Master Storyteller - Steven Posch

I am not a huge fan of television and for when I have to get a lot of things done radio is a good companion. Over the past few years I have become increasingly dissatisfied with much of what is offered on radio. Even "commercial free" public radio seems to be littered with a long list sponsors and supporters. Has anyone else noticed that it's not just a list anymore? It includes a little tag line along with the business name that describes what the business has to offer. That is a commercial to me.

I do enjoy music but I do not have one fixed genre that I am a huge fan of. That is probably the most significant reason I become bored with any one station. I also do not have a large collection of purchased music. I think I get tired of switching discs through the day. I don't like listening to the same thing not just every day, I get annoyed if I am hearing the same song within the week or month. I am highly susceptible to ear worms and do not like to reinforce them.

More frequently, I have been enjoying some of the ambient, electronic and other diverse offering on iTunes radio. For the times I can tolerate vocals, a favorite station of mine has been Pagan Radio (found under the religious section). The tunes are usually rounds or chant-like but the selection is great enough that none of them get caught in my head. I can get a lot of projects done, feel really uplifted and affirmed with this station on.

The new iTunes update must have had a temporary glitch because roughly 75% of my radio station disappeared for a day. It was then I realized how much I had been enjoying them. Yesterday I checked and my Pagan Radio was back but wouldn't load. This morning all was finally right and I had my tunes back. Very pleasant.

Now for the real reason of this blog. I found myself enjoying the songs about stags and spirits and drum solos when the next piece that comes on is one of the very infrequent stories not told to music. I found my ears perking up as I slowed my pace on the tasks I was trying to undertake. A man was telling the story of The Descent of Anat.

I had heard other stories of his on Pagan Radio and they were always worth listening to, he is obviously a master story teller. It was in the middle of The Descent of Anat I saw this man's face in my mind! I swear I knew his voice and did some research to find that we had actually met Steven Posch years ago at PSG in Wisconsin. Two summer solstice celebrations, years ago, Steven Posch's story telling was the highlight of most every day for me. He was kind to our young son and his humor warmed our camping trip each year. The second year we went, we packed a toy mosquito to show him since he called mosquitoes the Minnesota state bird. He laughed with glee when our son showed him how it made a whining song.

I found he has a cd, Radio Paganistan: Folktales of the Urban Witches, and I don't think I am going to be able to resist increasing my meager collection. He is worth listening to again and again.