The Apple Seed

South Carolina storyteller Tim Lowry shares a two-part story about an important figure from his childhood. Miss Gimm is the wise woman with great influence in Putney Bible Baptist church in the wilds of Kentucky where Tim Lowry’s father pastored. She had unfulfilled hopes of serving missions abroad, but instead instead of letting that disappointment haunt her she funneled her energies into building community much, much closer to home. If you've ever know someone whose head is as hard as their heart is big, this is a story for you. (2:17) Miss Gimm Part 1 (17:10) Miss Gimm Part 2

Stories from Donald Davis and Andy Offut Irwin, both recorded live in The Apple Seed Studio. (1:27) North Carolina storyteller Donald Davis remembers his first day of school and all the new adults he met in a story he calls "The Principal." (13:34) Georgia storyteller Andy Offut Irwin shares a story about the types of shenanigans that you can get up to at church before you have your own relationship with God. It's a story he calls “Marguerite Can Read Braswell's Mind.”

Stories about mothers and mother figures, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:36) Ohio storyteller Lyn Ford brings us a story called "Monkey Loves Trouble" from her Aunt Queenie, a Caribbean storyteller who had a formative influence on Lyn. (19:45) Minnesota storyteller Kevin Kling ponders a mythical artifact found in most of our homes that dispenses resources great and small in a story called "Mom's Purse."

A King Arthur tale and a tall tale, both recorded live in the Apple Seed studio. (2:00) Philadelphia storyteller Ed Stivender shares "The Legend of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell," a tale from the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. (16:22) West Virginia storyteller Bil Lepp shares a tall tale about a tense encounter on the hiking trail in “The Ojai Mountain Lion.”

A pair of folk tales, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:55) English storyteller Simon Brooks shares an ancient story from Scandanavia about a young man who goes on a quest that takes him to the end of the world in "In Search of Luck." (14:23) Kenyan/Scottish storyteller Mara Menzies shares a tale from the Gikuyu people in Kenya about a curious woman who butts up against the village's traditions in “Washu and the Forbidden Meat.”

A pair of musical stories, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:48) North Carolina storyteller and musician Josh Goforth unfurls the hidden story behind the well-known folk song “Tom Dooley.” The journey to that song’s meaning all begins with a performance of another song, “A Locket and a Curl.” (20:56) Philadelphia-area storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston shares a rhythmic tribute to the great Jazz musician and cultural ambassador Louis Armstrong in a piece she calls “Louis Armstrong Rap.”

We've got a special treat for you today: an audio adventure from the new podcast "Kaboom" from the Apple Seed team. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while you may have heard some of our original audio drama adventures. They are highly produced, immersive stories made for the whole family to enjoy together, full of action and adventure, and they may even give your family some nice things to talk about together. We have spun these audio adventures off into their own series, and today we are going to share the first episode, "Out There." It's about a couple of estranged brothers who unexpectedly reunite while looking for a UFO in the middle of the ocean. If you enjoy the show today, go subscribe to "Kaboom" wherever you get your podcasts. https://linktr.ee/kaboompodcast We'll be back next week with more of your favorite storytellers here on The Apple Seed.

A couple stories for Easter week, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:30) Alabama-based storyteller Dolores Hydock, about an early job she had working at a chocolate Easter Bunny factory. If she was expecting Lucille Ball-style chocolate factory hijinks, that was not exactly what she got. (19:48) The Reverend Robert B. Jones shares the story of blues musician Blind Willie Johnson and how his recording of the song "Dark Was the Night," a haunting lament about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, came to be sent off into space on the Voyager Golden Record.

Today's stories will take you on a trip back to the roller rink and to visit old friends. Both stories were recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:48) West Virginia storyteller Adam Booth a story called "Roll-a-Rama," and it's sure to send you right back to that feeling of freedom you had as a child when you went gliding around the roller skating rink. (18:45) Georgia storyteller Andy Offut Irwin has created a wonderful world around his fictional Aunt Marguerite, and the stories featuring her family and friends are filled with humor and heart. He calls this story, “The Swing in the Park.”

An ancient Scottish story and a comic sing-along, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:34) Kenyan/Scottish storyteller Mara Menzies shares a fairy tale from the British Isles, "The Tale of Tam Lin." The fairies in this story are not the cute and small ones we think of nowadays, and it speaks to the cost and complexity of holding onto love in extreme circumstances, like, say, the one you love becoming a lion or a snake. (22:00) Philadelphia story-teller Ed Stivender pulls out his banjo to share the comic songs "Old Joe Clark" and "The Mud Miner." You’ll probably want to get up and dance, sing along, and maybe laugh out loud.

Stories from two beloved storytellers, both recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (3:42) Tall tale teller Bil Lepp delivers one of his classic stories about his misadventures with his buddy Skeeter in the tiny town of Half Dollar, West Virginia. It's a rowdy story involving a giant pumpkin and a rampaging bull he calls “Bored Gourd.” (21:46) Simon Brooks shares a story about a family trying to rid their garden of a big bully in "The Goat from the Hills and the Mountains." We're also thrilled to announce "Kaboom," a new spinoff podcast from The Apple Seed full of audio drama adventures for the whole family to enjoy. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and hear the trailer at byuradio.org/kaboom.

Stories from two beloved storytellers: Kevin Kling and Josh Goforth. Both were recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:32) A Kevin Kling story is a rollercoaster ride—we’ll hear anecdotes and poetry, comedy and pathos—but in the end, you’ll hear something you want to hang onto and something you’ll want to share. This is a story he calls "Love Story." (20:00) Josh Goforth brings Appalachian music and story together for a story about legendary guitarist Doc Watson, plus a performance of “The Streamline Cannonball.”

We're back for Season 3 with new stories from a couple of favorite storytellers! Both stories were recorded live in the Apple Seed Studio. (1:16) Donald Davis recalls a time from his childhood when he and his brother thought they were too mature to have a babysitter in the story "Getting Rid of the Babysitter." (17:21) Lyn Ford tells how by age three she was already finding her calling as a storyteller, though her earliest stories might have been less than true. It's a story she calls "My First Story."

We're excited to announce that The Apple Seed will return for its third season on March 2! In anticipation of the new season, we're bringing you this bonus episode that focuses on the wonderful Minnesota storyteller Kevin Kling. While he was in our studios to record some stories in the Apple Seed Studio, he sat down with the producers of Constant Wonder, one of our sister podcasts from the BYUradio family of programs. It’s a great conversation about his life and how he’s learned to overcome difficulties without losing his sense of humor. Plus you’ll get to hear a sneak preview of some Kevin’s stories that we’ll bring you on The Apple Seed in season 3. So sit back and enjoy this time with Kevin Kling, and if you like what you hear, you can subscribe to Constant Wonder wherever you get your podcasts. And we’ll see you back here next week for the season premiere of The Apple Seed.

What's new on The Apple Seed? Get ready for a new era of stories and narratives to ignite the imagination and a spark new love of wonder, here on The Apple Seed!