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The Chicopee Herald
January 12-18, 2000

HOLYOKE - Mary Jo Maichack, Holyoke storyteller, has an award-winning audio cassette to add to her career achievements. "Books are Celebrations" has won a 1999 Gold Award from National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA), an honor that included among its other 1999 winners recordings from Sesame Street and John Lithgow.

When Maichack graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in English, she had no idea what she was going to do. She became a children's librarian at the Mason Square branch of the Springfield Public Libraries and loved her work, but wanted to work for herself.

She called Acorn Day Care of Springfield, which is now Acorn Learning Center, and told the proprietor about programs she had run at the library,

and asked if she could do some storytelling at the center. The proprietor agreed, and storytelling became Maichack's new career.

While she worked part time for a few years, Maichack's popularity as a storyteller grew through word of mouth. Soon, she developed a brochure, and began to perform as a storyteller full time.After a few successful years performing various programs at schools and libraries, Maichack's friends started bugging her to do a tape, an idea which she first resisted because she enjoyed the performance aspect of storytelling so much.

She finally caved in and recorded "Books are Celebrations" last year. The recording includes two traditional tales and one contemporary story with fiddle music preceding each. There are songs celebrating the joy of reading.

Maichack said the NAPPA honor was wonderful. "I just sent the tape in," and the next thing she knew, it won an award.

She added that it was an "honor to be placed in a category with Sesame Street and John Lithgow."

Maichack said she has enjoyed the business aspect of marketing her programs nearly as much as the performing in recent years. She has scheduled shows as far away as the Florida Keys.

Maichack is also working with Westhampton musician Jim Armenti in his studio to record a cassette of her Halloween stories. Other programs in her repertoire include a Martin Luther King, Jr. program, which is popular at schools and libraries during the months of January and February due to Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month. Maichack's cassette is available at the Holyoke Barnes & Noble, Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Yellow Moon Press in Cambridge, MA or by calling (413) 532-3667.