massmouth blog and news

StoriesLive® update and an interview with Norah!

2012-02-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

Last year’s wildly successful launch of the program saw over 1,110 high school students from the Commonwealth being introduced to the art of storytelling through the StoriesLive® curriculum and the first ever intra-mural high school story slam, which awarded $5,000 in scholarship funds to five winners. Schools that participated last year included Andover High School, Boston Latin Academy, Everett High School, Lynn Classical High School, and Newburyport High School – all of which have signed on again this year after rave reviews from both students and teachers: “Students found their voice to a certain extent...both within their story and within themselves,” said Erica Tolley who teaches English at Lynn Classical High School.

The program received a unanimous vote from Mass Humanities to fully fund its 2012 season, with one member of the Grant Review Committee commenting, “Other states should follow suit to create something nationally…Youth, under served, engaged in the process of creating narratives, which are at the core of the humanities of all kinds, what else could one hope for in [a] Mass Humanities program?”

The 2012 season commenced on January 31st at the Everett High School auditorium where the entire junior class was introduced to the program, listened to massmouth storytellers, and watched some of Everett's participants from last year perform their stories, including celebrity appearances by their own Mathews DeSouza who was a semi-finalist in the 2011 intra-mural high school story slam and Ryan Considine, a finalist in the same event. The massmouth storytellers were Ben Cunningham (Greater Boston, Big MouthOff 2011 first prize winner), Paula Junn (massmouth’s outreach coordinator and director), Katie Liesener (Greater Boston, Big MouthOff 2011, New Storyteller award), ToRena Webb Thoma (ReadBoston storyteller and StoriesLive® instructor) and EHS students, Matt DeSouza and Ryan Considine.

L-R: Ryan, Matt, Katie, Ben and ToRena, and Norah (at podium)

StoriesLive® is a program tailored to help 11th and 12th grade students learn oral presentation and personal narrative skills that can help them navigate applying to the college or job of their dreams. Students share meaningful, personal stories in a fun, interactive forum while meeting many of the standards found in the Core Curriculum Language Arts frameworks.

“We are interested in helping our students value their life experiences and learn how to communicate these through writing and speaking,” said Amy Berinato who teaches English and Theater at Boston Latin Academy, one of the first schools to sign up.

Below we have an interview (conducted by Rachel Simon, massmouth intern) with Norah Dooley, project director of StoriesLive®, about the January 31st Everett High School event.

1.     How many people attended the assembly?
Over 300 juniors...the entire junior class of Everett High School. There were two storytellers from Everett High School and three professional storytellers from massmouth. I was the facilitator/em cee. This is the first assembly in 2012 and the third we’ve done for this season.

2.     Did you direct the assembly in another way that is different from your story slam events?
Completely – the assembly is completely different; it is an introduction to story telling. We usually do a workshop, but this time Everett High School had us do a concert with a brief introduction. A concert can be storytellers telling their stories, and if a whole bunch of storytellers tell at the same time, it can be called a “mouth-off.”

3.     What do you think the students took out of the assembly?
I think they got really psyched about storytelling because the storytelling was great. The master storytellers were really great and the students, without any prompting, told their stories. The seniors had been in the program last year, told the kids how fun and amazingly natural it felt to tell a story and they didn’t have to worry about stage fright.

4.     How does the assembly work?
Usually we do a Powerpoint presentation about StoriesLive® and the art of storytelling; it is interspersed with people telling stories. We teach the students how to tell their own stories; this time, they listened to a whole concert of stories.

5.     Do you think the assemblies you do have any impact on the students and teachers after you leave?
Oh yeah, because the assemblies are a part of the program; the idea is to show them how storytelling works. It is an introduction to an overall program that they do. They are going to be telling stories; we show them how engaging, fun and interesting stories are.

6.     What do you think oral storytelling means to students and maybe even the teachers, who are so immersed in a digital world?
I think it’s an eye opener for them to see how people can be entertaining and entertained without electronics. They quickly get that storytelling is rich a form of expression, and how they can be connected with their peers through shared stories.

7.     Do the students and teachers you meet impact you?
Yes. The stories we hear and the enthusiasm in high schools are just fabulous. And the teachers have really good ideas – their belief in their students is really admirable. This year, the teachers from Everett have decided to take our lesson plans and implement them in their curriculum, which is really great. One of our goals is to make sure storytelling becomes a part of every high school curriculum, and this is a start.

