 40 years. She is also a workshop leader, speaker and writer.

Since 1971, Rubright has been a professor emerita at Webster University. She teaches Storytelling Across the Curriculum, a graduate level course in the School of Education.

"I use storytelling and performance as a teaching tool," Rubright said.

Besides teaching and storytelling, Rubright involves herself in several projects and programs. She is the co-founder of Metro Theater Circus, a professional touring ensemble in St. Louis. She also developed a one-woman show for the Missouri Arts Council. The show was based on the Rev. Owen Whitfield, who led sharecropper protests in Missouri in 1939.

Later, Rubright co-produced a documentary adaptation of her show. For the documentary, "Oh Freedom After While: The Missouri Sharecropper Protest of 1939," she won a regional Emmy.

"Most people had forgotten that the sharecropper protest had taken place, but the video has reminded them," Rubright said of the project. "To this day, it tells the story of how the Rev. Owen Whitfield led the people like a modern-day Moses, out onto the highway."

Rubright's most recent project can now be found on bookshelves. She has converted her storytelling into literature for her first children's book. The book, "Mama's Window," is a project Rubright began in 1991. She spent 13 years writing, researching and reworking the story. "Mama's Window" is published by Lee and Low Books.

For Rubright, publishing a book was an exciting new venture.

"I am a performer, so I have been writing my own stories for over 40 years, but haven't had time to work on publishing them," Rubright said. "'Mama's Window' is the first, though several (stories) are in print in various articles and anthologies."

The ideas for "Mama's Window" came about during Rubright's extensive research on sharecropping and the Rev. Owen Whitfield. "Mama's Window" was inspired by episodes in the early life of Whitfield and the main character is very loosely based on Whitfield as a boy.

Rubright also drew from her own experiences and feelings to develop the main character of the book.

"Mama's Window" is the story of Sugar, an orphan boy who is sent to live with his Uncle Free. The book focuses on the growing relationship between the two and Sugar's desire to fulfill the dreams his late mother had for the building of their church.

"Mama's Window" targets students in grades three through five. Rubright hopes children will learn something from the reading and take away new knowledge and understanding from the story of Sugar and Uncle Free.

"I want kids to learn about family commitment and that they have to fight for what they believe in," Rubright said. "I want them to see the importance of having dreams to guide them. Everybody needs a vision to work toward, so we can see possibilities for and give meaning to our lives."

"Mama's Window" is now available through http://www.amazon.com. Rubright hopes it is the kind of story that will engage readers, so they will enjoy and want to read the book over and over.

"My dream for 'Mama's Window' is that teachers and librarians all across the country will find it of value to share with children, and that kids will find it a tasty read," Rubright said.

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