Studio LLL's Dance Camp Starts This June!

By Emilee Micah Butler

In addition to the Spring Showcase and Nutcracker Tea, Studio Laugh Love Leap has another annual tradition that’s become a teacher, student, and family favorite over the years: dance camp! This year, Hilliard Institute is raising money for scholarships so that no student will have to miss out on this experience. 

Dance camp is a five-day summer dance intensive made to help each student learn choreography, grow their technical skills, and—most importantly—build community.

Dancers from the age of four all the way to the teen students will get a camp experience suited for them—and no matter the age, every student will see the fun of dancing and learning new things alongside their friends.

Dance camp encompasses a lot of fun activities and learning opportunities, but students' favorites include the challenging (yet fun) atmosphere, the games played over lunch, the sweet community of dancers, the chance to try new styles, and being able to dance with people you don’t normally take classes with.

Charlotte Hall, a Laugh Love Leap student and teacher's assistant, shared that “dance camp for me is an amazing experience for a multitude of reasons! For starters, the building in friendships. Some of the deepest, most real and loving friendships I have to this day started in dance camp. Another thing I love about dance camp is what I learn about myself. Learning how to be patient with others, myself, and my limits. Whether that’s physically or mentally is incredibly helpful not only for that one week but for my life in general!”

Above all else, we want to help every student participate in the fun and be a part of this uniquely creative atmosphere. 

This year, help us make sure all dancers are able to experience this camp and the growth it provides, no matter their financial situation. 

As we jump into Studio Laugh Love Leap summertime, we can’t wait to see another year of activities, learning opportunities, and friendships come alive—all starting in dance camp!

Son of a Preacher Man Tour Update

by Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

edited by Emilee Micah Butler

The Hilliard Institute for Educational Wellness is excited to announce that the Son of a Preacher Man Tour is continuing throughout 2026! We’re currently accepting requests for stops at various sites throughout the year. 

I started the year having already accepted five invitations for site visits and speaking engagements in Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Details will follow as the tour progresses. I’ll use Facebook and our Hilliard Institute blog to post details of each tour stop. 

There are four to five major aspects of this yearly tour that visits places like schools, libraries, farmer's markets, churches, and festivals. This year, our major aspects are as follows:

1. An honor and memorial to my father—an educator and preacher all of his life—going to sites and communities where he shared and preached the educational wellness philosophy, often through holistic Biblical teaching and examples.

2. A methodology for sharing historical/educational presentations on the 1968–1972 Jesus People Movement, sharing from my perspective and using this information in such a way as to make the movement's unique sensory learning philosophy beneficial to current audiences.

3. A sensory education program for giving away free Bibles and educational materials of a variety of types to represent the holistic aspect of Biblical teaching toward physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. (The tour focuses on meeting with unusual groups and unusual festivals where the Bible may not be commonly used—such as hippie and art festivals. At each festival, I work with individuals in my Bible tent and help them to select the best Bible for them, related to their personal needs. I also present lessons and workshops on a variety of sensory teaching, learning, physical, and spiritual topics.) 

4. A way of more effectively using the skill of storytelling as a high-quality sensory teaching and learning tool—one that benefits most audiences, both young and old—as one of my directives this year is the use of "In the Beginning Stories." 

In February and March, the first stops of this tour began with past supporters. After that the tour plans to attend:

• a new art festival in South Carolina

• a farmer's market, library, and school in the heart of the mountains of Jellico, Tennessee

• a hippie festival in Maggie Valley, North Carolina

•  the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina

This year, I also wish to involve student interns in some of these festivals as a method of training the trainer to create future sensory and learning teachers, educators, and missionaries. 

Other large festivals are currently being contacted with plans to attend at least two more. Feel free to contact me (markhilliard57@gmail.com) if you know of another opportunity! And keep me in your prayers throughout the tour.

The Nutcracker Tea Is Days Away . . . And Special Guests Will Attend!

by Emilee Micah Butler

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“We attended the nutcracker tea party last year as a last-minute gift from a friend, and it was such a fun surprise for our two year old who had just started ballet classes. She LOVED getting special hot chocolate and ‘grown up’ treats and ornaments at our table. She watched completely enraptured as the ballet unfolded in an easy-to-follow version of The Nutcracker, and she loved dancing with the ballerinas and sitting on the floor to watch. She's watched the videos I took over and over and is so excited to go again and bring all of her friends this year. It's 100% our favorite Christmas memory of 2024 and a lovely introduction to the classic story. So excited to attend every year as a new Christmas tradition!” - Laura Ulveling 

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Stories like this have made the Hilliard Institute so excited to be hosting this unique Nutcracker event again! Unlike a typical Nutcracker show, the Laugh Love Leap Nutcracker Tea is an interactive experience for kids and adults alike. This event offers sweet treats for every guest, a 35-minute dance show (including a section where the kids themselves can become a part of the story!), and a photo opportunity where guests can meet and interact with their favorite characters.

The dancers themselves agree that the tea is an experience that is wonderfully unique compared to other performance opportunities—and that it brings charm to the Nutcracker in all new ways.

