Imagine a World Without Stories | Carmen Agra Deedy | TEDxCharlottesville

Carmen Agra Deedy is an award-winning children's book author, story-teller and host of a children's radio show. She makes the case for why the art of story-telling, and the equally important and symbiotic role of listening to a story, is so important. Through this age-old relationship between teller and listener, we are taught what is is to be human and how we pass down this legacy for future generations.

Carmen Agra Deedy has been writing for children for over two decades. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1964. She grew up in Decatur, Georgia, where she lives today. Deedy began writing as a young mother and storyteller whose NPR commentaries on All Things Considered were collected and released under the title, Growing Up Cuban In Decatur, Georgia. The pithy collection of twelve stories soon garnered awards, among them a 1995 Publishers Weekly Best Audio (Adult Storytelling) and a 1996 Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Her children’s books have won numerous awards. Deedy has spent the past twenty years writing and telling stories. She has been an invited speaker at venues as varied as The American Library Association, Refugees International, The International Reading Association, Columbia University, The Smithsonian Institute, TED, The National Book Festival, and the Kennedy Center.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx