Wright House Concert: Subversive Librarian

Full venue address will be emailed upon registration

Subversive Librarian: Stories Lived and Told by an American Librarian in Norwich England

In the fall of 2008, Sarah Beth married John Nelson and they immediately moved to Norwich, UK, where John had a scholarship to study abroad. In order to stay busy (and sane) Sarah Beth volunteered as a librarian and storyteller. Jack, Boudica, the Foolish Frog, and the many people she met along the way made her feel like a heroine, but her return to the US in the spring of 2009 was less than heroic...

Subervise Librarian is the extended version of a show Sarah Beth takes to fringe festivals, which have a pesky 1 hour time limit. There will be a brief intermission.

Guest MC: Karen McCulloch

Karen owns Whitewater's local book store, The Book Teller. She hosts events for writers and readers at The Book Teller and has hosted outdoor open mics on 1st Street.
Performer: Sarah Beth Nelson

“She could have been crowned queen of unabashed honesty for even saying those words into a public microphone. Add to it that she’s a regular [at Carapace] and perhaps we should skip the ceremony and go straight to her everlasting reign as Empress.” (Mauree “Mo” Culberson, )

Often found at events like Carapace, The Moth, and Ex Fabula, Sarah Beth tells personal stories to eager audiences. She was among the first storytellers invited to perform at , an annual roots music festival in Franklin, Georgia. Sarah Beth shared the stage with local writers at the Orange County Historical Museum‘s post-Thanksgiving event, Home for the Holidays and has been a repeat performer at Bynum’s monthly show at the General Store.

As a Latin scholar and librarian, Sarah Beth also draws inspiration from classical history and mythology. But, Rome isn’t the only place with a few good tales, so Sarah Beth dips into other folk traditions as well.The University of Georgia Classics Department has twice invited Sarah Beth to perform as part of their annual festival, , and she has presented at the Annual Conference on Children’s Literature, organized by the University of Georgia’s Department of Language and Literacy Education. Sarah Beth has also been a presenter at Georgia’s State Latin Convention and the National History Fair.

During her first year of marriage, Sarah Beth accompanied her husband to Norwich, UK, which happens to be near the home of her favorite “barbarian,” Boudica. During her stay abroad, Sarah Beth performed at Ancient House Museum, located in Thetford, and at schools and libraries in Norfolk County. She developed a collection of American picture books for the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library in Norwich, where she also gave programs on American culture.

Sarah Beth is a former board member of Southern Order of Storytellers and National Storytelling Network. Sarah Beth has performed in the Peach State Storytelling Festival, Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, and Whitewater Storytelling Festival. She has portrayed Boudica during a performance of the Women’s Imaginative Guild of Storytellers. Sarah Beth has acted as mistress of ceremonies for Kim Weitkamp and she has performed at the National Storytelling Conference. She has been a Fringe performer in the Classic City Fringe Festival, the Atlanta Fringe Festival, the Cincy Fringe Festival, the Greensboro Fringe Festival, and the Elgin Fringe Festival. Sarah Beth was chosen to perform in the Story Slam at the National Storytelling Festival in 2022 and won 3rd place.

From childhood memories to raising children, from space camp to band camp, from studying abroad in Rome to living abroad in Norwich, UK, Sarah Beth shares the stories of her life and beyond with “unabashed honesty.”

This performance will be enjoyed by listeners 10 and up. Families can use their own discretion regarding younger children.

is an old brick home in Whitewater, Wisconsin, originally built by the Wright family in 1857. Currently owned and loved by the Nelsons.

May 11, 2024 at 7pm Central

Please register through Eventbrite to get the full venue address.

Payment is handled separately from Eventbrite. You can pay for your ticket through PayPal (paypal.me/sarahbethnelson), Venmo (@Sarah-Nelson-339), or by cash at the show. Include a note in PayPal or Venmo that this is for the Wright House Concert. Suggested $10 donation per ticket. If you can not pay $10, consider donating what you are able, bringing a snack to share, or bringing a small handmade gift or card for the performer.

All donations are being collected by Sarah Beth Nelson. For this show, 90% of the funds will go to the performer and 10% will go to the MC.

Karen McCulloch: thebookteller.com

Sarah Beth Nelson: sbnelson.com

Host or Publisher Sarah Beth Nelson