Dive into the magic of storytelling with master puppeteer Marilyn Price in a conversation that spans art, creativity, and mentorship. Witness the power of stories to connect, heal and inspire, all through the puppeteer's hands. Tune in, sit back, and let the enchantment of puppetry transport you to a world of imagination.
Guest: Marilyn Price, President, Marilyn Price Puppets at Marilyn Price Puppets
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilyn-price-58a204167/
The Mentor Project: https://mentorproject.org
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Hosts:
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone Ph.D., Host of The Mentor Project Podcast | Host of Perspectives | Systems Psychotherapist, International Coach, Talk Show Host & Producer, Professor | Mentor at the Mentor Project
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/dr-susan-birne-stone
Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Host of Redefining Society Podcast, and other shows on ITSPmagazine
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
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Episode Introduction
Welcome to another riveting episode of The Mentor Project Podcast, hosted by Dr. Susan Birne-Stone and Marco Ciappelli. In today's conversation, we invite you to journey with us into the enchanting world of storytelling as we engage with our guest, Marilyn Price, a master puppeteer and storyteller based in Evanston, Illinois.
For over half a century, Marilyn has been breathing life into inanimate objects, crafting magical stories that resonate across generations. Her journey began in an unexpected way, when a dear friend needed an extra pair of hands - literally - to help her puppetry. With no prior training, Marilyn stepped into this fascinating world, her journey marked by a unique blend of art history, painting, and sculpture.
In this episode, Marilyn speaks passionately about the intimate connection between storytelling and human relationships, cultures, and societies. Akin to the radio broadcasts she so loves, her work invites listeners to engage their imagination, to see beyond the obvious, and to truly listen. She shares her experiences during the pandemic, when she transformed her son's former bedroom into a broadcasting studio, and how she embraced the challenges of a new medium, creating characters and stories that enthralled audiences around the world.
Together with the Mentor Project, Marilyn has been offering invaluable artistic and creative support to those affected by the global health crisis. This experience, she shares, was as fulfilling for her as it was for the beneficiaries, serving as a much-needed creative outlet during the lockdown.
Our hosts, Dr. Susan and Marco, delve into the incredible impact of Marilyn's work, not just on the children who engage with her stories, but also on the adults who keep the kids grounded. They explore how Marilyn's storytelling adapts to the digital age without losing its essence, and how she uses everyday objects to tell classic stories, making her work accessible to all.
So, sit back, relax, and join us as we step into the magical realm of storytelling. Listen, share this conversation, and don't forget to subscribe to The Mentor Project Podcast for more inspiring conversations. Let Marilyn's captivating stories remind you of the enchanting power of storytelling, a skill as old as humanity itself, and still as vital in our digital age as it was around ancient fireplaces.
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Resources
Learn More About The Mentor Project: https://mentorproject.org
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Please note that this transcript was created using AI technology and may contain inaccuracies or deviations from the original audio file. The transcript is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the original recording as errors may exist. At this time we provide it “as it is” and we hope it can be useful for our audience.
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voiceover00:15
Welcome to the Mentor Project podcast, a place where you will learn discover new ideas, be entertained, inspired, and even mentored. Our shows explore a wide range of subjects, including science, technology, business, society and culture, art and entertainment, and life. If you would like to learn more about the mentor project, please go to www dot mentor project.org We hope you'll enjoy the show
Marco Ciappelli00:56
Hello, everybody, this is that mentor project, and I am gonna get started here, but I think I'm just gonna sit back and relax and listen to some, some good stories. We really have a true storyteller with us. And of course, it's not just me hosting this. It's Susan. keeping me company in this adventure,
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 01:24
great Marco. I'm excited about today. Yeah, one of our mentors who actually has been doing, I think more podcasting and more shows than all of the other mentors combined. So we're going to hear about that I'm really want to welcome Marilyn price and community and she'll tell us liquid horrible, the community. So Marilyn, welcome to the mentor project, podcast.
Marilyn Price01:53
Thank you, it's, I am delighted to be here. I have been delighted for the last three years to be able to broadcast and reach those who could not get out. And those who can now get out and be a part of our community of not just mentors, but you know, a mentor can only meant unless if they have somebody to mentor. So we are mentors, but we are also always looking for people who will be affected by these good deeds that we do. So it's been an exciting run, and I plan to do 35 more years.
