W.Va. legend Tony Beaver to be focus of June 8 storytelling concert
May 24—FAIRMONT — Although his story has been captured in at least four books, the legend of Tony Beaver is often overshadowed by the uber-legendary Paul Bunyan.
On June 8, residents of Fairmont and Marion County get a chance to decide for themselves whether Tony Beaver or Paul Bunyan is the top lumberman of American legend?
Renowned storyteller Adam Booth, of Shepherdstown, presents "The Tall Tales of Tony Beaver Storytelling Concert Tour" at 7 p.m. on June 8 at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center on the campus of Fairmont State University.
According to the West Virginia Humanities Council, native poet and author Margaret Prescott Montague "believed Tony and Paul were one and the same, a mythical super-lumberman appearing under different names in different parts of the country. Montague first collected the stories of his exploits from real lumbermen at the turn of the century."
"Folks often sent Tony word, by a jaybird, that they desperately needed help. One winter it got so cold and snowy that they couldn't get outside for firewood. Tony just strolled out across those snowbanks and cut hundreds of tree tops, delivering firewood right down through the chimneys. Spring came slowly and planted crops failed until Tony put his efforts into growing one big "tater." It covered four acres of ground, and fed the entire population for several weeks," according to e-WV, The West Virginia Encyclopedia.
Booth is the recipient of the 2022 Governor's Arts Award for Folk Arts in West Virginia. His original storytelling blends traditional mountain folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia.
A focus on craft propels his handling of story. Career highlights include Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Teller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center (three times), the National Storytelling Festival, Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, the National Academy of Medicine, and Spoken Word Resident at the Banff Centre (Alberta).
He is a member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) and his recordings have received a Parents' Choice Gold Award, two Parents' Choice Silver Honors, and five Storytelling World Awards and Honors. He is a four-time champion of the West Virginia Liars' Contest.
Booth is an adjunct instructor of Appalachian studies at Shepherd University and is the founding director of the Speak Story Series, now in its eighth season. Adam is most at home sharing stories and music with the next generation of listeners and tellers throughout Appalachia.
