The Apple Seed

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!