Rachel Simon is the Spring 2012 intern at massmouth, inc. and is a senior at Lesley College majoring in Creative Writing.

"Life is Bigger than Biography"*

2012-01-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

A Review of Sugar at ArtsEmerson

By Owen Grey

Robbie McCauley. Photo: Paul Marotta.

There was a beating diagram of a heart, in blue and red, above a blood red stage in The Jackie Liebergott Black Box when I took my seat. Disembodied voices spoke. The voices were just noise to me; I could not understand what they were saying, even as I recognized them as voices. Three chairs were sitting on the stage.

Robbie McCauley took the stage. She sat in one of the chairs and fought to get a candy bar unwrapped. She took a bite.

“I am supposed to be dead.” Ms. McCauley stared at the audience for a while.

“Sugar is complicated, like love. It gives you energy but it can burn you up from the inside.”

I was drawn in.

* * *

As a storyteller, when I think of a one-person show, I think of it as a storytelling event. I was curious to see what Ms. McCauley would do with the time.

What struck me about Sugar was Ms. McCauley's use of long silences as she moved around the stage, through physical space. In storytelling we talk about the use of the well placed, meaningful pause. When the audience is in tune with our story, they will wait 5 or 10 seconds for the next part. But can we keep an audience longer than that?

As Ms. McCauley moved the chairs on the stage, the sound of that scraping and the rhythm of her steps replacing her words, sugar fell from the legs of the chairs, leaving white markings on the blood red stage. The last words of a scene would linger. I was able to take time to consider what had happened in the scene and its meaning.

This is a luxury we do not have in storytelling. We do not have props or a large space to move through. The meaning we have to communicate through our words, our voices, our pauses, and our gestures. We have to make the meaning of our work clear to listeners.

Or is it? Ms. McCauley showed us another way to be storytellers.

During the talk back session following the performance, Ms. McCauley, musician Chauncey Moore, and director Maureen Shea talked a lot about the collaborative process. Ms. McCauley talked about how she tried to keep her condition as a person with diabetes secret during most of her career. There was a current underneath the work about how difficult keeping that secret had been.

Sugar came about out of Ms. McCauley exploration Story Circles, a method of building community based on a premise that everyone has a story to tell. This idea is at the heart of massmouth and is alive in our community as well. Story Circles is method of exploring complex and difficult issues. Ms. McCauley realized that diabetes was a difficult issue for her. What she found was that as she explored and shared her own story was that taking care of herself and her condition became easier.

Ms. McCauley told us, "Life is bigger than biography." Telling her story helped heal her, even if it could not cure her.

Sara Bookin-Weiner; Chauncey Moore; Robbie McCauley; and Maureen Shea. Photo Credit: Norah Dooley.

* * *

See Sugar at ArtsEmerson. There are four more performances:

Friday, January 27th at 8:00PM
Saturday, January 28th at 2:00PM
Saturday, January 28th at 8:00PM
Sunday, January 29th at 2:00PM

* Note: The title of this article, "Life is Bigger than Biography," comes from the text of Sugar.

* * *

Owen Grey as been telling stories his whole life. He has found a home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling scene.

In the Beginning There was the Spoken Word

2012-01-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

A Review of the "Genesis" Story Slam at Club Passim, January 16, 2012

By Owen Grey

Bambi Good

Head judge Bambi Good took the stage. She smiled and looked over the crowd.

“What a great night of stories! I think Karen will agree that this is the best night of stories we have had ever at a story slam. It was tough to decide tonight, with so many great stories. Maybe on another night we would have decided differently, maybe in another night we won’t even agree with ourselves.

“And the winners are..."

* * *

Karen Given, Host

Club Passim in Harvard Square was crowded for massmouth's “Genesis” Story Slam. I later found out that we sold out the venue: 15 people were turned away.

Host Karen Given took the stage at 7:00pm to start the show. She introduced the story slam format and introduced our special guest, Tony Kahn. Karen pulled the first name from the hat and called Yana Sherman to the stage.

“Wait, are you starting?” someone said in the back. The concertwindow.com live feed hadn't been started. So, Karen entertained us until the slam could begin in earnest.

We didn't know it then but we were in for one of the best story slams that massmouth has hosted all season.

* * *

So, It All Started...

When Yana Sherman finally took the stage, she talked about how kidney failure lead to the start of her new life. During recovery, a friend asked what she was doing for her recovery spiritually. Yana began making soup which lead her to gratitude which lead her to writing.

