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Fundraising Newsletters
Our current newsletter
May 2026
Hello everyone out there!
Eth-Noh-Tec here with a bit of updates, news and hellos!
Our big events of Strong Like Bamboo is complete! We are both thrilled … as well as exhausted because I have been working hard to produce these and other events that use storytelling to move us all forward as individuals and communities, especially in these dire times. It is a passion of mine, and of course Eth-Noh-Tec’s, but -
To produce, there are so many details to create and maintain, to confirm and attend to. I started last year writing the grant for it. And getting all the ducks lined up since!
Did we do the right kind of marketing? Is it working? Is anyone coming?
What? a storyteller too ill to commit now; another storyteller who has been told to not air travel…
Meet so all the tellers are on the same page about what Strong Like Bamboo is all about.
Set up all the tech …
Then there is loading and unloading of the equipment and sets, of the food, dishes, utensils, plates … etc. up and down our three sets of stairs - 17 stairs each! That’s 51 steps one way!! 102 to go back to get more stuff! Who needs StairMaster?
And still the thought is- is anyone even coming?!!
Whew! The doors are open to the venues … but … where is an audience???
We’re now prepared to entertain each other with our stories - as if it is a dress rehearsal for the tellers and volunteers.
Why isn’t anyone coming? It’s going to be so powerful!!
Then suddenly, to our utter surprise, they started streaming in! Two full houses and then appreciations, good questions from the audiences, and great feedback.
Sigh….. Ahhhh ….
We are ever so grateful for the National Endowment for the Arts, my family’s G&G Educational Foundation, and our private donors for supporting this 3rd iteration of Strong Like Bamboo program that presented 7 tellers: Palestinian, Jewish, LGBTQ+, Black, Latinx, Asian and Native American who shared their stories so courageously to help address their personal response to some of the deep problems going on in our nation.
My sole purpose for Strong Like Bamboo is so we can all hear the stories of our diverse America, stories rarely heard, and be inspired to build bridges to each other, to know we are not alone, that there are allies and that we must come together despite imagined differences. By sharing and hearing each other’s stories of resilience, it confirms in real life, real time that we are not that different at all, and that we need each other more than ever.
Hate has taken up enough space. Using our art to build bridges across generations and cultures - continues to be our goal.
I believe we succeeded!
Our volunteers were magnificent, the staff of both venues - the Marsh and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center - were so responsive and responsible to our needs.
And guess who fed the tellers, staff and volunteers? Safeway, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Costco.Yes!! And the venues had water and particularly the Oakland Asian Cultural Center gave us dim sum and Chinese food! And Robert made his famous Chicken Adobo! And a fan brought the most delicious chicken wings!!
Can’t say our people don’t get fed!!
And by the way, you can make a donation to Eth-Noh-Tec @GiveinMay
So now, we move forward to the next projects!
They are:
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Finalizing the 2 volumes of folktales I wrote to be formatted for publication - 12 tales each and each with one of Robert’s illustrations. Find an agent and a publisher… and there will be more volumes to come;
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Continuing to write my new book about my father: “A Job Well Done” tentative title;
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Two readings of Red Altar coming up in May - full houses of registered attendees!
-
Making the audio book of Red Altar;
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Getting our Red Altar Education Project in schools across the nation.
-
Robert launching his new show “Immigratitude” ready for middle schoolers in Portland - songs and stories of immigration;
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Robert has a library tour in Washington state this summer.
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Rehearsing for a gig with our ENT Trio [with Riko Takata] at the Asian Heritage Festival in Marin county;
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Continue archiving all of our work over the last 45 years!
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A summer dedicated to creating some new performance pieces and rehearsing some old ones for 4 hours of performance at the International Storytelling festival this fall;
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Preparing our trip to Japan to honor Robert’s grandfather and tend to his grave on Hachijo Island, then meet up with the Japanese storytellers and perform in their Tellabration - a concert that is held around the world celebrating the art of storytelling.
12. And since we recorded Strong Like Bamboo, look for our showing of it on our online Mindful Musings this summer!
I think that’s more than enough!! Here we thought after Strong Like Bamboo we would be able to rest!
In closing, just to catch up on what else happened this year:
I finished my awarded artist retreat at Montalvo - 3 months to be taken over 3 years. Sad to end. A true gift it was! I got so many projects done! So grateful for programs like these!
Robert loves being back to illustrating. It’s very zen for him. And, yes! he has so many talents!
We are loving having our daughter and grandson living in the flat below us. He is now 4yo and a true gem of a human being! The other day during our trio rehearsal with Riko Takata, he jumped on stage and gleefully joined in with the movements of our folktale!!
And a special thanks goes to our two staffers - Brittany Connolly and Uta Tamate Weiss. Uta is helping us organize and declutter 4 decades of office stuff! Ay ya!!! Brave girl!
Thanks to our Board and to our patient dog Mishka for supporting and caring about us!
Thank you everyone! We have survived and will continue to, much thanks to all of you in our community.
Oh, and just a little reminder, we are accepting donations for our Eth-Noh-Tec-nonprofit - @GiveinMay
- You can make a charitable contribution here.
Blessings and love! Have a great summer!
Nancy [and Robert]
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