"Listening to Will Hornyak spin a tale helps bring a fellow back to life again! " Ray Summers, KOIN TV

"Storyteller par excellence...boundless imagination...endless wit...takes listeners across a spiritual threshold. " The Oregonian Newspaper

Will graduated from Marquette University in 1976 where he received a bachelor's degree in journalism and history. He was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists as the Outstanding Graduate of his class and went on to work as a journalist in the United States and Latin America with the Inter-American Press Association.

Traveling widely through Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Venezuela, Will was influenced by Latin American folk culture, music, poetry and storytelling. He turned in his typewriter for a tool belt upon returning to the states, plied his trade as a carpenter and slowly incubated his interest poetry, storytelling and performance art. Studying mythology, drama and storytelling and performing in San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Will developed a repertoire of over 60 traditional and original stories for performance. Storytelling, teaching and speaking has been his full-time career since 1994.

A strong advocate for storytelling as a tool in personal and social empowerment he has worked with the Mankind Project, the Multnomah County Department of Juvenile Justice, the Oregon State Penetentiary and the Portland Office of Diversity.

He currently teaches storytelling to MBA students at Portland State University and communications students at Marylhurst University and performs throughout the United States. He has provided performances, keynotes and workshop programs for the United States Forest Service, Johnson Controls Inc., the American Cancer Society, Oregon State Penitentiary, the Oregon Department of Human Resources and at numerous schools, theatres, festivals and community centers. He lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon a short walk from the Willamette River.

For Further Information: editor@storytellersgazette.com or 503/697-5808