Netting Priceless Humor

For centuries stories have been told and retold throughout the world. Why? For one thing, they are entertaining. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.

For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Conflict. Pestilence. Thorny relationships. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. A resolution of some sort.

At the same time, nobody likes to be preached to. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. Enter laughter. Humor makes a hard message a bit easier to swallow. Witty humor is priceless humor. A unique combination.

As you know, everyone loves to laugh. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). This is priceless humor.

Look around you at the great humorists. Art Buchwald. George Carlin. Garrison Kiellor. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Moliere. Ogden Nash. All of them were storytellers. Painting scenes with priceless humor.

Priceless humor... what makes it priceless? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment. The comic situation. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.

You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor.

World stories also capitalize on priceless humor. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are "Rock Soup" and "Herschel in the Woods" Listen to "The Egg Seller" or "Hickory Dock" from World Full of Stories. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!

I listen to lots of conversations. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!

There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. Why? Another simple answer. Laughter makes learning easier. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.

Want a Unique Gift Children will Remember?

I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Some of them are downright exasperating! One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Holiday gifts. Birthday gifts. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. Most of the time it was rough going. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I hoped my children would do the same.

I am now a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children would enjoy. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. A memorable story is that kind of gift. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.

My "Recordings" page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the "Recordings" page to place your order.

Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. The kind of unique gift children will treasure for a long time to come.

What Are Nifty Stories?

As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word "nifty" when referring to a cool car or a great suit. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.

The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. However, it was only when I found myself using the word in my own description of my stories that I needed to define it. Actually, it was a listener who called my material "nifty stories," and that comment sent me to the books. The current Wiktionary defines the word as "good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial." The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: "particularly good, effective, or stylish." www.JayStetzer.com



What was my listener describing when he called my stories "nifty?" The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of stories that are nifty are ones that entertain as well as enlighten. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.



Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always "stylish," regardless of the era that spawned them. These stories are naturally very attractive. Stories that are nifty are stories that are priceless!" You can find great nifty stories on www.Jaystetzer.com www.JayStetzer.com

What in the World are World Stories?

For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. In the fabric of a culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. They lend definition, roots, and significance to society. World stories spread as the culture grows.

One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. I have also had the opportunity to learn a bit about each country. Customs and rituals. Geography and daily habits. In turn, that lends substantial meaning to the world stories I hear. And one of the benefits is to see how world stories come directly from the cultures of origin. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. The differences as well as the similarities of the various countries impress me deeply.

All cultures regard certain notions as sacred. You can also find things demonic. Their stories regularly exhibit these notions. They make up the mythical soil out of which the stories grow. Many world stories derive from mythology. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.

Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. Stories about magic and mystery were apt outlets for questioning minds of preliterate villagers. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster. Stay out of the dark forest! Keep away from wild animals! Do not talk to strangers! On the other hand, reward and happy endings comprise many folktales. Good and evil are eternal foes. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. No matter what the genre, a good world story brings meaning to the contemporary world as well. And that brings us to storytelling today. Contemporary society is far removed from rural villages of old, but the old stories still remain pertinent.

Some world stories are downright funny. Other world stories are filled with mystery. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories teach. All world stories keep us amused.

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories. And they have merit in worlds far removed from their origin.

To enjoy the breadth of subject matter found in world stories, listen to my CD entitled "World Full of Stories." It is an award winning recording that will take you on a delightful trip around the world!

Netting a Unique Gift Children Can Appreciate

I am both a parent and a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. A memorable story is that kind of gift. And it is suitable for children of all ages. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!



You can find three CDs listed on the "Recordings" page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone. To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the "Recordings" page to place your order. Learn More..



Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!

What Makes Nifty Stories Nifty?

When I was a kid, I often heard the word "nifty" in reference to things like fancy cars and outrageous fashion. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more "cultural" experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: "very good, very attractive," etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. A thesaurus gives synonyms such as "peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy," all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!"

What was my listener describing when he called my stories "nifty?" The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches using a concrete example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories are memorable. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always in vogue. These stories are naturally very attractive. Nifty stories are worth their weight in gold!