Getting Back on Track:
Editors of Children's Audio Series Keep Vision Alive

Whether wandering to far-off places or celebrating courageous deeds, the award-winning Shoofly series — an audio treasury of storytelling, poetry, and music for children ages 3 to 7 — has led young children to the wonder and magic of a well-told tale. Now after a 7 year hiatus, the Carrboro-based audio series is back in business — although Shoofly's return has been anything but typical.

In 1994 husband and wife team, Jack Nestor and Arlene Furman published their first issue of Shoofly: An Audiomagazine for Children. "We wanted to create a publication to highlight and encourage new stories, music, and poetry for kids," said Furman. "And we thought the best way to do that was through audio — to present an eclectic mix, and make it really appealing to young children. They published 4 issues of the audiomagazine a year, offering subscriptions or single-issue sales. Issue after issue their subscription sales grew, with subscribers as far away as Australia.

In the spring of 1999, however, their personal lives were changed forever. Arlene, who was 9 months pregnant with their third child, suffered a devastating illness. After two months on a ventilator and in a coma, Arlene would awaken, frail and weakened, to discover that she had lost her baby and that she was permanently blind. With the loss of their baby and the long road from grief to recovery ahead of them, the couple redirected their focus onto Arlene's new situation and suspended the production and operation of Shoofly.

"It was an incredibly sad time for us," said Furman. "But I was determined to figure out my way in the dark, and I really wanted my two children, Harry and Hayley, to see their mother successfully meet the challenges of my vision loss." One of the things that would bring her back to Shoofly over the next several years were the remarkably kind letters she received from subscribers and friends of Shoofly. "At least once a month we would get a call or letter from someone asking about Shoofly," Nestor said.

"I really started to think about what our friend the storyteller Joel ben Izzy often claims: 'Curses can be blessings,' and being blind really renewed my attention to the spoken word, to music and to sound — and it just suddenly seemed like the right time to bring Shoofly back," said Furman.

In the winter of 2005, the couple began a serious effort to reinvigorate their labor of love. The complete Shoofly library, over 18 hours of recordings, which were originally published on cassette, have been re-mastered and reissued on CDs and MP3 downloads. Furman and Nestor also created a new print catalog, including the recording projects of guest artists, storytellers and musicians, who had appeared on Shoofly. Their website (shooflyaudio.com) features issues of their award-winning Shoofly series, as well as these outstanding children's storytelling and recording artists. But Furman and Nestor are especially excited about the recent release of volume 5, number 3 (read more Shoofly Serves Up "One Fishball").

And true to their mission to promote quality children's entertainment and independent artists, the couple hopes to release two more new issues by by the latter part of 2008.

"It's important to us that Shoofly retains its vitality by continuing to publish new poems and stories for kids," said Nestor.

Arlene Furman agreed: "We always want Shoofly to be a place where kids and parents can hear something different, something surprising."

Although she has met the challenges of her eyesight loss remarkably well, Arlene was also diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2006, and is currently doing quite well.

"I just try to approach these challenges as I have everything else," Furman says. "You have to simply focus on all the positive elements of your life, enjoy each moment, and try to keep your sense of humor."

Arlene may have lost her sight, but together this couple, this family, has a vision for the future.

 

Click on Shoofly Press Kit to download a pdf of this press kit

Visit our website at www.shooflyaudio.com