Regi Carpenter

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner: Stories of a Seared Childhood

Family: comfort food or a recipe for disaster? Award-winning storyteller and performer Regi Carpenter brings her humor and honesty to print in Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner.

Regi is the youngest daughter in a family that pulsates with contradictions: religious and raucous, tender but terrible, unfortunate yet irrepressible. These honest tales some hilarious, some heartbreaking celebrate the glorious and gut-wrenching lives of four generations of Carpenters raised on the Saint Lawrence River in Clayton, New York. From teenagers struggling to find their identity to disabled veterans grappling with the aftermath of war and change to the complications and sweetness of love between family members, this collection of linked short stories holds the universal message that life’s difficulties are softened by love and fortitude . . . and family.”

“Regi is truly a testament to the resilience of the human spirit: there was so much spark – even in her childhood persona – that came across so clearly in her writing. Pat Conroy wrote in The Prince of Tides that there’s almost nothing that happens in families that can’t be forgiven, and I felt the power of his words in Regi’s story, as well.” Pat Adams

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Performances

Whether performing at an intimate gathering, a large festival or a convention of business professionals Regi Carpenter brings a remarkable blend of warmth, humor, and depth to every performance she gives. Regi captivates audiences with traditional stories from around the world as well as stories of the irrepressible Carpenters growing up in the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, New York for four generations.

Stories have taken Regi into schools, homes, hospitals, hospices, retreat centers, festivals and faith-based communities across five continents. As a solo artist Regi has produced seven award winning CD’s, published an acclaimed memoir and released a notable DVD of her riveting story, Snap!, which won first place in the Boston StorySlam in 2011.

Several publications including School Library Journal, Storytelling World, and Parents’ Choice have praised her work. Regi has been a featured storyteller on The Moth website and NPR. She is also a TedxTalk presenter.

Workshops

Regi is a pioneer within the growing movement of Narrative Medicine. Utilizing the spoken and written word as well as deep listening techniques for patient and caregiver, Regi knows that stories are a powerful medicine capable of bringing solace and strength to those in physical, mental and spiritual need.

Her trainings for healthcare professionals focus on the use of stories in clinical work. Her presentations and performances for healthcare organizations employ stories for professional development and positive employee relationships. With a special commitment to pediatrics, Regi brings songs of joy and stories of hope to grieving children and the people who love and care for them. Previous clients include Compassus Hospice and Palliative Care, The National Alliance for Grieving Children, Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland and the Mountain States Health Alliance throughout the southern United States.