John Cannon told us about the genesis of the Army's Crazy Naked Man.

Anurajan Roy

In 1993 Robin Maxfield became pregnant with her first child. She became a whole new person as she brought a new life into the world.

Anurajan Roy continued his New Year's Resolution by telling at a second story slam. He told a story about reviving a literary magazine at his university, saying goodbye to Vulcan and beginning Helios. “It was just a literary magazine but, for us, the journey was as epic as any of the Greek epics.”

* * *

Make Way for Tony Kahn

Special Guest Tony Kahn

We were lucky enough to get to hear from Tony Kahn. He brought a number of wonderful stories.

One day sitting on his porch with his wife, he watched a mother duck and her ten ducklings walk across a grate. Three of the ducklings fell through. The mother duck realized something had gone wrong and walking over the grate looking for the rest of her ducklings, the other seven fell through.

Tony ran down to help the duck while his wife called the animal rescue league. He pulled on the grate to no avail. The duck looked up to the sky. Tony wasn't sure if she were asking for grace or looking to see if a hawk had taken her ducklings.

As he tugged uselessly at the grate, two of his neighbors came out. They were bleary eyed from a hard night of drinking. Tony explained the situation and then, thirty fingers interlaced, they were able to lift the grate. They found a black hole and realized it was deeper than they had thought.

One of the men lowered himself in. He disappeared into the darkness, the hole perhaps ten feet deep. He felt in the dark and one by one lifted the ducklings out to the street above.

Tony looked at these two men. They were both big men and looked tough. One of them had a tear in his eye. He was choked up but finally able to say, “I love animals.”

The ducklings lined up behind their mother. She gave a quack of thanks and then marched off to the pond that had been her original destination.

* * *

Brendan Schneider

The Start of a New Understanding

With her hippie attitude and short, purple miniskirt, Ann Barysh never thought she'd earn a soldier's respect nor that she wanted it. Then the soldier looked over at her family and said, “Good luck, solider. You're going to need it.”

I had thought more people were going to use the theme of Genesis to talk about Phil Collins and his band. Only one person took up the challenge. Brendan Schneider told us how he discovered Genesis in fourth grade and even now, three decades later, he still has no idea what Phil Collins was talking about.

* * *

And the Winners Are

Antonia L.

Antonia L. told us of the three kittens she adopted. She and her housemates heard them screaming in the backyard. “Did you know a kitten is basically just a fuzzy digestive tract?” she asked us. She saved the kittens and she told us that the kittens had in turn saved her. Antonia's story took home the Audience Choice Prize.

Abhishek Shah

Have you ever had to tell your family that you are abandoning a tradition? “Mom, I have something I need to tell you,” Abhishek Shah announced over Skype. His mother started asking “Are you on drugs? Are you having an affair?” He took a
deep breath, “Mom, I want to eat beef.” Not connected by the best of Internet connections, the video feed would hang and then speed up and then hang again. Finally, Abhishek disconnected. Later on he was talking with his brother. Abhishek told his brother what he was thinking. His brother said, “I understand. You have to do what's best for you. And when you do try beef, try grilled beef.” Abhishek's story won Second Place.

Cheryl Hamilton

Cheryl Hamilton affirmed what Abhishek said, that whatever follows, “There's something I need to tell you,” is not what you want to hear. Cheryl reflected on times that she's heard that opening before. Sitting in a restaurant, Justin, at that time Cheryl's athletic, strong boyfriend said, “There's something I need to tell you, Cheryl: I want to become a woman.” Cheryl wishes she could have been supportive immediately but she was afraid that when Justin became a woman, she might lose her friend. Always the tomboy, Cheryl is drawn to guy's guys – the more masculine the better – so that she feels feminine. She talked about taking care of April, the name Justin took when he transitioned, and feeling something she was surprised to feel: anger. “I wanted to have anyone who dared to say being transgender is a choice look April in the face, see all her fear and pain. Then I would look them in the eye and ask them if they really thought April was doing this for fun.” Cheryl's story won First Place.

Antonia L., Audience Choice; Abhishek Shah, Second Place; Cheryl Hamilton, First Place; Karen Given, Host; and Tony Kahn, Special Guest.

* * *

Special thanks to Bambi Good and all our judges. Thanks to Scott Schultz for keeping time. Thank you to Tina for videoing and to Laura for taking photos.

The next massmouth Story Slam is "College Dayz" at The Precinct in Somerville on January 31.

