Castleberry Tells Tales of Turtles, Humans at JDL Events

Larry Castleberry makes a point during one of his stories at Hanover Heritage Park on Monday. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV News.

By Jeff Steers
JTV News

(July 11, 2022 8:02 PM) Storyteller Larry Castleberry said he learned the art of storytelling by trying to get out of his homework when he was a young boy.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get away with it very often from a strong mother.

Fortunately, the Detroit-area resident got better.

Castleberry was part of two Jackson District Library presentations on Monday in Jackson County. 

He spun his stories at George Long Elementary School in Grass Lake in the morning at the Hanover-Heritage Park building in Hanover later in the afternoon. 

Castleberry, a Ford Motor Company engineer, expects to be part of the library’s Jackson Storyfest in the fall of 2022. 

He participated in the event last year for the first time.

Castleberry’s stories were about bullies, animals, and way around a large lion guarding fruit and water during a drought. The parables had surprise endings as the underdog won out in the end of each of his four stories. 

“It is all about interpretation … asking questions and clarifying,” Castleberry told the audience.