“When I danced in the Nutcracker Tea it was special because there weren’t that many guys on stage at one time, so I was able to lean into my character and see the kids light up and cheer when I did” — Jacob Blue (Candy Cane, 2024)

 “The Nutcracker Tea was a fun experience to be a part of as a dancer because of the joy it brought to all the kids. I loved getting to see the kids be able to interact with the story and the dancers.” — Keeley Dunlap (Flower, 2024)

“Playing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker Tea last year was such a unique and rewarding experience. It was so special to bring joy to the audience through this approachable and exciting adaptation of this beloved ballet. Isabella has created a one-of-a-kind Nutcracker that is suitable for both young and old alike, and I will forever cherish the memories I made performing in it! I am so grateful for the Nutcracker Tea experience and cannot wait to come see it again in future years.” – Abigail Dorn (Sugar Plum Fairy, 2024)

Even guests said it was a stunning show and that they “loved watching all our dance friends take on these memorable and beautiful nutcracker dances. It’s really fun watching all the little kids who come and enjoy this Christmas tradition and even participate at times!” – Christi Bissell (Studio LLL mom)

We all look back with much joy on last year's tea, and this year, the magic will only be bigger! We will be joined from England by the Chancellor of the Hilliard Institute and his wife, Dr. David and Celia Woodfine. David is the retired High Steward of Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford England, Master of the Oxford Guild of Chefs, and a former butler to royalty! Their presence will add to the enchantment of the event and will undoubtedly make it even more special.

The Hilliard Institute: Dr. David Woodfine, Celia Woodfine, Jessa Rose Sexton, Rosemary J. Hilliard, Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

 The 10 a.m. show is already sold out—but there are still tickets available for the 3 p.m. show. Get tickets while seats are still available . . . and get excited!! This unique Nutcracker Tea is a show like no other—and we can’t wait to share the holiday magic with all of you!

We're Hosting the 2nd Annual Nutcracker Tea Experience!

by Emilee Micah Butler

“Quickly becoming a favorite holiday event, Nutcracker Tea Experience gives kids of all ages a time celebrate the holiday with all the magic of the Nutcracker in a wiggle friendly magical world with delicious sweet treats, photos with extraordinary characters, and a wonderful dance journey through a Nutcracker storybook as the story comes to life on stage!”

— Isabella Kearney, Artistic Director of Studio LLL

The Hilliard Institute is absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Nutcracker Tea Experience again this year! Come and watch beautiful performances from Studio LLL dancers, partake in tasty Christmas treats, meet all of your favorite Nutcracker friends, and guess what else? You get to participate in the story!

The Nutcracker Tea is a shortened way to experience this Christmas classic in a way you never have before. In addition to this, the event is a fundraiser for the Studio LLL community. The money from the tea will go towards providing scholarship opportunities for dancers in need, keeping students in safe studio spaces, providing costumes and performance opportunities for dancers, and allowing students to be taught by quality instructors. 

Watch your kids (and yourself!) interact with the magic of Christmas during the tea, at a fraction of the cost of a typical Nutcracker event. Kids from ages 1 to 92 will love the experience of taking photos with their favorite characters, getting drinks from our hot chocolate bar, and being a part of this creative take on a Christmas family favorite.

Invite your friends and your family to get ready for a magical Nutcracker event like no other!

Saturday, December 13th

10:00am | 3:00pm

Woodmont Hills Church, Nashville, Tennessee

Son of a Preacher Man Tour and Revival 2023–2025

by Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

Each year, for the past three years, I have traveled and toured in the late spring, summer, and fall on educational adventures throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Michigan,  and a few other spots, in honor and memory of my dad, a lifelong preacher (making me the Son of a Preacher Man).

my parents: Jack and Lola Hilliard

So, I began contacting the churches my dad had established or preached for to see if I could “come back on his (and my mom’s) behalf and see how they were doing.” I have to note that my dad’s ability to be an effective preacher man was, in great part, related to the woman he married. My mom was a true partner in their ministry. 

This simple beginning of a little tour evolved into multiple visits to old and new venues each year, talking about my family and sharing the Gospel as Paul and Barnabas and Mark did. I began giving away free Bibles and speaking to thousands of people, about anything from mental/physical/spiritual wellness, to revival, to the Gospels, to living a good life on earth (a topic from the Beatitudes), to bringing a bit of “on earth as it is in heaven.”  

2023 Tour

In 2023, I began my Son of a Preacher Man adventures on what I called A Good News Tour and Revival. I initially traveled to about 5 churches—including one that no longer exists, but I was able to find 10 folks I knew there from 50 years ago, and we met at a local coffee shop. This was Jellico, a small town of about 1800 people in the mountains of East Tennessee. This is the place where my family initiated a house church that continued from 1968–72. Our supporting church during that time was the Highland View Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In fact, it was their brain child (more about that in the future).

