Hugh M. Hill; weaved stories as Brother Blue - The Boston Globe
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Visiting hours are on Sunday, November 8, 2009 from 2-4pm and 6-8pm at Keefe Funeral Home, 2175 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA. The internment will be on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 1pm at the Pittsfield Cemetery, Pittsfield MA. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling (www.lanes.org) and the National Association of Black Storytellers (www.nabsinc.org). For obituary, directions or to send a condolence visit www.keefefuneralhome.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
great video of Brother Blue from Kevin Brooks And NABS tribute
from Kevin Brooks:
"A number of years ago I had to give a talk at the Digital Storytelling Festival. So one Tuesday after storytelling I interviewed a few people who were there and then asked Blue if he would do some Shakespeare for me. So we went down the street to Ruth's office, followed by a small audience of young people (Blue's favorite audience after every female on the planet). When we got there Blue said, "I think I'll do King Lear." And then he did. He told King Lear in 20 minutes - his style. On youtube you will find the 4:50 section I used in my talk. Just a snippet of Lear by a master. "
Kevin Brooks
Tribute to Brother Blue and Mother Ruth
Rarely does one meet a person who requires that you listen with all your senses, your head, your heart, and with every fiber of your being in order to be clearly understood. Such was the case with Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill, lovingly known as Brother Blue.
He was unique in so many ways. He was a storyteller who knew how to take the sweet flight of the butterfly and use it as a metaphor for the lightness of heart he wished for us all. He encouraged us in this way to unapologetically engage in occasional flights of fancy, luring us into areas of consciousness frequently untapped. His reference to the beauty in a butterflys wings encouraged us to see the radiance in every color and hue of the sky, of the earth, of our emotions, of each other. His stories helped us to heal, to accept the invitation to fly, being unencumbered by the expectations and agendas of others. His stories encouraged
us to embrace our potential for change and to be the change we wanted to see in the world.
Having grown up in Cleveland, Ohio, Brother Blue became more than a scholar and well-loved professor at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a storytellers storyteller who crossed boundaries and opened doors that many were unaware even existed. He also excelled as a student at Harvard, having earned a degree with honors there and a master's degree in playwriting from Yale University. Brother Blue was committed to the significant role that storytelling can play in the lives of everyone. He pursued his doctorate in Divinity in Ohio, with a thesis that was based upon his work with incarcerated persons who could not read or write. Whether walking down the street, in a classroom, in a concert hall or in the park, Brother Blue was determined to reach everyone.
As an ordained minister, he carried his storytelling to spiritual depths that many have found difficult to fathom. He was a teacher but also a student of life, a lover of life, and one who embraced every moment, every person, every creature, especially his beloved butterfly.
NABS has always been honored by the spirit and presence of Brother Blue and Mother Ruth. We recall that they have not missed one festival since its beginning. We embrace Mother Ruth as the stalwart Queen Mother who stood by our beloved Brother Blue through their darkest hours and their highest flights.
We will stand by Mother Ruth as she moves through this transition of her life partner and great love.
We will remember always the love and wisdom imparted by Brother Blue through his stories, raps, chants and syncopated scats. We will remember the love story that he and Mother Ruth were, that they will continue to be.
Be at peace, Brother Blue. We love you.
Submitted by Mama Edie Armstrong
November 5, 2009
________________________________________________________________________________
National Association Of Black Storytellers | P.O. Box 741776 | New Orleans, Louisiana 70174-1776 | United States
"A number of years ago I had to give a talk at the Digital Storytelling Festival. So one Tuesday after storytelling I interviewed a few people who were there and then asked Blue if he would do some Shakespeare for me. So we went down the street to Ruth's office, followed by a small audience of young people (Blue's favorite audience after every female on the planet). When we got there Blue said, "I think I'll do King Lear." And then he did. He told King Lear in 20 minutes - his style. On youtube you will find the 4:50 section I used in my talk. Just a snippet of Lear by a master. "
Kevin Brooks
Tribute to Brother Blue and Mother Ruth
Rarely does one meet a person who requires that you listen with all your senses, your head, your heart, and with every fiber of your being in order to be clearly understood. Such was the case with Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill, lovingly known as Brother Blue.
He was unique in so many ways. He was a storyteller who knew how to take the sweet flight of the butterfly and use it as a metaphor for the lightness of heart he wished for us all. He encouraged us in this way to unapologetically engage in occasional flights of fancy, luring us into areas of consciousness frequently untapped. His reference to the beauty in a butterflys wings encouraged us to see the radiance in every color and hue of the sky, of the earth, of our emotions, of each other. His stories helped us to heal, to accept the invitation to fly, being unencumbered by the expectations and agendas of others. His stories encouraged
us to embrace our potential for change and to be the change we wanted to see in the world.
Having grown up in Cleveland, Ohio, Brother Blue became more than a scholar and well-loved professor at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a storytellers storyteller who crossed boundaries and opened doors that many were unaware even existed. He also excelled as a student at Harvard, having earned a degree with honors there and a master's degree in playwriting from Yale University. Brother Blue was committed to the significant role that storytelling can play in the lives of everyone. He pursued his doctorate in Divinity in Ohio, with a thesis that was based upon his work with incarcerated persons who could not read or write. Whether walking down the street, in a classroom, in a concert hall or in the park, Brother Blue was determined to reach everyone.
As an ordained minister, he carried his storytelling to spiritual depths that many have found difficult to fathom. He was a teacher but also a student of life, a lover of life, and one who embraced every moment, every person, every creature, especially his beloved butterfly.
NABS has always been honored by the spirit and presence of Brother Blue and Mother Ruth. We recall that they have not missed one festival since its beginning. We embrace Mother Ruth as the stalwart Queen Mother who stood by our beloved Brother Blue through their darkest hours and their highest flights.
We will stand by Mother Ruth as she moves through this transition of her life partner and great love.
We will remember always the love and wisdom imparted by Brother Blue through his stories, raps, chants and syncopated scats. We will remember the love story that he and Mother Ruth were, that they will continue to be.
Be at peace, Brother Blue. We love you.
Submitted by Mama Edie Armstrong
November 5, 2009
________________________________________________________________________________
National Association Of Black Storytellers | P.O. Box 741776 | New Orleans, Louisiana 70174-1776 | United States
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