The next massmouth Story Slam at Club Passim is “shell-shocked” on February 20. Can't make it out? Check out the live stream on concertwindow.com.

For the full list of massmouth events, bookmark massmouth.com.

* * *

Owen Grey has been telling stories his whole life. He has found a home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling scene.

Storytelling at the Tavern at the End of the World

2012-01-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

By Owen Grey

A fire warmed the back room of the Tavern at the End of the World as I walked in last Monday. I wasn't sure what to expect.

The bookshelves surrounding the fireplace added extra warmth to the room. They seemed to say, "Yes, this is a place where stories live. Welcome." I saw PJ Strachman sitting with some people in the corner and I made my way over.

I made my introductions and met Aimee Rose Ranger, the hostess, and several others excited about storytelling.

Monday was my first time at 360 Storytelling, a project of the Whistler in the Dark Theatre. My friends Jesse Strachman and PJ had invited me before but this week was the first time I was able to make it. People continued to join us 8:00pm, the appointed hour, approached. We started as one table and expanded out until we filled most of the back room.

Aimee welcomed us and then told the first story. She set the time for 6 minutes (360 seconds) and began. She left us wondering what happened because she hit the six minute mark before she finished her story. More than a few tellers would hit that wall as the night went on.

Walking in that night, I hadn't been sure what to expect. What I found was a group of friends gathered to share stories and community. That same sense of story and community is what I found when I first discovered massmouth.

* * *

The next 360 Storytelling will be on Monday, February 13, 2012.

The next massmouth Story Slam is "Genesis" at Club Passim, Cambridge, with special guest Tony Kahn on Monday, January 16, 2012.

Check out the Whistler in the Dark Theatre 2011-2012 season. Two productions, Fen and A Number, are running now through February 4, 2012.

* * *

Owen Grey has been telling stories his whole life. He has found a home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling scene.

New Year, New Storytellers

2012-01-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

A Review of the "Resolution" Story Slam at Doyle's Cafe in JP.
By Cheryl Hamilton


Mary Hannon

If you don’t have a new year’s resolution yet, don’t worry. At the first massmouth.com Story Slam of 2012, feature storyteller Mary Hannon revealed to guests how the government can help. That’s right. Sometime between extending tax cuts for the rich and rescuing Iranians from pirates, the feds uploaded a webpage devoted entirely to the most popular New Year’s resolutions. The resolutions list begins with ‘drink less alcohol’ and ends with ‘volunteer to help others,’ which when combined sounds like a public service announcement for designated drivers.


Hal Miller Jacobs

Reviewing the federal list on my iPhone Sunday night, I reflect on why I love storytelling. When done well, my favorite stories are the antithesis of the popular variety. They are unique, quirky, and unusual. Good storytellers surprise you like when Mary Faith described her resolution to learn to make wine at the age of 12 after reading a Ray Bradbury novel or when second place winner Hal Miller Jacobs resolved to never fly again after a security official at Logan airport wanted to touch his “stuff” (okay, it was only his luggage on the conveyer belt, but like the audience at Doyle’s, Hal didn’t understand until the very last minute and panicked). Although host Robin Maxfield introduced Hal as an experience teller, the spirited resident from Lexington reminded the audience this was only his second year up front. With his arms raised high above him for most of the story as if still under investigation, Hal’s smartly placed comedic breaks suggest that, even if not under the bright lights, this sophomore has been telling stories for year.

* * *

Robin Maxfield, Host

* * *

David Corbeau

Approaching the microphone, other storytellers also avoided topics like weight loss, debt, or smoking in favor of more unique directions. Beginning with a delightful self-deprecating sequence, David Corbeau declared 2012 the year of “rejection and repression” until an English muffin changed his mood that morning. Deciding spontaneously to give “the good half” of his muffin to his girlfriend (aka, the side that doesn’t fall apart in “burnt carb crumbles” upon toasting), David found renewed joy in simple gestures and wished the audience similar acts of kindness. Meanwhile Dale Averill just wishes he could figure out what exactly happened on New Year’s Eve after he left a different storytelling event and eventually wound up in the hospital. Was it a heart attack or a religious experience? He is resolved to find out.

Antonia L.