I had always been a preacher’s kid. But while living in Jellico, I became “the Song of a Preacher Man.” I was 11–15 during our time there, and my dad just included me in all his mission efforts in getting to know the folks in our new town, and our new church. I went along to all types of gatherings as we worked to build this new church community, and it changed me. The local folks began to call my dad simply “Preacher Man,” and if I was with him they would call me, “the Son of the Preacher Man.”

Then, one Sunday night after church worship, some of us kiddos went from our house’s worship gathering spot into our family’s personal living area to watch the Ed Sullivan Show. This night (I believe it was November 1968), Ed introduced a new young singer from England: Dusty Springfield. She’d come to Tennessee to record her new album Dusty in Memphis, which included her new soon-to-be-hit-song, which she sang on the Ed Sullivan show that night: “The Son of a Preacher Man.”  That name has stuck with me ever since 1968 and has been refreshed in my new Son of a Preacher Man Tours and Revivals every year. 

So, in 2023, after traveling and making tour stops at five churches, someone who saw one of my Facebook articles called me up and said he did multiple hippie festivals throughout middle American and seeing that I was a preacher, professor, and had long hair, would I come to one of his festivals with a prayer tent? This I did, taking along with me several hundred of what was called the Hippie Jesus People Bible translation in 1968: Good News for Modern Man. (It is still being published but has since dropped the Modern Man bit and is simply the Good News Bible.) 

At this festival I gave away several hundred Bibles and talked with hundreds of young and old alike about Jesus and His Good New Kingdom of God story. It was such a beautiful addition to what I had been doing. Then, the producer of these hippie festivals told me he was creating a Jesus People Campout and Revival up in Michigan in memory of the 1960s–70s Jesus People Movement and asked if I would take part in that event. I again said yes.

I attended this event later that summer and spoke three times in the Big Tent, gave away several hundred Bibles, prayed for multitudes of folks, and baptized fourteen people. At this point one of my good friends of old, from Jellico, began to call my adventures, “on a Mission from God,” in reference to the Blues Brothers movie in 1980, where these two brothers were on a crazy mission from God to raise $5000 to keep the orphanage where they had been raised from being going under. 

References to songs and movies just kept coming.

2024 Tour

In 2024 I continued my tour, but now under the full title: Son of a Preacher Man: The Jesus People Tour and Revival. In that year, I traveled to multiple small churches, hippie festivals, farmer’s markets, coffee shops, small restaurants, and other places where I was able to share Bibles and talk about Jesus. In 2024 I talked with over 1000 people at events and gave away over 600 Bibles.

2025 Tour

In 2025 I continued my tour as named the previous year: Son of a Preacher Man: Jesus People Tour and Revival 2025. In my prayers for this year’s tour, the Lord continued to tell me to “go to the Word, to take people to the Word.”  All my lessons have been created directly from Scripture, mainly the Gospels and the book of Acts. At this point, I’ve already made these stops: a Jesus People festival, a hippie festival, three churches, a community library, a coffee shop, multiple restaurants and hotels talking with staff and visitors as well (even baptizing one individual at a local hotel), and more. I’m hoping to do two more festivals and create one or two old-time revival tent events.

Under the Holy Spirit’s directive this year, I bought 1000, high-quality Bibles to share. I felt it only appropriate to give the Bibles away free—and that they should be really well-designed. In this process I studied Bible translations for three months and selected thirteen different translations to give away and 40 different versions/designs. I wanted people to be able to pick out their own Bibles, that would meet them where they are. And I wanted to talk to every single individual who came into my vendor tent, about making this selection. I think I was successful. 

with my cousin, Scott Carter

The following are some details of my last two major events—including a Jesus People Festival in Trufant, Michigan, in July 2025 and a Hippie Festival in Maggie Valley, North Carolina in May. 

• met with over 1000 people about Jesus and the Bible thus far

• gave away over 700 Bibles (300 more to give away the rest of 2025)

• spoke three times in the big revival tent at a Jesus People festival (15 People were baptized)

• spoke on Mother’s Day, from the music stage at a hippie festival and gave away 100 Bibles

• spoke about Jesus at farmers markets, coffee shoppers, libraries, old churches, restaurants, hotel lobbies, hotel breakfast rooms (Everywhere we stopped on my tour, I spoke with people about my tour and Jesus.)

• met with hundreds of people in my Bible tent (some good help from my cousin Scott Carter)

• prayed for folks, counseled folks, listened to folks, loved folks

This spring and fall have been the most consuming so far, yet it has been another wonderful experience, full of Godly Enchantment, with the Holy Spirit moving all throughout. I’ve still got a couple more events to go in 2025—and then on to 2026!

We're Hosting a Nutcracker Tea Experience!

Join us for this quintessential Christmas event!

Saturday, December 7th 10:00am | Woodmont Hills Church

Come share in a tasty tea with sweets of all kinds. Meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, Dancing Flowers, even that pesky Mouse King! Dance with Clara and the Nutcracker Prince and be part of the Nutcracker like never before. 

We’re thrilled to host this Studio LLL fundraiser. Money collected from ticket sales and event sponsorships will support the studio’s ability to continue to provide supportive communities, quality teachers, safe and protective studio spaces, and incredible performance experiences for their students.

