Storyteller Mary Hamilton of Frankfort will speak to Midway Toastmasters Monday, June 22 at 6 p.m.

Longtime Kentucky storyteller Mary Hamilton of Frankfort will be telling stories and speaking about her craft at the Midway Toastmasters meeting Monday, June 22, at 6 p.m. in Room 120 of the Anne Hart Raymond Building at Midway College. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Hamilton has been telling stories professionally for 30 years at storytelling festivals, performing arts festivals, conferences, universities, theatres, libraries, museums, schools, and private gatherings. She also teaches the art of storytelling to teachers, librarians, speakers, and fellow storytellers. She is president of the Kentucky Storytelling Association and one of its founding members.

Hamilton's awards include the 2009 Circle of Excellence Oracle Award from the National Storytelling Network, recognizing her as a master storyteller with a long-term commitment and dedication to storytelling.

In 2012, Hamilton published a book, Kentucky Folktales: Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies, a collection of 26 stories and interpretive essays about each of those stories. She has also published several oral collections of her stories.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches communication and leadership skills through a worldwide network serving more than 313,000 memberships in more than 14,650 clubs in 126 countries. Midway Toastmasters meets every Monday and visitors are invited. For more information, contact the club at larryloganohio@msn.com or 859-420-2217.