Traditional storytelling is a largely forgotten art in a culture steeped in movies and TV shows. But the spoken narrative - with a Florida flavor - comes to life each year at the Cracker Story Telling Festival. The headline performer for this year's event will be Carrie Jean Wharton, a regionally published storyteller. She's performed as one of the main storytellers at the Florida Storytellers Camp as well as many other festivals, according Linda Chancey, librarian at the Bartow Public Library. Carrie Jean Wharton has been writing and storytelling professionally since 1994. She delights audiences of all ages in schools and festivals with her dramatic style and creative energy. She is a native Polk County storyteller and is a member of the Cracker Storyteller committee.