By Mark Ambrogi
Carmen Agra Deedy fled Cuba with her family as youngster in 1964. Deedy and her family settled in Decatur, Ga., where she still lives today.
She began writing as a young mother. Her National Public Radio commentaries on “All Things Considered” were collected and released under the title “Growing Up Cuban in Decatur, Georgia.”
“She is very vivacious and has a wonderful sense of humor,” said Ellen Munds, executive director of Storytelling Arts of Indiana. “I think that sense of humor helped her get through some of the hard times they had in the early years of their immigration to the United States.”
The Storytelling Arts of Indiana will present Tell It Again! told by Deedy at 2 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Carmel Clay Public Library. The one-hour program is recommended for families with elementary school-aged children. Deedy will perform “Blackberries and Chiggers” for adults at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 at the Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis.
Munds said her group brings in storytellers from around the country to perform.
“Since I have a library background, I try to book some of the storytelling in public libraries,” said Munds, who worked at Carmel’s library from 1982 to 1992. “We want people to see the value of storytelling, so we try to reach as many different audiences as we can. A public library is the perfect place to reach families.”
Deedy is a New York Times best-selling author of several children’s books. Tickets are free but required for the library event. The tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the library’s Children’s Reference Desk 30 minutes prior to the scheduled program start time.
For ticket information on Deedy’s visit to Indiana History Center, visit storytellingarts.com. For more, visit carmenagradeedy.com
