Here's to Shan and the art of storytelling

SHAN TIANFANG, a renowned storyteller on the radio, died on Tuesday at the age of 84. Beijing News comments:

For those born before 1980, Shan is an artist. In the pre-1980s, even in the decade that followed, radio was the dominant mass medium, and Shan was a favorite with listeners for his storytelling. His voice had this mesmerizing quality that drew one and all to the radio. After his death was announced, many recalled those days when they used to wait for Shan to fire their imagination with his storytelling skills every day.

Unlike the broadcast of audio books online that is popular nowadays, a storyteller uses nuanced diction to narrate stories instead of simply reading a short story or a novel. A good storyteller can make you feel he is narrating a story specially for you.