Steffen Parker
Being a workaholic his whole life, American Narratives is giving Steffen the opportunity to combine several of his enjoyments through writing, meeting people, taking photographs, camping, and traveling. After 46 years in education, mostly as a high school band director, he is combining all that he has learned in the decades spent working with technology, teaching photography and digital media, being a Boy Scout, raising three amazing young adults and serving as a book editor, publisher and writer for several organizations and authors into American Narratives. Steffen will be the nerd behind our social media presence, take a fair portion of the photographs and write most of the articles and narratives about the folks that we encounter.
Kathryn Ammel Parker
Creativity and love of God has always been at the heart of everything that Kathryn does. From being a music educator, pianist, organist, quiller, fudge maker, craft person, wreath designer, gardener, quilter and repurpose goddess,, to her most important work as Mother to three amazing young adults, she has always found a way to make something beautiful and functional from what she has found or been given. A balance to Steffen’s tech-nerd side, she brings color and her personal touch to American Narratives. Kathryn will be the editor of our work together while contributing to the photo galleries and penning the children’s book, untitled as of yet, that will bring the young reader along on our adventure across the country as seen from the seat of her e-bicycle.
It all began with two different ideas
As Steffen approached his 70th birthday, thoughts on what to do to begin retirement from teaching were discussed, but those ideas were not a match. He wanted to write a book about spending a year traveling by boat around the Great American Loop (Lake Champlain south to Key West, west to New Orleans, north to the Great Lakes and then east back to Vermont) and his wife Kathryn wanted to visit the parts of the country outside of Vermont that she had only read about but never seen.
Combining those two ideas along with their concern about the affect that social media’s and news outlet’s content was having on the younger generation, bore American Narratives. By capturing the stories of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things, our two year project will share those worthwhile narratives that every American should hear and feel. Besides this website, please checkout our FaceBook and InstaGram posts, our photo albums on SmugMug, and coming in Fall 2025, two published collections, a children’s book, and several photo collections.
We hope you come along for the ride.
