Brian “Fox” Ellis – Fox Tales International & History In Person

Description

Since 1980 Brian "Fox" Ellis has been touring the world as a performer and educator. Through stories and song, myth and poetry, Fox brings the world to your school, library, festival or conference. He is a dynamic teller who, in a warmly entertaining manner, captures what is most life-affirming and beautiful in the human experience.

Fox believes that within each of us is a story to tell. His goal is to awaken the tale teller in all of us. He is a keynote speaker and master teacher who provides workshops for students, teachers, parents, and naturalists.

History in Person brings history to life through the voices of Audubon, Whitman, Darwin, Lincoln, Mendel, Hoover, Deere, Grimm, Poe and others.
His "Adventures in Nature" celebrate our relationships with all of creation. His renditions of international folktales evoke a deeper understanding of other cultures. Fox’s retelling of Native American tales enriches the listener with the wit and wisdom of his elders.

Fox is the author of 30 books including poetry, folklore, biographies and pedagogy. He also writes for more than a dozen magazines. As a working writer he sheds new light on the writing process helping students to find their own voice.

Work Sample

During the pandemic I produced two TV series for local PBS, History in Person and Fox Tales Folklore. I attaching one episode of each series, both run about 27 minutes and high light the diversity of programs I present. Tall Tree Tales blends folklore, natural history and tree planting instructions.

Meriwether Lewis and the Corps of Discovery is one of 25 historical characters I portray. My work often blends history, ecology, poetry, folklore and music. I also write musical theatre. This one runs a little longer, 40 minutes because it includes a bonus story.

I choose these two videos because they give diverse examples of the work I do. I began with folklore and poetry. I have always had a science/ecology emphasis and in the past 20 years have grown the number of characters that I portray but still with an emphasis on historical scientists and poets.

History

Brian "Fox" Ellis is an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, historian, and naturalist. He has worked with The Denver Museum of Science and Nature, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Field Museum and dozens of other museums across the country. Fox is a frequent keynote speaker at regional and international conferences including the International Wetlands Conservation Conference, National Science Teachers Association Conference and the North American Prairie Conservation Conference, et al. Fox has hosted, produced, researched and written several documentaries for PBS. He currently has two series airing on WTVP and is working on his third TV pilot. He is the author of more than 30 books including three books of poetry, a series of biographies, History In Person, and a series of collections of folklore, Fox Tales Folklore. He has two collections of stories with lesson plans: Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, and Content Area Reading, Writing and Storytelling. Many of his stories are also available on his podcast and Youtube channel Fox Tales International and History in Person. During the recent shelter-in-place Fox turned many of his performances into books, producing sixteen books in about as many weeks.

Artistic Vision

Through public performances, teaching and creative writing, I hope to evoke the storyteller within everyone and inspire people to awaken to a deeper understanding of who they are in their relationship to human history and the natural world around them. As an educator, my aim is to use storytelling and theatre to integrate science, math, and social studies, while helping students develop language skills, the self esteem that comes with finding your voice, and an appreciation of the arts. As a scholar, I seek to unearth voices often left out of our history books.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

Knowing that much of my work would be schools in my youth I used to alternated between a few years on the road and a year in the classroom. I have taught pre-school, 3rd & 4th grade in an inner city Catholic school, 7th & 8th grade at a school with forced busing, high school poetry and peace studies at a residential boarding school and graduate courses at Brookline College and SIUE. I have also presented artist-in-residence programs at facilities for facilities for differently abled folks.  I feel confident and like the challenge of adapting programs for the audience.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

I am one of the last living Riverlorians, having worked as the historian and ships naturalist (like Darwin on HMS Beagle) on a variety of riverboats for 30 years. I perform at Pow Wows, Medicine Wheel Gatherings and other Native American events. Though I am not a card carrying member of the Cherokee Nation, due to the complexity of the Dawes Role, I can document my Cherokee genealogy, and have apprenticed with native Elders from several nations.