The presenter provides an overview of the storytelling Renaissance in America with emphasis upon the oral tradition in Mississippi. The literary tradition of Mississippi owes much to the rich storytelling legacy that riddles the tales of our families and our communities as reflected in the works of many of our best authors: Welty, Wright, Faulkner, Henley, Williams. As part of the presentation, Dr. Jernigan performs as a story teller calling upon on her rich repertoire of original tales and literary masterpieces gearing her choices of tales according to her audience and offers material for children and adults.
Speakers Expertise:
Rebeca Jernigan is an internationally recognized scholar. She is registered as a performing artist with the Mississippi Arts Commission. Jernigan uses her experience as an actress and playwright to bring to life classical and original literature. She has performed and offered workshops throughout the region as well as for Department of Defense schools in Europe and Bahrain. During a year of teaching in China, she offered workshops in drama and storytelling to augment her ESL lessons. Dr. Jernigan has served the
Mississippi Humanities Council as a storyteller and scholar for literacy programs in English and Spanish. Her film credits include
The Client,
Ode to Billy Joe, and the 2016 film
Texas Heart. She was a member of the Oxford University Shakespeare Festival acting company for three seasons. She often collaborates with other artists on special projects and mentors emerging performers.