While the government lists responsible actions like saving money, storytellers on Sunday embraced more daring resolutions. Chuck Collins delivered an entertaining story about the challenges of switching from soccer to modern dance as a high school student while Antonia L. described a marathon date with a handsome South African that ended with a campaign to save a seal’s life. Trapped in the netting used to catch Tuna, the seal and self-proclaimed vegan had what Antonia described as the “scariest face-off” of her life. In her words, “Did you know that up close seals look like lions, but wet?” Eventually, the couple managed to release the mammal with a simple pair of scissors without the help of a reluctant aquarium staff only a few blocks away.

Abhishek Shah

Unfortunately, Abhishek Shah’s courageous resolution ended on a more somber tone. At seventeen, he resolved to fearlessly ride outside of trains in his native Mumbai, India rather then remain cramped among the commuters inside. Although initially exhilarating, Abhishek now regrets his decision following a tragic encounter between his friend who had taught him how to ride on the outside of trains and an electric pole. “Now I tell people to never ride on the outside of trains,” Abhishek shared, “because nothing compares to life.”

Michael Anderson

First place winner Michael Anderson from Somerville challenged the federal list’s most popular resolution related to food. In an enthusiastic account, Michael shared how all he wanted for his tenth birthday was four bowls of cocoa puffs and hours of roadrunner cartoons. Unfortunately, his mother had recently resolved to improve her family’s diet. In something of a breakfast nook showdown, their wills were tested over a bowl of granola. And as Michael explains, “not the honey dipped, nature valley kind, but angry fundamentalist granola.” In the end, the mother crumbled like the bad half of David’s English muffin and Michael reminded us “that some peoples’ resolutions are stronger than others.”

Karen Given

In the end, the most popular resolution of the night did not involve loosing weight or traveling more often. Instead, the wisdom came from Waltham resident Karen Given who won the audience award with her declaration to stop giving her phone number to men at bars. What was the catalyst? Slimy “Paul with a P” – a man whose memory is so poor that dear Karen had to remind him that it was not she he had cuddled and caressed at the bar in Central Square, but a blond across the room despite the repeated phone calls, text messages and invitations to the big Apple.

* * *

Anuranjan Roy

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the slam came near the end when novice Anuranjan Roy’s name was pulled as teller number nine. New to the massmouth.com community, Anuranjan shared how he decided to make performing at a story slam his 2012 resolution – a feat he achieved in less than nine calendar days into the new year. Unlike other tellers who shared past resolutions, Anuranjan’s story unfolded in real time as he recounted the anxiety-laden week that led up to his first live performance. Growing increasingly nervous as he practiced at home, Anuranjan considered abandoning his resolution several times, but he sealed his fate after sharing the goal with his mom in India over Skype. “I knew I had done it then,” he joked.

So, with a supportive audience behind him, Anuranjan made it to the five-minute mark and applause and cheers erupted. In short, while feature Mary Hannon continues to wrestles over whether resolutions should really just be intentions (aka things she will try but not necessary accomplish) Anuranjan proclaimed to audience that “now, I am free for the rest of the year,” before returning to his table and exhaling fully for the first time in a week.

* * *

Karen Given, Audience Choice; Michael Anderson, 1st Place; Hal Miller Jacobs, 2nd Place

* * *

Cheryl Hamilton is a new transplant to Massachusetts and guest blogger for massmouth.com. When she is not focusing on refugee affairs at work , Cheryl can be found most often dancing, cycling or performing in her one-woman play Checkered Floors.

StoriesLive® at Lynn Classical High School

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

By Owen Grey

The auditorium buzzed as the students turned to one another to share their sensory memories and then to share their stories. I walked around the auditorium a little during this exercise. The students were almost all talking about their memories and they were almost all telling their stories.

I noticed one girl sitting quietly. I went over to her. “What's your story?”

“Oh, I don't have one,” she said.

“You must. C'mon.”

She insisted that she didn't. I went through some of the StoriesLive® prompts and she still insisted that she didn't have a story.

“Oh, she's just a junior,” the boy sitting next to her said.

“You don't have to be a senior to have a story,” I said. “Fine. Help her get started. What's your story?”

He told his story. “So, how about you?” he asked me.

* * *

Lynn Classical High School hosted StoriesLive®, a project of massmouth, from December 12th through December 16th with a school-wide Story Slam on Monday December 19th.

The program began with the StoriesLive® Assembly. English Department Head, Mr. Burke, introduced StoriesLive® and asked for the students attention. Storytellers Nicolette Heavey, Norah Dooley, Ben Cunningham, and Paula Junn took the stage to telling the story of StoriesLive® and telling their own stories.

