The Rowan Public Library is teaming up with the Rowan Blues and Jazz Society to present the Jackie Torrence Tribute Storytelling Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Salisbury Post parking lot, across from the Rowan Public Library in Salisbury. Other program sponsors include the Rowan Arts Council and the N.C. Arts Council.
The festival will feature a tribute to the “Story Lady,” Jackie Torrence, from the North Carolina Black Storytellers Association, and an inspiring presentation by Logan Mauldin, 11-year-old author of “Step Up Your Game to Win the Game.” Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Visit www.rowanbluesandjazz.org for more information.
Logan Mauldin is a veteran author now. The book he wrote at age 8 has gained him quite a bit of attention. He’s even been invited to take part in the annual storytelling festival as one of the chief attractions.
Rowan Blues and Jazz Festival organizer Eleanor Qadirah heard him on the radio and said, “We’ve got to have him.”
Logan’s story began when he and his mom, Angela Logan, were watching “20/20” and Logan learned boys don’t read as much as girls, partly because there’s not as much reading material geared toward boys.
“That’s not fair,” he says, “so I decided to write the book.”
The book is about his experience playing basketball for two teams while maintaining his status as an A/B student. Writing it was a fun experience, he says, because “through the book I realized there were things I didn’t know I could do. Mom always told me to try new things.”
Now, he’s working on a second book, about a fabulous frog.