Marco Ciappelli02:32
Good. And as you kind of hinted there, we're not just mentors, but we we are mentee at the same time, we learn and we teach and we do what Debbie? Debbie Heiser call it parallel mentorship, which, really, I really liked that concept. I always learn every time I record a podcast, it doesn't matter. with who I am always learning something. So I'm really looking forward. And you know what, let's start about you. Let's learn about Merlin. Who are you? And what you do, and why are you with the mentor project?
Marilyn Price03:11
Okay, I'll take it in that order. I am Marilyn price. I live in Evanston, Illinois. I am sitting in the midst of studio that we built as matter of fact, we read I've rebuilt it during the beginning of the pandemic. So my first broadcasts were upstairs in my son's former bedroom. And we have come a long way, albeit just two flights of stairs. I've been a puppeteer storyteller for over 50 years, and I came to it quite unnaturally. By being asked, there was no puppeteers to be trained by. So I found a couple and they mentored me. And their style was totally different than what I use. I also have a background in art history and painting, sculpture, which put helped me put all this together. And I grew up in a family that loves stories. And told them all the time. My brother, and my grandparents and my mom and my dad, we just told stories, this was pre data, this magic media that we are all talking to. So I still am talking about podcasts, which are only audio, I still listen to the radio as often as I can. Because I think that is the greatest visual of all. You have to listen a little harder. So when I became a puppeteer, I was taught by my girlfriend, who actually really wanted an extra pair of hands. Quite literally, she wanted me to give her a hand, and I had no clue what this was about. So she taught me. We went together for 10 years, and then she went on her way and a globally, and I went on mine and the characters, my, there's different ways to talk what I do, I call it edutainment, because I teach when I tell. And I use everyday objects that are easily accessible. I've always done that. So it was a great coincidence when we all came together, because people couldn't get out three years ago. So I taught them how to make characters out of everyday objects, and use them to tell a classic story, one, so we didn't have to start from quite literally scratch. So for an example, I use milk cartons to make cars, I use tennis rackets. When the King comes out of his court, I have a lot of bad jokes, because I have to entertain the adults too. They're actually more important in many respects, because they keep the kids grounded. I have worked from coast to coast, I told stories in the grove in LA, with background music of the dancing fountain. I've told stories on Ellis Island, using some wonderful stories from my background, which is Judaism. And I have been and done pretty much everything I have been asked to do, but not everything I want to do. So being a puppeteer is adding a visual to a story that encourages and helps people who learn in different ways. So to add to all of that wonder, and it is wondered, I'm still constantly amazed by it. I started to work with a friend on a foundation and not for profit that teaches educate educators of all kinds and, and their students and their students, students how to reach all different kinds of learners. So because I teach, with creative bend, I do all the arts, and she does multiple intelligence than we do advocacy and life is constantly full. So I came to the mentor project by Maryland. We went to Renaissance weekend, the 19 2019 to the Tetons. And I met some lovely, wonderful people, we were taken by good friends who've been going for 35 years.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 07:31
Wow. And I just want to interrupt just for those listeners. Of course, most people will not know what the right word sounds good, I
Marilyn Price07:37
get to talk about that too. But
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 07:39
we could just say a theater, you don't have to go too much into it. But it is a think tank. And it's a way to just really connect with people in a diverse in diverse fields of all different backgrounds of all different professions. And I think the one thing that they have in common, we haven't done that. And part of that, too, is the just the desire to learn. And to make the world a better place I could say. So if you want to add to that, just so people
Marilyn Price08:09
couldn't have said it better. And the fabulous part about it is that everybody, everybody, no matter who they are, has to teach. So you think you're going What am I going to say to the astronauts or the people who do this, that the other, everybody's interested in everybody else. And it was a quite a magic time and is back and up and running. So for those of you who are interested, look it up Renaissance weekend. And you will be delighted at what you need and see. So right after that, I've kept up with the Facebook announcements and saw that Debbie Heiser who helped develop the mentor project was looking for someone who would be interested in teaching and or telling kids and their families who were now homebound. And so I raised my hand and said, Oh, I would do that. Now. It was probably the most important thing I did. For myself my creative self during the pandemic, because when you are a person who I can proudly say is a creative person, you need an outlet, not just for the people that watch you, but you need something to develop. So for four weeks, April of 2020 we said we would do one show a week, and then we'll see how it went. And then we'll just you know, because by then of course, right? It was all gonna be over. But it wasn't. So then we said well, let's just go till the summer. That would be April May. And then we'll stop because by then it will Oh be over. But it wasn't. So then we went through the summer. And then on and on, and on and on, I don't need to repeat that. And it taught me as you, both of my fellow participants in this way, and this podcast said it, I learned from everything I did, if you had said, I was going to find that I was going to be on, quote, unquote, what we now know as TV, I had a TV show a long time ago, but totally different. Now, when I'm broadcast, I look at me, and that, in case you've never done, it, is really hard to overcome. Because I like other people out there, not just her is her hair, right. And then I had to also figure out how to get my characters from one side of the stage to the other, and move them. So what I just did was to take an object, move it from one side to the other. And sometimes it's backwards. So that the first few times I tried this media made me a little leery, but because of my mentor, project partners, I learned from them. And now I think I'm relatively good at it. And it goes pretty much everywhere. So some of the experiences that the Mentor Project has led me to, are finding out what some of my more than Facebook, friends love. And I get fan mail. I don't even know how from people that watch. And it's, it's a magic gift to me to be able to do this. Out in cyberspace, it's the only way I can describe it. And of course, if you see, in my life, the sun is always shining. I know you can't see her moon is shining, too. And behind me, I've also learned how to use other media and behind me is just a board with posts that I use to help tell the story. And I know that others have used my technique because it goes into schools as well. And that is the greatest gift of all. Wow.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 12:21
So many I'm sorry, go ahead, Mark, I'm sorry.
Marco Ciappelli12:23
Did I know you do so do our eyes are lots of different
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 12:27
ways. But it was a couple of things you said I'll start with this. One of the interesting things that I want to highlight is you talked about when you started with the mentor project, how much you as a mentor, and you as an artist, and you as a professional got from it, it was an outlet for you. And as some of our listeners has, have listened to prior episodes, co founder Debbie Heiser of the mentor project really was interested in that aspect. Because we know that mentoring helps the mentees. And that's been the obvious thing. But what some of the focus has been on for the mentor project is really to look at and to research, what the mentors are actually getting from it. And you so beautifully mentioned, you know, and highlighted that, during the beginning of the pandemic, this was an outlet for you. So I just kind of wanted to highlight that. And now I want to go to the question of you talk about how much your viewers have gotten from watching and listening. Because what started out is going to be a couple of, you know, weeks, really is turned into three years of recording and bring it to the audience. And one of the things I'm interested in is you get some feedback from the viewers from the listeners, both children and adults. And all over you have the globe. What for you personally has meant the most in terms of the feedback that you've gotten from your viewers.
Marilyn Price14:00
The most significant thing I've gotten is that it's usable material is that they're not just listening, but they're actually doing so from my teacher, friends, my librarian friends, and from people who used to I have one particular friend who have actually never met in person, although she lives across the roads town for me, directed shows. And what she gets from it is watching this particular media, pull it all together, and something she's not been able to do before. So things like that, and knowing that people actually wait for this program that the Mentor Project provides. That's awesome. And then I've had the privilege of actually interviewing my little boy, my little boy because he when he left to move to LA 20 So Six years ago, he took one of my puppets. And I made another one. So we had this incredible interview process with Matt on one side and me on the other, and the puppets talking to each other, which made me as a mentor, but more important, as a mom. Thinking, this is good, this is good, this means people are paying attention. And that is the greatest gift of all. And it is it's as ying and yang, you can't get enough or good enough to not know that it all comes together.
