The Story of a House: Storytime with Miki Conn

We recently hosted Schenectady-based author Miki Conn along with our colleagues at Historic Albany Foundation to help inspire the littlest preservationists. Miki read her book The Story of House, followed by an arts and crafts activity inspired by the story. Try your hand at making your own evolving house made out of recycling: Grab anything you have on hand, from milk bottles to soda bottles, yogurt cups to berry baskets, construction paper, markers, tape, and scissors.

A run-down house sits alone, abandoned in the woods, overgrown with weeds and tumbling down. Some hikers peek in through the broken windows. Who used to live there? Where did they go? If houses could talk, this is the story it might tell. This children’s picture book follows the story of a house as it cycles through the lives of two generations. The house starts off as a hunter’s cabin in the woods and, as his life grows and changes, (adding a dog, a wife, children) the house also grows. The children grow up and move away, bringing back their children for holidays and ultimately the hunter and wife grow old and leave the house to go live with their children. After many years, the abandoned, run-down house is discovered by a modern family that fixes it up and restores the house. It’s really a story about the circle of life, motivated by the author’s fascination with old abandoned houses.

Miki Conn is an artist, storyteller, and poet and resides in Schenectady, NY. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1944, her African and Native American heritage-inspired an interest in indigenous arts and multiculturalism. Her travels and independent studies prompted her exploration of the myths, legends, belief systems, and arts of many lands. These influences can be seen in her artwork as well as in her approaches to education and training projects. In her work, Ms. Conn strives to increase understanding between races and cultures.