Linda Goss

It was clear to Linda Goss, long before Mayor Wilson Goode declared her the official storyteller of the City of Philadelphia, that telling stories was her calling. “I grew up on pinto beans, cornbread, fried apples … and storytelling,” she laughs. “When I was little, I’d crawl onto my mother’s lap and she’d tell me a story, mostly Biblical stories that taught some kind of message.” Now, Goss, who has made appearances on the Today show and been profiled in the New York Times, does the same at national and area events, like her program at Center City’s Rosenbach Museum & Library on February 1st and 4th, where she’ll present tales from and about Langston Hughes. “Storytelling is so powerful,” the Tennessee native says. “My blues may not be your blues, but everyone has some story they need to tell. You can sing it, dance it, sew it, cook it, whatever it takes to tell that story.” Goss tells stories using chanting, music, even interactive marionettes. “People, events — they can be so inspiring,” Goss finishes. “Storytelling really is a part of all our lives.”