Marco Ciappelli15:38
It's amazing. It makes me think, when you started this and the evolution of you adopt into a new media, right, looking at yourself in a digital screen on Zoom, or whatever we use stream yard. And I have always been a somebody that when the internet came out, people were afraid, right? Like, when TV came up, they were afraid the radio was gonna die, when the radio come up the river afraid that newspaper, were gonna die. And in reality, even with the internet, everything is different, but also retain the core of what it is. One, it may be, obviously, the storytelling we are made of stories. And we use different technique to do so. And you're using this art, which is, for me being Italian, I grew up with Pinocchio, and many other character in the 70s. And when I was a kid, and and I am like, nothing really dies, nothing really fades, it just evolve. But when I look at what you do is really at the core of, you know, we used to do this centuries ago. So what does it take to become a storyteller with the puppets, and still make it work in this digital society that we live in?
Marilyn Price17:10
I think that's actually not I hate to blow anybody's bubble here. First, I don't think it's all that different. I think it's the way we connect. Like we've all when when I teach tellers how to tell, or teachers how to tell, look at your community, look him in the eye, because even if they're not, you can't see them. You just have to use your great imagination. So my presentation skills haven't changed that much. As a matter of fact, when you said Marco was great, because we were always afraid that the next thing we were going to would dissolve the last thing. And in fact, all they did was make it better. So here we are, I can tell a story and tell people what they're seeing. By relating to it, I mean, behind me is the color red, behind me up in my over my hand is a son, I can describe it, just like in radio for the people who are listening. But for the people who see it, it's twice as good. So it took some getting used to. I also, besides the mentor project did a weekly show in Atlanta, Georgia, to a synagogue for the whole first year. I went in the morning on Sunday, after breakfast, and I came back and had lunch. So I didn't really go there if you know what I mean. But I actually got to see them a lot as time went on. So by the time they brought me back and put me out in front of the TV, like a big surprise. I knew them. I knew them better because I'd seen them every single week. So even though I don't see our audience, I see names because I post it afterwards. I know who's watched. And if I want to send them a note to see what they think. I let them know. So for example, the one I did this morning show this morning, I decided I was going to do the classic golden books, which were from 1942 which is even older than me. And a friend of mine just out of nowhere said I love those books. Here's our favorite. And she said but I can't find it. It's out of print. She said but she dug through her whole house and found this is very beaten up book version with a duct tape holds it together. And I told her today here he is Hiram. He's right behind me for those of you is Hiram. His red shirt. It's a wonderful story. And this is what I learned because you asked what I learned because I always research the author's book was written by a woman named Mabel watts which may not mean anything to most people but she wrote The Little Engine That Could, which does mean somehow well. So I'm pretty sure Mabel is long gone, that first book, The last book I mentioned, was 1917, I think or 18. So we bring you right, nothing ever is gone, we get to bring it back. For people that need to hear it. So high rooms, I highly recommend hiring them to red shirt. It's about a little an aside, a man who has a favorite piece of clothing. Everyone's been there, right? And it's beginning to wear out. So he goes through all these masa nations to save his favorite clothes. I do that all the time. So I learned I learned from my audience, when I always do, and I just look him right in the eye.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 20:51
You know, there's so many things again, but one of the the beautiful things. And I think the important things that your work does, is at this time of technology, where the kids and adults are so involved in screens, and doing so much online. And they are creative. And I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with technology, it has its pros, but what you do in terms of taking the objects and teaching them from to create, and you're bringing out their artistic ways in a different way, you're using their creativity in a very different way that is really getting lost today, kids and adults don't always have that. It's getting cut from schools, it's not really valued as much because of technology. So can you tell us a little bit more for our listeners who have not yet seen or heard your show? About the process? And maybe let us see a little bit of your community? I know Marco, I can't wait to see. So
Marco Ciappelli21:53
I want to meet the community. You want to
Marilyn Price21:55
be on my community? Just let me get him ready. You ready? Okay. I'll be up there. I don't know where it came from. I like to say, everyone has it. We all have an imagination. We're born with it. I never lost mine. And I don't know if but my parents stirred me on projects they did. It wasn't that we didn't have stuff. So we always made up stuff. And I still see it I can I publish the book. Oh, I don't have it with maybe I do. Okay, so here's, Oops, excuse me. So an example would be this is a book I wrote a while back, and it's just show you the cover. So this is a Hebrew alphabet book. Every single character is made with an everyday object. And the way I found them was I took a walk. So funny, funny little things would stick out with me. And they also had to resonate with the letter. So this is the Hebrew letter tough, like a tea. And the character puppet is made out of a toffee apple. So my pedagogical friends who publish these books went to all sorts of issues on how does that work? Can you take a taffy APA? And every time you see it, now you see the letter tov? Yes, it does work. It's a double clue. So that that would be one thing. And I'm going to take you on a tour. I've written four, five books, with puppets, all with everyday objects. Sucks. spork spoons, we used to when I was a kid sit around the table, my grandpa would make napkin rabbits. And then we'd use the fork. So this is not new to me. And I know because I've watched it, and I've seen their faces, that there's an off factor. When you take an envelope, put in your hand, and all of a sudden it's talking to never fails. And the adults are surprised. And they do it too. So and they always tested me I was in Ogden, Utah, because we work with museums. And I put his envelope on every single time, put the envelope on. And I did that and the whole audience would Ooh, and guess what they did next? After I passed out envelopes, so that's the inspiration. How do I get it? I don't know. It's in there. I hope to never lose it. But the mentor project in April of 2020 nurtured mind, beautiful that I can for sure. So I'm going to take you around. I don't want to lose you. So I was going to see if my I'm not even going to bother with settings I'll just hold you up and I will talk you through this because I can see this is why
Marco Ciappelli25:03
it's like a Toy Story.