Studio LLL is offering a unique take on this classic tale—with a shortened version of the story (perfect for wiggly audience members), an immersive element (a photo booth with your favorite characters), and sweet treats for all (including a hot cocoa bar).

And we’re bringing all that at a fraction of the cost of the typical Nashville Nutcracker event.

So bring a loved one to enjoy—and support—the arts. Talk about being merry and bright this holiday season!

Crowdancing Book Tour Dates To Come

By Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

Gatlinburg, Tennessee:  East Tennessee

The next tour stop for Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag is at the Anna Porter Public Library in Gatlinburg on Dec 1st from 4 to 6:00 p.m. Much of the story takes place in The-Land-of-Blue-Haze—The Smoky Mountains. More details to come.

Cherokee, North Carolina

The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian Reservation 

The Reservation book tour stop is planned for December or January. Final details are now being put into place. This is the place that inspired the majority of the book’s stories. More details to follow. 

Spring Hill, Tennessee:  Middle Tennessee

The Spring Hill book tour stop will be at the Spring Hill Public Library Feb 4th at 2:00. This is the place I currently live and the place from where much of the book was written. More details will come as the event occurs, but this tour stop will include a session on poetry by Jessa Rose Sexton and a session on storytelling by me. 

What is the Focus of Each Book Tour Stop and Talk?

Much of the early history of Native Americans—Indians as the Cherokee call themselves—and how tribes lived and worked and played and believed has been lost. The earliest records of the Cherokee were passed down generation by generation through oral stories, traditions, rituals, and drawings or markings kept on leather skins—carved into or painted on cave walls and other stone objects or placed (stored) through stor-ied memory into a piece of cloth, a stone, a feather, or any object composed of matter and kept in a secret place. A place such as the Cherokee Storyteller's Bag within this story. 

At each of my tour stops, I pull stories from the Bundle-of-Talk held within my Storyteller’s Bag, and I share each ancient historic tale with all who come to listen or decide to take my book home to read.

Each and every story is based on a memory kept deep within my mind and within the bag, but now released as I tell each tale. The decision on what I read and what information I share at each tour stop is very individualized and based on the location, the history of the location, the audience, and the actual mood of each group. That’s how storytelling should occur.

So join me at one of these stops and listen and see for yourself.

Crowdancing Book Tour Dates and Stops So Far

By Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

Book Tour Dates and Book Stops Along the Way

To Ireland and Beyond!

As I have gained in age (I started writing at age 40 and am now 65), I have come to appreciate placing a week, or perhaps even two, between each stop in my book tour, rather than moving so swiftly from place to place, day after day. This slowed pace is giving me the time to sit with each of my groups of attendees at each book signing and talk. To talk with the groups as a whole and to talk with any and all who wish to come early or stay late, and chat. This book is, after all, a book about storytelling, and storytelling takes time and patience. 

The initial phase of this book-tour began in August 2022 and will continue through February 2023. Phase two will talk place in the summer of 2023, with an intent to return to Ireland at that time. This is where the book held its pre-release Tea and a Talk launch at the Power of Words Literary Festival in Abbeyleix, Ireland, August 19th through the 21st..

This pre-release was then followed by a tour throughout the major divisions of my home state of Tennessee (We are a very horizontally expansive state.) with tour stops planned for West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, East Tennessee, and just over the state border into Cherokee, North Carolina. With each of these divisional-launches, I invite you, whether in person or in spirit, to come alone for the journey, as I share this "Memoir of my Expanded-Imagination."  

Tennessee Book Tour Stops So Far

Jellico, Tennessee: East Tennessee

The Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag Ireland-American Book Tour 2022-23 had its first stop in Tennessee on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at the Jellico Public Library. This small village is where I lived from age ten to fourteen, and it was the inspiration for a one of this books’ largest chapters—”Beyond the Days of Fun and Folly” which includes “The Call of the White-Crow” and “The-Girl-in-the-Blue-Dress.”

Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag is Book One in a carefully planned trilogy, with each book representing a specific portion of my life as examined through my expanded-imagination. I see it as my effort to uncover the past, via actual history and places and myths, as they are each processed through my imagination. 

For this group I shared a reading from one section of my book that was full of fantasy and enchantment, and then I read a section about the mysterious Village of Angelica in the Valley of Elk—all based on stories from my life in Jellico. 

This East Tennessee book launch experienced excellent attendance, far beyond my expectations, with every attendee taking home a signed copy of the book.

Special thanks go to the Jellico Librarian, Mark Tidwell, and the Assistant Librarian, Sheyanne Taylor. You opened your space, not only for the my talk about the Cherokee and my new book, but for multiple hours before and after the event to individually chat with all the attendees—some of whom I had not seen for fifty years. I will make sure it is not another fifty years before I return.

In fact, already in the planning, is a Son of the Preacher Man—A Good News Revival Tour, to each of the places my father use to preach. 

