JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Johnson City Public Library (JCPL), in partnership with the International Storytelling Center, hosted a free performance by storyteller Sam Payne on Wednesday.

Payne, a tenor, infuses his stories with rhythm by moving between speaking and singing. According to the library, Payne has performed in places that span from Jonesborough to Tokyo.

Payne was part of a Peabody-nominated team that created “Treasure Island 2020,” a serial podcast based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. Some of his writing includes “Sanctuary: The Story of Zion” for the National Park Service’s centennial.

Marketing Coordinator for the JCPL Hannah Kiger told News Channel 11 that she feels privileged to help provide top-tier storytelling to local families for free.

“It’s a really wonderful thing to be able to offer world-class, high-quality storytelling to people in our community at no cost to them,” she said. “Partnership events like this are very special to us. It’s wonderful to be able to partner with the International Storytelling Center for a program like this because of what it offers to our patrons.”

For more information on the JCPL and its upcoming events, visit jcpl.org.