Anne, 2007 Geitgey family quilt, circa 1900 Findley Elementary, 2009 Anne imitates Elvis Anne's princess yearns Anne in Spring Hat, 2010 Heart Aloft

ADULTS

Here's a sampler of the kind of stories Anne tells for adults, about the extraordinary heart of ordinary life.

An Everday Hero

A regular guy discovers he can make a difference. Inspired by September 11, 2001.

by Anne Rutherford (Short Story)

Romance at short notice was her speciality.  

Saki (H.H. Munro), The Open Window

The Open Window

A girl's flair for drama sabotages a hypochondriac's rest-cure in the English countryside.

by Saki, H.H. Munro (Short Story)

[Roses.]
Some stray shaft of grace fell upon me, and I looked up...

Dora, Wilde Flowers

Wilde Flowers

Oscar Wilde's visit to a Colorado mining town is a rough-edged miner's catalyst for change.

by Anne Rutherford (Historical Fiction)

Your story [The Habit of Joy] was ...fabulous, perfectly told, and such a warmth you exuded to the audience as you told it. I wonder how many people out there will change more than a few things in their lives as a result?

Audience member, Always Coming Home, 2004

CHILDREN    SENIORS

Peacock Love

Anne's ah-ha moment, thanks to a love-sick peacock and hard-core Buddhist monk.

by Anne Rutherford (Personal Anecdote)

[Lovesick peacock.]
"The last principle: no eating after noon." Heads snap up all around the meditation hall... 

Anne (narrator,) Peacock Love

Rapture

Can two girls stay friends while navigating their paths as secular Jew and fundamentalist Christian?

by Anne Rutherford (Short Story)

Coffee Odyssey

Romance, fantasy and fullfillment — with room for cream.

by Anne Rutherford (Monologue)

[The Dancer.]
"Change those three things, you change your life" "What three things?" "You're going to tell me. Ready?" 

Margaret, The Habit of Joy

The Habit of Joy

A woman changes her life with the help of an unorthodox life coach.

by Anne Rutherford (Short Story)

CHILDREN

Here are the kind of stories Anne tells for children, fueling hearts and imaginations.

Sister Sun and Brother Moon

Two thumbs go on an epic journey, rife with suspense, romance and audience participation.

Anne's version of a traditional tale

[Headshot of The Thumbs.]
They opened their doors(EERRGH) went outside(AH!) OVER the mountain and down through the valley...

Sr. Sun and Brother Moon

Two Frogs Walking

A couple of dim-witted frogs limit their carbon footprint.

Japanese Folktale

Broken Pots, Mended Hearts

After making a costly mistake, a daughter learns truth can heal.

by Anne Rutherford (Original Fable)

My favorite story was the girl who lied to her mother about breaking the pot...but then she told the truth.

2nd grade student MLC, 2004

Coyote Goes to Daycare

...chaos ensues.

by Anne Rutherford. First of Anne's Urban Coyote series.
Storyboard forCoyote Goes to Daycare

Treasure on Neahkanie

Clementine Ryder (Anne's original character) searcges for hidden treasuer, despite ghostly sailors and pirates.

by Anne Rutherford (Short Story, based on Oregon folktale)

[Clementine Ryderat McKay.]

When Anna Met Rufous

Meeting a migrant visitor from Mexico changes a shy hummingbird's world.

by Anne Rutherford (Story and song, English and Spanish)
AVAILABLE ON The Great Pacific Flyway CD

She really knows how to make the story come to life in some strange way. Also, she was very interactive and fun.

High School Student, 2009

Abiyoyo

Pete Seeger's re-telling of a classic African folktale, updated for Portland here and now.

Adapted by Anne Rutherford and Jan DeWeese

Anne and Jan DeWeese

The little girl played her banjo — and the monster started to dance...

Abiyoyo

SENIORS

Anne likes to tell these kind of stories for the elder generation, evoking laughs and memories.

Turning Back the Miles

A pre-WWII courting couple outwit a nosy father and pave the way for marriage.

by Anne Rutherford (Personal Anecdote)

You are the best storyteller I have ever heard. And I'm eighty-three years old!

Audience Member, Holiday Bouquet of Tales, 2008

Springtime a la Carte

In turn of the century New York City, a manual typewriter helps a young woman find true love.

by O. Henry (Short Story)

[Girl Typist.]
Dearest Walter, with Hard-boiled Egg

Springtime a la Carte

My Darlin' Clementine

A romance that takes an unexpected turn.

American folksong

Love or Chocolate Milk?

The sweet torment of first love, in kindergarten.

by Anne Rutherford (Personal Anecdote)

I am in a life or death situation here - this is no time for a hoe-down! But he just winked at me and began to play.

Clementine Ryder, Rattler's Revenge

Rattlesnake's Revenge

Clementine Ryder (Anne's original character) faces down snakes with the help of some fast banjo picking.

Oregon folktale, adapted by Anne Rutherford