Milan, Tennessee:  West Tennessee

On Thursday, November 10, 2022, I made a book tour stop in West Tennessee at the Mildred G. Fields Memorial Library in Milan, Tennessee. This is where I attended high school and where I lived from age 15-18. A few aspects of my life in Milan are noted near the end of Book One—Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag and will continue into Book Two—Crowdancing and the Cherokee Little People. 

With this group I shared details of Cherokee life in the 1600s and about an ancient and unique Cherokee storytelling style that has been all but lost. One of my goals was to reveal stories and information that the audience have never heard before. At the end of my talk, the entire audience concurred that I did indeed fulfill this goal.

I also read a chapter from my book about mystery, enchantment, and the expanded-imagination—all pulled from the sto-ried memory held within an old Cherokee crow feather that I pulled from deep within my storyteller’s bag.

Thanks go to Katie Hollandsworth, Director of the Library—thank you for taking care of me and my audience with a beautiful space and a sundry of cookies and snacks. It was a grand day.

Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag: The Story Behind the Story

By Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

The Book: 

Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag: A Memoir of My Expanded-Imagination 

Crowdancing’s story is a personal memoir in that it covers portions of my real-life and imaginative-life from before I was born to about age fifteen—all blended together within authentic Cherokee and Irish history, legend, lore, poetry, and fantasy. The story will take you into the midst of ancient Cherokee ceremonies; into the enchanted lands of faerie and fae and dragon and crow; into the hiding places of the Little-People of the Cherokee; into the homes of the Faerie Folk of Ireland; and near and far beyond. 

The Stories will take you into an enchanted world of unseen realms on earth and realms afar; into the lives of the Cherokee-Real-People, and their real-places; places that once stood within time itself, and some still do; yet by some magical mystical means, these places now transcend both time and space, and the hearer of these stories, along with them. 

But that is enough . . .  for now! Let me begin my first tale. 

“O-E-A . . . Yah!

What I have said is true.

And I, the Storyteller, do tell this tale.”

September 2022

That First Copy!

The first copy of my new book, Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag, arrived from my publisher, Moloney-O’Brien, today—September 29, 2022.  It is always exciting to see that first hard-copy proof with your own eyes and in the hands that tapped on those computer keys for month upon month wondering if The End would ever come; then to slowly flip through its pages hoping to find no mistakes; to take a sniff of the books utter newness (a mixture of paper and ink and glue); and to read aloud the first chapter and see if the rhythm you strove so hard to maintain, is still there.

And in this case, the excitement was especially rousing because the book was over three years in the creating and writing. And some portions of the book have been sitting idle within my mind and journals for over 25 years (since the time I wrote my doctoral dissertation about the Eastern Band of the Cherokee). 

Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag is my first step away from traditional academic writing. Is a historic-fantasy, meta-narrative, novel. As such, I use stories within a story, tales within a tale, and narratives within a narrative to convey a united story of the early life of the lead character, Crowdancing, and his life among the Cherokee and Irish people of the 1600s.

These stories and tales and narratives are all based on my very individualized interpretation of actual historic information; my extensive ritualistic experiences with the Cherokee and Irish cultures; my graduate and post-graduate academic research and training into sensory teaching and learning, the expanded imagination, enchantment, and sacred space; and the personal meaning I have discovered in my individual pursuit and pondering of each. Throughout the book, I labored with love and sweat to place multiple levels of mystery into every single story.

October 2022

The Process!

As I am thinking back on the process of writing this book about Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag, I am convinced that all our imaginative stories of fantasy and mystery and magic speak of an inner awareness and belief in the impossible becoming possible. At some inward place, we all believe in magic. And we desire for a bit of that magic to show up today in our commonplace lives.

So I encourage everyone to go outside and look for it. For Godly Enchantment is literally and mysteriously EVERYWHERE! By reading the stories within this story, I hope my readers are stimulated to experience more and more of what I have coined, The Expanded-Imagination. That place where our mind joins with our spirit, our body joins with our soul, and our conscience joins with our heart; and our spirit and soul are asked, to come out a play. 

November 2022

Why a book about the Cherokee, the Irish, and Enchanted Crows?

I've always loved crows, since a child, and in my young 20s I joined the Young Adult Conservation Corps for one year as a Wildlife Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife; working with and studying crows, blackbirds, and other animals whose former areas of residence had been invaded by humans, and vice versa.

In my 30s and 40s, I lived and worked on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina, conducting research for my doctoral dissertation. This was a place I had often visited as a child with my family. And I had a very mystical experience with a hover of enchanted crows while there. 

In my 40s and 50s I conducted post graduate field college studies in Ireland and England. Visiting hundreds of sacred sites and studying at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. 

So what I have done in writing this newest book, Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller's Bag, is share my re-creation of what I learned during these multiple grand adventures, and in my studies of myths and facts and mystery and enchantment. 

Block Writer's Block: Tea and a Talk With Hilliard Press (Session 3)

You know the feeling: you’re staring at the blank screen or blank piece of paper—and your brain is completely blank as well. It’s writer’s block. But the good news is it happens to us all—it’s honestly part of the creative process. 