Marilyn Price25:07
Toy store with working people.
Marco Ciappelli25:09
But the movie Toy Story. Oh,
Marilyn Price25:12
I love that movie. I want you to meet my mentor. I had a mentor. Here he is. I don't know if you can see him. There's a character right here. where my finger is. That is word tales from Birch Hillstrom with my mentor. Next to him. Is this game my kiddos found me kukula and Ollie are just some good the first TV show called Kukla, Fran and Ollie. I remember here. And he was my mentor. He inspired me. I knew him. He was just awesome. So there are people out there. He's no longer unfortunately with us. Who and there weren't many puppeteers, you know who did that sort of crazy work. And I'll just show you her before I send her off. This is Taylor Swift. Love it. I made her from my grand niece, who is a huge fan, she's obviously not going to sell her because I'd be sued up and down. And that's what she wanted for her Bar Mitzvah gift. So here she is. Hi, Taylor. We've been Everyone
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 26:14
knows that. For those that are listening. Marilyn, can you describe what she loves? Swift
Marilyn Price26:18
is made out of the greatest yarn ever. Because I think that's what her hair looks like it's yellow. And I made her red shiny, sparkly dress. And there's this magic new thing where you can print onto onto material a picture. So I a very big fan of having puppets with the person's face on it. I use that in teacher workshops all the time. So what I'm now showing you is food boxes, that's my face. And then you empty the box, you put your hand inside, and there you are a puppet. Fabulous. So that's a lot of the kinds of stuff we do. So a couple of weeks ago, I did a show called lentil by a wonderful author named Robert McCloskey, well known for make way for the ducklings. So I took and I'll tell you the soup was terrific. I took a box of lentils, empty them, put a picture on him, and he was my puppet character. So everything has purpose, nutritional Of course. So up here is some of the characters I've used for mentor project shows. That's max. And as I said before, I always find out about the author, because the authors are huge, and we have to give credit where credit is due, I did not write most of the books that I tell stories from. So here we have some other friends of mine, this one here. Kiki was a book written by a friend to friends during the pandemic about how kids are responding to the pandemic, and how she was a little girl who gave Huge hugs. And now she couldn't do it. And her dilemma in dealing with it. So this is Kiki wife alone. So it's a puppet from the Ukraine that I particularly like that I show most of these Oh, you might recognize him. That would be Benjamin Franklin. If you can see him. He I did a show called We the People W E about the Constitution and the states. And so once in a while I make puppets of friends. So that was my best friend there. Then I have puppets from other countries, so you probably know this do too. Yeah, that was Kermit. And we were in an elevator together. At least everyone in the elevator thought it was Kermit but it was actually Jim Henson, who had the same exact voice. Very cool. So up here we have string puppets which I am quite fond of, but don't like to travel with because they're a mess. And back here and if you can see him this is Babar the elephant I did a whole long series around the books of Bubba the elephant and for Northwestern University up here is my favorite ever story. stringer Nana Bubble Bubble pasta pot. Well me some pasta. So when I tell it, I tell it with the kids as my helpers but I lost the pasta. Excuse me. Oh, it was replaced previously by matzah boss but so the kids are my cheerleaders. And they take literally take pom poms and and make pasta while that was going on. And you probably know Charlie Chaplin but I did not make him. These two dudes, my personal this one is a cat make all cat string puppet from Peter in the wolf. I did. Did with live music and different kinds of puppets? That was cool. And this dude up here he was made out of my little boy. I previously mentioned little boys baby suit. And I kept it cuz like just kept it because why not? It's like Hiram was red shirt. It was my favorite.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 30:20
