Pleasant
DeSpain

award-winning
author, storyteller
and world-traveller

Pleasant DeSpain

award-winning, author, storyteller, and world-traveller

Pleasant DeSpain is a pioneer in the American renaissance of storytelling.

Jimmie Neal Smith

Founder and President Emeritus, National Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee

NEW BOOK RELEASE!

Vagabond Tales

in search of light and life

Your life stories contain the pattern of your past karma unfolding in this life.

Healing karma is not only possible but probable if you are willing to enter the darkest cave to find the greatest treasure.

Pleasant found a wealth of treasures along the way. Join him on this nine-chapter spiritual journey of true stories and traditional tales from around the globe celebrating light and life, healing, surrender, and ultimately, happiness.

Pleasant despain

Pleasant DeSpain is the author of 18 multicultural story collections, and picture books. He taught speech, literature, and drama for six years in three universities before establishing his career as a professional storyteller in 1972. DeSpain has performed thousands of programs in schools, festivals, and theaters. He wrote, produced and hosted Pleasant Journeys, a children’s television program on KING-TV, Seattle for five years. His unwavering faith in a spiritual awakening has taken him on a life-long search for light and life. Pleasant resides in Chiang Mai, Thailand and upstate New York.

Also by Pleasant DeSpain

Eleven Nature Tales: A Multicultural Journey

In this new millennium, we are faced with a critical question: are we willing to work together to ensure the survival of the planet? Eleven ancient stories address this challenging issue through tales of natural elements such as the sun, moon, stars, ocean, wind, fire, mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, rocks, trees, and humans.

The Dancing Turtle: A Folktale from Brazil

Turtle loves to dance and play the flute, but her exuberance puts her at risk when her music attracts the attention of a brave hunter who brings her home to make turtle stew. After she is caught, her only hope for escape is the hunter’s children and her own wit. 

Sweetland of Story: Thirty-Six American Tales to Tell

This unique collection of American stories from the frozen tundra of Alaska to the lush green hills of Virginia, from the sweltering bayous of Louisiana to the windweapt prairies of South Dakota is told in DeSpain’s signature gentle style.

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Pleasant has never been afraid of adventure. He spends over half of his year living in Thailand and much of the rest traveling the world to “discover” fresh folktales that he can share with a wider audience.

– august house Publishing