That doesn’t mean you give up. It means you block that writer’s block. Here’s how with Jessa Rose Sexton.

Tea and a Talk With Hilliard Press (Sessions 1 and 2)

Session One

Dr. K. Mark Hilliard 

The Expanded-Imagination—A Journey into the Enchanted

Our expanded-imagination is activated when our mind and spirit join together as they experience enchantment through sensory stimulation. 

Much too often we wait for enchantment in the big things. We wait for our teens, adulthood, college, marriage, a perfect job, a vacation, then retirement . . . Or, we might simply push enchantment totally out of our life as we grow into adulthood or move closer toward any of these new life experiences. We let enchantment go away, or pass us by as our life-pages are turned. 

Yet authentic enchantment, this journey into our expanded-imagination, is meant to be something we experience every single day of our lives, at every-turn, and at every-age. Join with me on this brief discussion on how to activate this inner place of the expanded imagination within your own soul.

Session Two

Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

Crowdancing and the Cherokee Storyteller’s Bag: a Memoir of My Expanded Imagination

This session is a pre-release of, and a reading from, my newest book. Crowdancing’s story will take you into the midst of the ancient Cherokee ceremonies of the 1600s; into the enchanted lands of faerie and fae and dragon and crow; into the hiding places of the Little-People of the Cherokee; into the homes of the Faerie-Folk of Ireland, and near and far beyond. 

These stories will take you into an enchanted world of unseen realms on earth and realms afar; 

into the lives of The-Cherokee-Real-People, and their real-places; places that once stood within time itself, and some still do; yet by some magical mystical means, these places now transcend both time and space, and the hearer of these stories, along with them. It is a journey into my expanded imagination. And you are invited to come along!

But that-is-enough  . . .  for now! Let me begin my first tale. I will pull it from my Bundle-of-Talk; I will draw it from deep within the Storyteller’s bag; The Storyteller’s bag in which all of Crowdancing’s stories are held captive, only to be released as the stories are told.

O-E-A . . . Yah!

What I have said is true. 

And I, the Storyteller, do tell this tale.”

The Power of Words Festival and Anthology

The Power of Words Festival in Ireland is an annual celebration of words—written, spoken, acted, and sung—that began in the beautiful heritage town of Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, in 2019.

Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, the 2020 Power of Words Festival was postponed. But, in its place was created a joint venture between The Power of Words Festival—Abbeyleix and Hilliard Press (the publishing division of The Hilliard Institute). The result was a short story writing competition! This competition was meant to keep our Irish writers writing during all the Covid-19 lockdowns—and it served as a bridge between our 2019 and 2021 in-person festivals.  

This short story competition took place beginning the 31st of August, 2020, until the 4th of December, 2020. Irish writers were invited to submit short stories of up to 5000 words, on any theme. Approximately forty stories were submitted and our competition judge, renowned Irish author, Amanda Carter, selected the top ten stories which are published within this anthology. The stories then went through the hands and reviews of four editors in Ireland and four editors in Tennessee.

Hilliard Press was then honored to be the publisher for the first Power of Words Abbeyleix Anthology released the summer of 2021 in Ireland, then in Tennessee. Hilliard Press also has a deep heritage and history with Abbeyleix and the County Laois through their mutual ties to the O’More clan. We were thrilled to be a part of the new venture. 

Hilliard Institute Presents at an Irish Literary Festival

Dr. K. Mark Hilliard, Vice Chancellor for the Hilliard Institute for Educational Wellness, returned to Abbeyleix, Ireland, this in August 2019 for The Power of Words Festival where he shared a reading from his book, The Crow’s Enchanted Dance. Also in attendance was Rosemary Hilliard, Vice President and Editor for Hilliard Institute.

This inaugural literary festival was a celebration of words, language, and literature in all their shapes and forms—written, spoken, acted, and sung. It is the brainchild of Amanda Kelly, who along with her brilliant committee—Evelyn Quinlan, Francine Ashe, Marna Hatton, and Noelle O’Connell—created a weekend full of enchantment along with a spirit of inclusion and belonging for up-and-coming writers, as well as several who are well-known among the Irish author scene.  

Dr. Mark and Rosemary Hilliard representing the Hilliard Institute at the Power of Words Festival

This was Dr. and Mrs. Hilliard’s tenth time to visit Abbeyleix, where he formerly oversaw a summer college course for student from O’More College, founded by Eloise and Rory O’More from Laois. Hilliard says that “Abbeyleix is a lovely place, full of wonderful people. It has become my home away from home during the summer. I hope to see you all again in 2020.” 

The Institute does plan to return for The Power of Words Festival next summer, possibly bringing more members to present.

Rosemary Hilliard pinning a corsage made from old books on Dr. Hilliard

Nova and June Catch the Moon

by Hannah Chaney

Jessa R. Sexton’s latest book is Nova and June Catch the Moon, a stunning new children’s book geared towards young girls who have bold and gusty personalities. The imagery of these two female friends on a journey to catch the moon compares to the wild-fire, faith, and free-spirit kids have—their belief that they can achieve anything. Catching the moon eludes to the simple fact that—together—nothing is impossible if we keep enduring and continue believing in our dream.