And for those that are listening, I just want to say what we're seeing. It is magical. It's just this. It's just an all of these this visual, all of the characters and it's bringing back lots of memories for me. I just let the listeners know how magical it
Marilyn Price 30:39
well, I'm assuming that the listeners can go and watch at some point too. Okay, yeah. That so my aforementioned Mrs. Goose is here, she's, she's read. She's made out of a terrycloth towel, actually. And she and her partner are actually her Mother Goose mother puppet lives in LA. And I visit her as often as I can. So the but the rest, we I just, this is something called the dreidel. And he only comes out once a year, but he has an eight day lifespan. And the talks, they will all my most of my puppets do not have moveable mouse. But this one now doesn't. It's a grammar puppet. And I told stories, Native American stories. And this one in particular that I'm showing is a story called The Raven. That is beautiful, wonderful tale about an magical man. And then I'll be hanging around up here is the way I hang. Keep them safe. And these are, by the way, I suppose I should say. Just a few. Most of them are in boxes. But when you thank you, Susan, the magical part. It's really magical. And very, very anyone ever asks, what do you do when you're feeling blue? I come in here. But I also never hardly feel blue. And here's one for the books. This is a porcupine knees made out of a toilet brush. And what better use I say, wow. And then the rest are? These are this is another source of my inspiration. My books. I love books, and these are all Kid books. Well, anybody who wants to teach anything, starts with a book that isn't meant for an adult. Because really good ones, the ones that last forever, are Kid books. So I've told many of these. And then resource books that's fun, too. Now,
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 33:02
that is amazing, Marilyn. And, you know, also I want to go back to something that you said earlier. In terms of the technology, you're actually using technology, like you said, you're you're printing faces onto fabric and using, you're incorporating that, which is also a beautiful thing.
Marilyn Price33:21
Oh, that is that has changed a lot of stuff that I do now that I know how to do that. Try not to lose your hair. Okay, I think we've got it. Great.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 33:34
Thank you for that tour of your community. It was really amazing. Really.
Marco Ciappelli33:41
For me, it was kind of like when you I'm a big fan of Disney and all story. I mean, I love Barton. And it's kind of like when the kid discovers a secret room. And it's full of magical objects. Right? So that tour was like, are we gonna cave where the magic happened? I love it. I was
Marilyn Price34:04
down below my house they dug out before my time come coming here. And yeah, and it goes directly. I've two doors over here. We have the outside door, just in case I want to leave home without telling. And then over there we have the house that goes into the basement. So and that was a huge help during a variety of things. No, I
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 34:31
really also besides just thinking about it in terms of the just the feeling that one gets when you put a sock on and you make a puppet for me and many of the listeners know that I have been in the world of psychology. And there was a time when I specialized much more and working with children. And I utilize puppets so much in my work with children especially alive and really it was so therapeutic in terms of Acting out and playing with the puppets because even for adults, or even some of the adults I use puppets with because we express things much more comfortably at times when we're utilizing puppets through giving somebody else a voice, rather than using one zone. So it's in professionally, it was it's really meaningful in terms of that whole genre of using puppets, therapeutically.
Marilyn Price35:26
There's, we have had some great stories, because we do a lot of teacher training. And there was, we did a whole different length, we did a language teacher training with my, my partner is very much involved in how you teach language teachers how to use the arts. So we had six or seven different languages in one lovely young man who had a really incredible stutter.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 35:53
Did Marilyn freeze?
