Image of Bramble Stories Logo

Founders

Melissa Ford Thornton
Storyteller, Co-Founder

California girl with a Southern accent, Melissa Ford Thornton was born in Redondo Beach, CA. and earned her M.A. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She is Communications Director for the historic, nonprofit Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts. She is an award-winning writer, poet, storyteller and lyricist. She has performed on stage at The Moth, Arc Stories, Tenx 9 Nashville Storytelling, Athens Storytelling Festival, Stories Under the Stars and Tin Can Stories.

Melissa's work has been published by Silver Birch Press and she is a frequent guest on NPR-affiliate WLRH 's Sundial Writer's Corner. She is a member of Public Relations Council of North Alabama, The Americana Music Association, National Storytelling Network and Out Loud HSV Spoken Word Community.

Sam Mitchell
Storyteller, Co-Founder

Graphic designer and illustrator Sam Mitchell (he/him) is now located in Huntsville, Alabama. Sam received his BFA in Design from the University of Georgia to formalize his interest in commercial art and has been working in the field of Graphic Design ever since.

When he’s not binging Netflix, listening to Hall & Oates or obsessing over his toy collection, he also likes to tell stories. Sam is host and co-founder of Tin Can Stories and a proud member of Out Loud HSV. He has been featured at Write Club ATL, Tenx9 Nashville, the Princess Theater: Center for Performing Arts and on Sundial Writers Corner.