Jessa explains, “My new book was written and inspired by two introverted moms with very extroverted, spunky daughters. I'm one of those moms. I’ve spent so many conversations talking to the other mom about how we can make sure our daughters use their spunk and spice for the right things, because we both know that this strong attitude can help them overcome obstacles and fight for the good in the future! Nova and June Catch the Moon was kindled by that hope in our parenting and that faith in our daughters.”

Sexton released the book in May at a signing in the Coffee House at Second and Bridge in Downtown Franklin, Tennessee. The next weekend she was at a book signing at Daylight Donuts in Spring Hill.

Nova and June try to catch the moon

on a late-night, star-bright adventure.

With nets in their hands, they go over their plans,

for this fab, nab-grab joint venture.

And so begins the story of two girls who set out to do the impossible . . . but, you see—things aren’t so impossible when we work together. Because together, girls can do anything!

This hardcover makes a delightful present for the little lady in your life—or the best girlfriends who’ve always had your back. That’s right. This isn’t just for kids. It’s a perfect gift for your girl-squad. Say thanks to the ladies who helped you catch your own moon and live out your dreams by signing the dedication page to them! Or, if you want, Jessa can even email the gift book straight to your friend with a little card. You just let her know when you purchase it! And one more thing: currently all proceeds from this book go to empowering women through educational efforts.

J. Allan Smith's Children's Book

Tiger the Mule, written by J. Allan Smith from Middle Tennessee, is the latest release by Hilliard Press. This new children's book is full of beautiful colored illustrations and a weighty message that all ages can glean from.

Released at this April at the Mule Day festivities in Columbia, Tennessee, the book is based on a true story. Smith’s experience with troubled teens in public education, his work with rescued mules on the family farm, and his faithfulness to our awesome God has led him to share this road of recovery tale of Tiger the Mule. The story not only speaks to how one should properly treat these hybrid equine, but shares lessons we all can use to help young people who face difficulties in life.

The back of the book explains: One cold, wet, windy day in the rolling green pastures of Tennessee, a baby mule is born. With a unique stripe pattern on his legs, he’s named “Tiger.” Sadly, at only six months old, Tiger is taken away from his mother and brought to a new farm with a new master, who is cruel and abusive. When later sold to the kind Mr. Smith, Tiger is initially distrustful. Can Mr. Smith’s patient love heal the wounds Tiger’s past? Grab a copy to find out!

Click on the cover to purchase from Amazon.

Announcing The Hilliard Institute’s Newest Intern

Nashville area native Hannah Chaney has been selected as a writing intern for The Hilliard Institute. In conjunction with this position, she’ll be receiving a scholarship from the Starfish Society, a charitable division of the educational nonprofit.

Hannah loves music, fashion, working with children, and being outdoors in warm-sunny weather. She loves to write and hopes to encourage and inspire others through this expression and maybe write her own book someday.

Feeling called to study ministry, Hannah is excited to see where the Lord leads her in the next chapter of life as she prepares to attend ministry school this fall.

The Hilliard Institute is grateful for the work she’ll be doing in updating website content, writing articles, researching for and working with Hilliard Press, and helping with events.

The Woodfine Young Writers Guild

by Dr. K. Mark Hilliard

The Woodfine Young Writers Guild is a division of the Hilliard Institute for Educational Wellness and Hilliard Press. The purpose is to advance literacy skills and encourage a love for reading and writing in young people.

While a well-recognized organization in England, guilds are not as common in the United States. A guild is an association of artisans, merchants, craftsman, or tradesmen who oversee the practice of their trade so they can pass on their skills, talents, and knowledge to the next generation through mutual aid, teaching, apprenticeship, and a sense of enjoyment in the process. The master of a guild is the organization's head or director and is someone who has proven himself as a master within his or her craft or trade.

Who is Dr. Woodfine?

This Guild is named after Dr. David Woodfine. Dr. Woodfine serves as the master of the Woodfine Young Writers Guild. He is a beloved educator in Oxford, England, and the Chancellor of the Hilliard Institute for Educational Wellness. He served in many roles within the University of Oxford system and taught in other educational systems in England and America. He is the author of five published books, two written for children.

I first met Dr. Woodfine in 2007 while taking part in the Summer Research Institute at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, England. David was a major part of the Institute's development and served as the High Steward of Harris Manchester College at that time. David and I became great friends as I returned over the years to Harris Manchester College for further study and research.

With time, he became an integral member of the Hilliard Institute and raising funds for special projects and educational programs, especially for young people. His background is steeped in training them to learn to love the process of learning and to become who they each wish to be within their chosen careers.

The Guild and Hilliard Press

For many years the Hilliard Press has been publishing children’s books as one of our major ongoing educational projects. But we had never published a children’s book written by a child. In 2017, we began developing the Young Writers Guild concept and published the first Woodfine Young Writers Guild book in 2018: The Four Jupiter Brothers, by Charles E. Hilliard, age ten. His book signing, held at Columbia Academy in Columbia, Tennessee, was a huge success, with over 170 people in attendance.