Marco Ciappelli35:56
Yes. Okay. I think I think there was something in the story that made a freeze. Right? I know what well, we'll just keep going until we wait as we we weren't going to start wrapping anyway. So hopefully, she will resolve the internet connection there. But so, so many things that I would love to discuss, like this conversation, Susan really inspired me. On one side, as you mentioned, the technology. And I'm thinking, you know, me being at a tech and society guy, like 3d printing, and how people can literally now recreate whatever they want. But the beauty of Marilyn using everyday object. And I don't know if you ever heard of this story is like when people talk about their kids and like, Yeah, well, I bought them this toy, but then they play with the box. They mention
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 36:55
exactly my daughter's favorite thing. All she wanted, literally was a giant box like, and one year, I had to just give her as a gift, this giant box that she would go into and just play. And that's all she wanted. It was it was just amazing. And it's true. And, you know, the thing that I want to go back to hopefully Marilyn will join us. But I You probably caught the line too, earlier on and in the discussion is when she said, up, I get it right. But you'll help me radio was the best form of visual imagination. And I love she related to that, because it's our own imagination that we can listen. But that's why oftentimes reading a book, when people go see the movie, they're disappointed, because it's never what they imagined, you know, and it's stronger in one's imagination. So
Marco Ciappelli37:47
true. So true. I always make the joke that I watched the radio, writing that, you know, I envisioned. And that's why I love Audible so much. And I mean, we talked about this in some of our episodes where when you when you envision and you're reading a book, you you create the story that really is yours. And when you watch a movie, you see what the director may be so and you may like it, but you know, maybe maybe it's not what what you would have created yourself. So, but very, very inspiring. And I also I think at this point, we can recap, and hopefully she'll come back or she'll come back another time. Of course, she can always join us again. But even those notes about books that she mentioned, as she does play with puppets, and telling story, the fact that those kids book last forever, I'm quoting her again, I have a personal story with that I have a book that is called the Conference of the animals that my grandma used to read to me when I couldn't even read. And I was a kid. And I was in Japan few months ago, and I went to a bookstore. And I just saw that exact book with that exact cover, but in Japanese with the title. And you can ask my wife, I was like, I just flipped out. I was like, I know that book. And I haven't read it in you know, 50 plus years. But I was it's kind of like that stuck in your head. Those stories. Maybe your February toy, your February puppet. It stays with you do for the rest of your life. So enforcement,
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 39:33
right? Yeah, it brings you back to the whole feeling that you had at that time and the meaning that it had. It's amazing. I now regret throwing out all of my golden books. Oh my goodness, I had so many of them. But over the years I just I got rid of most of them. There's a couple of them. So have I have to go look for them. But yeah, great. Why don't we do a shout out in terms of you can watch Maryland's shows YouTube and Add to the mentor project. And we're gonna have the link in the show notes as well. So that but you can come go to the wherever you listen to your podcast, go to the mentor project, and you can put in Marilyn price. And you will be able to watch them or listen to her shows. And she's really three years worth. So there's a lot of them
Marco Ciappelli40:24
three years of what she's done with a mentor project, and you know, so much that she has done incredible even just to look at the mentor, that she had the person that told her how to do that there is an entire art in history. I'm inspired actually to go and look at books and pieces of you know, the history of puppeteering and, and I know it goes centuries and centuries and centuries ago. So it's kind of sad that she disappeared. But you know what, it was magical. She was done. She just want one knows she's telling a story somewhere else right now.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 41:01
Maybe the community called her. Talk to her. Right? Back on. I'm sure we will have her back.
Marco Ciappelli41:10
All right. So let's do our salutation here to everybody that we hope enjoy. And yes, seriously, if you if you listen to the audio, and you have a chance go to the YouTube channels, and there'll be the link in the note. I mean, this is just explore that the room with with her it was a real treat for me.
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 41:31
It really was magical watching it. So I hope that the listeners and viewers will enjoy it as much as I know I did. And you did. And thank you for listening and watching. If you would like to support the mentor project, there's lots of different ways that you can personally get involved. You can share the mentor project with others and you can support us as well. Please go to mentor project.org and go and listen wherever you are. Listen to your podcasts.
Marco Ciappelli42:03
That's right. Stay tuned. We are recording many more stories with many more amazing mentors, so we'll catch you later. Bye bye,
Dr. Susan Birne-Stone 42:13
everyone. Thanks, Marco.
voiceover42:21
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