About

Naomi was three years old when she gave her first storytelling performance. Her daddy bought a cassette recorder to preserve the stories of her Great Grandpa. Naomi remembers her Great Grandpa sitting on the couch, telling his story of making moonshine while her daddy recorded him. Afterwards, her Mama recorded Naomi telling The Three Bears. When it was played back all the adults loved it, especially the part where she described the porridge, saying, “It was too ha, ha, HOT.” 

Naomi always loved books and stories and as an only child until the age of seven she was surrounded by adults and their stories: the personal stories of her parents and grandparents, the stories her mama read to her from the books borrowed from the bookmobile, and the ones she heard in the music that was always playing in the house. 

Naomi remembers her second grade teacher who taught the class how to make books from used cardboard and discarded wallpaper. They wrote and illustrated their own stories. Naomi created a square book that was covered in wallpaper with a design of pink flowers with sparkly gold vines running across them. She made a second rectangular book, and inside on the new print paper she wrote and illustrated a story about a witch's mountain.  In addition to stories, Naomi also loved numbers and this same teacher suggested that Naomi skip a grade of math. Naomi's mama declined the offer.

Naomi grew up and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, earned her CPA license and now teaches at Appalachian State University. Story came back into her life when she enrolled in a four-year Education for Ministry program given by the University of the South, located in Sewanee, Tennessee.  Each year, one of the first assignments was to write a spiritual autobiography and, when Naomi shared hers with the group, they praised her efforts; one member said that Naomi reminded her of Lee Smith. With their encouragement, Naomi found the closest writing workshop, in Valle Crucis, North Carolina.  She still participates in that group today where she found close friends over the course of 16 years.  This group of writers appreciated Naomi's voice and encouraged her to find a place to share her work as a performer, not just as a writer. She did! The closest local spoken word event was at the Ashe County Arts Council where she became a regular participant. 

Her storytelling journey continues today. She is excited to share stories with others, both as a listener and a teller.