Author tells walking-stick tales
The stories in Victoria Young Bennison’s book all started nine years ago when her husband began carving and designing staffs and walking sticks from fallen limbs or felled trees.
The Welland author said her husband, Dave Bennison, includes gemstones, feathers, runes and other items in his designs and that each of those has folklore or some sort of meaning attached to them.
As more people began purchasing the sticks from them, they were also curious about the stories behind them, so Victoria wrote a book.
“I always liked writing,” she said. “I always liked fairy tales.”
Her book Stick to the Story, both shares the folklore and meanings behind some of the staffs Dave has made, while also weaving in her own creativity with characters called Storyteller and Magician.
She said she was sharing the stories with people online, but they were asking for them in book form. At first, she put together an ebook, but requests came in for physical copies of the text.
After compiling it all and getting it to an independent publisher, the book was released early in December.
One of the people enjoying it is Sayge Whitesong, also known as Santa through his business Truly Santa. To add to his role as Santa, he originally requested a staff to go with the persona. He said he now has 15 of Dave’s creations.
Whitesong said he’s never seen a book like it that goes into so much depth with stories of the sticks.
Santa approves, he noted with a laugh.
Young Bennison said telling the staffs’ stories is a way to give back to the many fans the couple has accumulated over the years.
Through fantasy, cosplay and comic conventions and festivals, many have seen the sticks and met the couple and their family. She explained that people like to have them to add to their costumes.
The book will be joining them at conventions, too. It will also find a home on the shelves of Welland Public Library and is for sale in a few local locations, such as Coles in Welland, Fae Nature in Niagara Falls and Mostly Comics in St. Catharines.
Young Bennison has done book signings at Fae Nature and Mostly Comics, as well as a location in Brantford where her independent publisher is located.
On Saturday, she had a table set up outside of Coles in Seaway Mall, where she sat with Dave, who was in costume, to do book signings.
“It’s just been fun and interesting. It’s just been magical all the time,” she said of the experience and the journey with her husband’s artistry.
Stick to the Story and related information about the book can be found on Facebook and Twitter. lbarton@postmedia.com twitter.com/LBartonTribune