Biography

Maybe it was his stammering over words while learning to speak or his childhood struggle to learn to read and write that made conversation and writing an important part of Andre Heuer's life. In dealing successfully with speech and reading difficulties, Heuer learned that he was born for conversation and to write and in this insight, grew to understand that story is at the heart of both. His early experience informs his teaching and his work with students as they learn to read, write, and tell stories.
(See Reading, Writing and Storytelling)

Growing up in the medium-sized city of Erie, Pennsylvania with many first-and-second generation Americans, Heuer saw the stories of many immigrants unfold before him. His family of second-and-third generation Swiss/Germans told their family stories of humor, sadness, mystery, and the everyday. As a child, he listened to his parents' and neighbors' stories and began to understand the role of storytelling in creating community.
(See Community)

As a storyteller, psychotherapist and educator in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Heuer incorporates his love of storytelling with his work. He uses the power of humor and story to heal and guide. He spent fourteen years in pastoral, spiritual and educational ministry, seven years working in prisons developing curriculum and teaching classes in anger management, violence prevention and psycho/social life skills. He presently works at a crisis intervention center that serves individuals in crisis and those who are severely and persistently mentally ill, often with debilitating physical trauma and illness. For the last ten years he has presented a series called "Living Wellness" at Pathways, a complementary health care education center for those who are experiencing health crisis including chronic illness and end of life issues. He is a member of the End-of-Life Community Coalition of the Twin Cites Metro Area and the Pathway's Care Committee. For three years Heuer co-produced and hosted a radio program in which men shared their personal stories and struggles and over a year period developed a hospice staff support group based on the sharing of story. In his work the telling and the sharing of story is central. His presentations for mental health and medical professionals throughout the country have supported professionals in developing the skills to use story within their work.
(See Storytelling, Healing and Health)

For the last eighteen years Heuer has dedicated himself to storytelling as a performance art. He has told stories throughout the country and as a teller his stories are humorous, poignant, entertaining and at times provocative. His connection with people brings to Heuer's stories a deep sensitivity to the personal subtleties of living. He has been an artist in residence for the Family Therapy Network Conference and the Working with Artist Sharing the Healing program. An important ingredient of Heuer's development as a performer is his production of storytelling venues and events. For seven years he produced Experiments in Story, a performance venue of experimental and adult storytelling and for four years he produced A Company of Tellers. In 2002 and 2003 he produced the Minneapolis Tellabration Festival attended by over 700 people, with eight local storytelling organizations and over 40 storytellers.
(See Performance)

As an educator and storytelling coach he has taught classes and worked with individuals for over fifteen years. For three years he facilitated Storyfront, a place to hear and learn about storytelling. He teaches the art of storytelling at the Loft Literary Center and has presented workshops for the National Storytelling Network, Northlands Storytelling Network and Northstar Storytelling League. His doctoral thesis includes a justification and methodology for the use of personal narrative in academic and social research.
(See the Art of Storytelling)

He is a member of Northlands Storytelling Network, a board member of the Healing Storytelling Alliance a special interest group of the National Storytelling Association and is a founding member and former board member of Northstar Storytelling League.
(See Consulting)

Partial List of
Storytelling Presentations & Productions

Casa Gaudalupana (a transition home for Latino immigrants) A gathering to build community and to tell stories
Centennial Birthday Celebration of Dorothy Day at Marquette University, Threads of a Life '97
Center for Victims of Torture Healing Community through Storytelling, 12/01
Family Therapy Network Conference, Artist in residence, Using the Personal Story for Healing '94
Heads and Tales Conference at University of Wisconsin at Madison, Finding Our Meaning Stories, Use of Personal and Autobiographical Narrative\Story in Academic and Social Research, Performance Showcase '95
Healing Story Alliance SIG of NSN Fall Meeting Jonesborough, TN, Community Building Activity, Fall '01
Immanuel St. Joseph Hospice Storytelling and Grief: Working with the Dying 10 '03
International Storytelling Center, Jonesborough TN Story and the Healing Arts, Fall '01
Male Survivor's of Sexual Abuse Conference, St. Paul, MN, A keynote performance of The Awakening 9 '03
Midwest Men's Conference, Saturday Concert '91
Minnesota Center for the Book Arts, crafting and writing story 3/01, 4/01, 9/01,2/02 4/02,5/02
Minnesota Hospice Organization Conference Using Storytelling with the Dying '01
National Association of Social Workers Using Storytelling in the Therapeutic Setting 8 '03
National Storytelling Network Conference Chicago, IL From Experience to Story '03
News in the Age of Access Conference The role of traditional storytelling in presenting the news '01
Northland Storytelling Network Conference From Experience to Story '02, Storytelling and Community Building '01, Producer Saturday Evening Main Concert '00, Host /Producer of Conference Cabaret '99, Storytelling as Spiritual Quest '99, Stories for Adults '97, Creating Adult Storytelling Venues'96
Northstar Storytelling League Crafting and Telling the Personal Story '00, Producing and Hosting Storytelling Events '01, Annual Meeting: Building Community through Storytelling '01
NOMAS Conference, Meetings: a story performance '97
Pathways Life, Death, After Life Conference The Poetics of Dying '99
Pedagogy of the Oppressed Conference Community Building through Personal Narrative '00
The Role of the Imagination in Health Conference, American Imagery Institute, Storytelling and Healing, '03
St. John's Health System, The use of storytelling in facilitating support groups for stroke victims. Winter, 01
Tellabration '02 '03 (host/producer) A gathering of tellers including the Asian Dragon Boat Tellers, Black Storytelling Alliance, and Jewish Storytelling Guild, etc...
University of Wisconsin Festival of Expressive Arts Therapy, Healing Through the Evoking, Structuring, Telling, and Writing of Personal Stories '03
Vision, University of St. Thomas Community Building for Justice through Narrative 11/00, 2/01
Working with Artist Sharing the Healing, artist in residence, 3/15-17/02

Professional Presentations & Conferences

Dr. Sehnert Memorial Lecture Series Caring for Your Body and Mind through the Grief Process, '01
Living Wise Learning Center (Fairview Health Systems/Lunds Foods): Living Wellness, '01
Pathways: Living Wellness '92-present
HealthEast: Living Wellness 1/00
Coalition for Arthritis and Rheumatic Disease Ed. '99
Pathways: Life, Death, After Life Conference '99
Death's Journey: co-sponsored '99
Hospice: A Program of Immanuel St. Joseph's '98
Owatonna Area Home Care & Hospice '98
National Multiple Sclerosis Society '97
National Organization of Men Against Sexism '98
Minnesota Community Corrections Association '97
International Correction Education Association '95
Ending Family Violence: Men Taking Responsibility '94
Regional International Correction Ed. Association '91
Midwest Men's Conference '87, '89, '91
Hennepin County Community Corrections '91
International Correction Education Association '90
Minnesota Correction Education Association '90

Partial List of Performances Venues

1,001 Nights, The Cricket Theatre, Cacophony Chorus, Cheap Theater, Coffee Grounds, Experiments in Story, Jungle Tales Festival, Loft Literary Center, Patrick's Cabaret, Red Balloon Bookstore, Seward Café, Tall Tales Café, Two Chair Telling at the Jungle Theater and Wild Yam Cabaret.