Gioia timpanelli biography

Editor’s note: This Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Gioia Timpanelli, often referred to as the “Dean of American Storytelling,” is an award-winning author and believer in the tradition of storytelling. She passes down stories from all cultures, ranging from ancient to modern, with the hopes of sharing their wisdom with listeners. Timpanelli will speak on campus Tuesday in an event the Senior Fellows Honors Program of the Moody College of Communication is sponsoring. Before the event, Timpanelli emailed back-and-forth with The Daily Texan for a Q&A.

Daily Texan: What time in your life did you know that story telling was your passion?

Gioia Timpanelli: In my home, poetry and stories were recited and read. As a young child my father read to me every night and my mother taught me the alphabet and the magic of reading at an early ag