Stories are more than words shared between people. They are a transfer of energy, feelings, and ideas involving all the senses, lending their hand to building deep connections between the storyteller, the “storier” (active listener), and the story itself. In his talk, storyteller Adam Booth demonstrates masterful storytelling techniques to describe the purposes and impacts of storytelling and the importance of using orature to create and strengthen interpersonal connections between individuals, communities, histories, and traditions. Adam Booth is the 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year, awarded at the Governor’s Arts Awards. He blends traditional mountain folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia to create original, forward-thinking story artistry. As a nationally touring artist, his professional telling appearances include premiere storytelling events across the United States, including the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the International Storytelling Center, the National Storytelling Festival, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, the National Storytelling Conference, the National Academy of Medicine, and as a Spoken Word Resident at the Banff Centre. He is a member of the Recording Academy and his recordings have received multiple national honors, including a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Adam serves as the inaugural Storyteller-In-Residence at Shepherd University and is the founding artistic director of Speak Story Series. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx