The mission of The Asheville Storytelling Circle is to affirm our various cultures, nourish the development of emerging and established artists, and promote excellence in the oral traditions.

Founded in 1995 by Sandra Gudger, the Asheville Storytelling Circle (ASC) is a non-profit organization of folks who love stories. Some of the members are professional tellers, others are amateur tellers, and still others just love listening to stories. However, all are interested in cultivating the traditional art of storytelling. To facilitate that cultivation, the ASC is now affiliated with the North Carolina Storytelling Guild.

Tellers, whether professional or amateur, come from all walks of life--physicist, carpenter, teacher, librarian, entertainer, musician, environmentalist, homemaker to mention just a few. All are continually learning more about stories and about cultivating the traditional art of storytelling for both adults and youth. Stories may entertain, instruct, heal, or be just downright fun. Some tell stories familiar to the Appalachian area such as Jack tales while others call on a different heritage such as Jewish, Native American, Irish, or Scottish. Most tellers are eclectic, using stories from a variety of sources and for a variety of occasions. Profiles and contact information for many members of the ASC are accessible in the List of Members