Like Adams, storyteller and historian Brian “Fox” Ellis has family roots that go back to before the United States of America existed. He also has vine and tendril that include immigrants from the Great Hunger in Ireland, the political upheaval in Eastern Europe and the Hessian Soldiers hired by King George to fight against the Revolutionaries. Fox has long been a fan of the underdog throughout history, the stories rarely told and the important voices often left out of the history books. As the author of more than 30 books, 100 articles, a dozen musicals and a few dozen hours of PBS television, he works tirelessly to build a platform for everyone to share their story.
Please note that this program is not like a typical modern Chautauqua performance. It actually harkens back to the original Chautauqua, in which the "audience" was seen as "participants" in a scholarly discussion of important ideas, and mixed conversational storytelling with a reverse Q&A in which he asked them questions to discuss with their neighbors. This program is an engaging discussion on what it means to be an American and what we value as citizens of the United States of America. Led by a Boston Brahmin, arguably one of the more brilliant lawyers in the 13 colonies, Adams will ask difficult questions and expect sharp, clear answers from every participant, as he did when managing the debate over our Declaration of Independence.
Ellis is an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, historian and naturalist. He has worked with The Denver Museum of Science and Nature, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Field Museum and dozens of other museums across the country. Ellis is a frequent keynote speaker at regional and international conferences, including the International Wetlands Conservation Conference, National Science Teachers Association Conference and the North American Prairie Conservation Conference, et al. Ellis has hosted, produced, researched and written several documentaries for PBS. He is the author of more than 30 books, including three books of poetry, a series of biographies, History in Person and a series of collections of folklore, Fox Tales Folklore. He has two collections of stories with lesson plans: Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, and Content Area Reading, Writing and Storytelling. Many of his stories are also available on his podcast and YouTube channels, Fox Tales International and History in Person. Currently, he is the Director of Outreach and Membership for the Illinois Audubon Society, where he edits their quarterly magazine.
