“Sharing the ancient art of poetry and storytelling as a way to educate, entertain and offer healing to individuals, communities and the living world.”
Brian Rohr is a poet, writer, and performative storyteller based outside of Portland, OR. His forthcoming feature-length poetry book, Shaken to My Bones: A Poetic Midrash on the Torah, will be released by Ben Yehuda Press in September 2024. He is the founder and director of “The Stafford Challenge,” an international poetry project that inspires over a thousand participants to write a poem every day for a year, influenced by the legendary poet William Stafford.
As a storyteller, Rohr studied with Mythologist and Master Storyteller Daniel Deardorff, and has shared his storytelling craft with audiences nationwide and internationally, performing at events such as the Northwest Folklife Festival, the International Jewish Renewal Aleph Kallah, and Illinois State University. He has delighted audiences of all ages at high schools, universities, synagogues, and libraries, focusing on the timeless myths, the old stories, sacred stories, folktales, and fairy tales from diverse cultures.
Honored by JT News as one of “10 Under 40” for his impactful work in the Jewish community, Brian was also a finalist for the J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Award by the National Storytelling Network. He is a former Board Member of the Mythsinger Foundation and has been a key figure in nurturing the art of storytelling and poetry. Additionally, his essay “Living in a Broken and Magnificent World: On Being a Story-Carrier” was featured in the two-volume book set about Jewish Storytelling, P’ri Etz Yitzhak, Fruit of Yitzhak’s Tree.
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Performance examples include:
- Tapestry of Jewish Learning in Austin, TX;
- Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle;
- Illinois State University;
- The Mankind Project;
- International Jewish Renewal Aleph Kallah in Redlands, CA;
- Trickster Tales Storytelling Festival in Washington State ;
- Vernon Area Library and Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL
- Portland Storytellers Guild Featured Teller performances
- Harvest Moon and Honoring the Dark festivals
- Tell It Like It Is: Portland’s Jewish Storytelling Festival
- and more.
Rohr is the creator and former host of the monthly First Friday Storynight at BLTC and Trickster Tales: A Night of Storytelling in Port Townsend, WA.
Learn what is unique about Brian as a performer by clicking here