Because of the initial successful partnership with Columbia Academy in 2018, the Woodfine Young Writers Guild is again partnering with this school to conduct a young writers’ competition beginning this summer through October 2019. The goal for this first major project is to encourage children at a very young age to begin to write, and write well.

The initial competition will include participation by students age 8–12. The winners of the competition will have their stories included in the collection of short stories to be published by the Guild in December 2019. The plan is to expand the competition to include more age groups and additional organizations in 2020.

The foremost objective for the Young Writer’s Guild competition is not one of rivalry, but that of a traditional guild—to pass on skills, talents, and knowledge through mutual aid, teaching, apprenticeship, and a sense of enjoyment in the process.

I look forward to seeing how this Guild, and the love of writing among young people, will grow in the coming years.

Compiled and Interviewed by Hannah Chaney

What is Sacred Place and Sacred Space? A Book Reading Video Series with Dr. Mark Hilliard

Last month, Dr. K. Mark Hilliard presented portions of his latest publication at his book launch in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. Portions of his talk are available here in three video clips.

First of all, Dr. Hilliard defines the terms "sacred place and sacred space."

In a longer clip, Dr. Hilliard tells us the fascinating story behind the book's title, The Crow's Enchanted Dance, which was inspired by a personal experience on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina. He also answers "what is sacred" by dividing the term into three different types before he dives deep into the idea that there is a sixth sense: the spiritual. 

Next, Dr. Hilliard defines what a "place" and "space" are. You'll notice a lot of movement at the beginning of this video clip. Hilliard Press expected 40-50 people at the launch, but the crowd grew far beyond that. Those at Big East Fork Retreat were gracious enough to move chairs around so those who had been standing could squeeze in and sit. What a wonderful "problem" to have!

So what is "sacred space," then? Dr. Hilliard defines it as "a portal or a passageway...an uninterrupted space or an open expanse within which or around which or through which life's energy flows or is stored and then released." Learn more in the video below. 

"Without mystery, life is an artless journey of the mundane." Mystery, the imagination, and enchantment: all of these are closely tied to sacred space. Find out how on the next clip. 

"Knowledge can tell us about a place. But it cannot lead us in." Sacred places and sacred spaces are real, literal locations. But entering them and truly experiencing them requires us to lose ourselves, in a way, for a period of time. 

Thanks for watching!

If you want to purchase a copy of Dr. K. Mark Hilliard's book, click on the image below. 

We also want to thank director Ryan Estabrooks for his work on this video series. Despite his filming being disrupted by such an unexpectedly large crowd (which we give thanks for rather than complaints about), he still produced exactly what we hoped for. 

Passion, Purpose, and Challenges

by Lori Bumgarner

Last week, I got to witness true passion and the universal desire for purpose. I found myself in the middle of the Amazon jungle gathered with pastors from small villages situated along the vast Amazon River. These pastors have a deep passion for providing care to the forgotten people of the Amazon. Their purpose is to show God’s love to their fellow natives and to share the Gospel, regardless of the challenge or the sacrifice. Through their actions, they let their people know that even though they’re isolated from the rest of the world, they’re not forgotten.

To fulfill this purpose, they traveled by boat, many for days at a time, to the annual  jungle pastors’ conference to learn things they can take back to their villages and their churches. The team I served on also had a long journey to the conference center in the Amazon jungle. We gave up the comforts of home such as air conditioning, hot water, and standard plumbing to teach them. But our sacrifices were unlike the sacrifices I heard of from the pastors and their wives.

Bumgarner presenting with her translator, Harold Pinto

Through those with the skill for translation, I heard the story of one woman who traveled nearly 36 hours to attend the conference. Her husband had to stay behind in their village to work his other job. She told us of her and her husband’s vision to build a new church in a poor far-away village. When we asked her how far away, she responded in thick Portuguese, “A seven-day boat trip.”

This is no seven-day river cruise on a luxury liner like the ones you see in those “don’t-you-want-my-life?” Instagram posts. She and her husband will soon take this long and treacherous journey in piranha-infested waters, requiring them to leave their grown children, perhaps never to see them again. This is real passion. Real purpose. Real nobility. With real challenges.

Read the rest of Lori's blog post on her trip to the Amazon, plus information on how you can help these pastors and their wives by clicking here. 

Bumgarner at the book release for her latest

Lori was using the profits from SUP: Spiritual Understanding and Prayer on a Stand Up Paddleboard to fund her mission trip; now that this trip is complete, she donates all profits to cover the costs of job search training and more for those served by four local and international non-profits, including Justice and Mercy Amazon. Purchase your copy here. 

Newspaper Writeup on Local Writer: Our Own Mark Hilliard

Before we share about the incredible event this past weekend for Dr. K. Mark Hilliard, we want to direct you to a grand article in The Williamson Herald announcing the American book launch!

Click here to read on their website.