About Diane

Diane loves telling stories to audiences of all ages and teaching people about storytelling. She's been involved in storytelling and public speaking for many years and uses those skills to create programs and stories to help people navigate changes in their live. Her storytelling path changed direction following the death of her son when she realized that stories were the key to her own healing process. She grew stronger by remembering and telling stories of her son, which kept him present in her daily life. 

Selected milestones on her journey: 

• Masters Degree in Storytelling - East Tennessee State University

• Author of Spinning Gold out of Straw - How Stories Heal and the new CD/audiocassette - "Selected Stories from Spinning Gold out of Straw"

• Frequent teller on WFCF-FM Treasury of Tales

• Living history performer for St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum and St. Augustine Historic Preservation Board

• Storytelling World special advisor and contributor

• Healing Story Alliance secretary and resource coordinator
• Performer in dozens of festivals including Atlanta Storytelling Festival, Florida Folk Festival, Gamble Rogers Festival, Cracker Festival, Stephen Foster Festival, Caladium Festival, Florida Citrus Festival - and others.

• Presenter at the national conference of The Compassionate Friends, an international organization for bereaved parents

• Member of National Storytelling Network, Southern Order of Storytellers, Florida Storytellers Association, and Tale Tellers of St. Augustine.

• Former board member of FSA and Tale Tellers

• State representative and judge for the National Storytelling Youth Olympics

• Certified bereavement facilitator - American Academy of Bereavement

• Facilitator of local chapter of The Compassionate Friends organization

• Keynote speaker -- Community Hospice of NE Florida

• Contributor to Sandspun -- Florida Tales by Florida Tellers

• Teacher for school students developing stories from history

• Teacher and coach for performers at World Golf Village

• Cultural exchange student at University of Edinburgh, Scotland

• Performer for Elderhostel

• Storyteller for Camp Healing Powers - a bereaved children's camp

Diane is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and holds an AB from Georgia State University in Psychology and Information Systems and an M.Ed. from ETSU. In addition to her deceased son, she has two daughters and six grandchildren. She and her husband, Wilton Rooks, live on Lake Lanier, near Atlanta, and enjoy sailing and traveling.