Norah discussed the principles of storytelling and led the students through an exercise to explore their memories and dig up sensory details. This was the first exercise of a week of learning about storytelling and the oral tradition.

* * *

What makes a good story? What makes a good performance? How does spoken word differ from the written word?

The challenge was to teach 11 sections of senior English classes how to answer these questions. StoriesLive® brought some interesting exercises to help students learn about oral tradition and spoken word performance.

In one class, Andrea Lovett taught storytelling by giving examples of her own stories from her life as examples as she talked about the StoriesLive® prompts. She had the students dig in their memories for sensory details again, as they had in the assembly but pushed them to go deeper.

In another class Norah Dooley had the students get up and walk in a big circle around the outside of the desks. She had the students walk and embody each of the 6 universal emotions and then stop and make a face representing that emotion to a classmate across the room. She tied that into performance about how a gesture or a facial expression can replace what would be a paragraph or a page of exposition in writing.

Tony Toledo had Paula Junn and me join him in front of the class to tell one story in three parts. I took the beginning, Tony took the middle, and Paula took the end. At the end we had the students try to guess whose story it was. The class was about equally split between whether the story was mine or Tony's. He asked the students to split of into groups of three and then do the exercise themselves. The students took the activity seriously and it was fun watching them get up there and act out their parts.

* * *

These kids have powerful stories. While not everyone had the courage to speak, everyone seemed to love hearing their friends and classmates tell their stories. Not all of the stories were life changing but I could see that telling their stories and listening to their classmates stories was transformative.

One particular story I will carry with me. I watched A—'s story evolve from the in-class Story Slam to the school-wide Story Slam. I learned from his story. Here's the story I heard on Friday.

One day during the summer of 2010, A— and some friends went up to 40 Steps, a part of Nahant beach. People climb a cliff at 40 Steps and jump down into the ocean. As A— and his friends approached they noticed one kid standing apart from the crowd. When they got there, A— saw it was his friend S—.

“What's going on, S—? Why haven't you jumped in?”

“I can't swim.”

A— jumped into the ocean a few times. Climbing back up to the top of the cliff, he saw that S— was still standing apart and still dry.

“Listen, S—, I got you. We'll jump in together. I won't let you go.”

S— didn't jump the first time but he did the second time. A— and S— surfaced. S— pushed A— off him. A— tried to grab S— again but then S— began doggy-paddling.

A— told his classmates how inspired he was by S—'s courage to jump and to try swimming alone.

When A— sat down, I noticed he seemed a little choked up. I had at first thought it was because he was remembering how brave S— had been.

As A— was walking out, his teacher flagged him down. “Good job, A—,” she started, “but you know the real story is what happened the week after.” She pushed him to tell that part of the story. A— left for his next class.

She turned to Tony and me to explain that the week after S— had jumped from 40 Steps, S—, A—, and some other friends went swimming in the reservoir. S— was not a strong enough swimmer to swim the course they set. S— did not know how to back float when his arms got too tired. S— went under. His friends were not able to get to him in time. S— drowned.

Tony and I both tried to tell his teacher that A—'s story of being inspired by S—'s jump was a story itself. A— was honoring S—'s memory by telling that part of the story. Not telling about his drowning did not diminish what A— had told.

“I saw how choked up he got sitting at his seat after telling,” Tony said. “A— might not be ready to tell that story yet. It's too raw. A— may not be ready to talk about the drowning for five or ten years.”

On Monday at the school-wide Slam, A— got up. Telling in front of the entire senior class of some 300 is much different than telling in front of a class of some 30 people. A— had to stop in the middle of the story. Anyone could tell he was about to be overcome by his emotions.

The auditorium thundered with applause and calls for him to continue. The whole senior class supported A—.

A— stumbled over his emotions but was able to finish his story. He began to cry. After another round of applause he continued, his voice cracking, “Listen everyone, if you know you can't do something, don't do it. Just don't do it.” He talked about how S— drowned and how much he missed him.

The other student storytellers who were on deck for that round opened their arms to him.

* * *

Watching the program, I alternated between two different lenses: that of a storyteller and that of a graduate student in English Language Arts education. There was some reticence on the part of the students on Tuesday and some on Wednesday but by Friday, the day of the in-class Story Slams, the students had largely opened up and were participating in the slams.

There was still some reticence at the end but for the most part the students had overcome their fears. The in-class slams that I saw were all very supportive. All the students cheered for one another.

I did find one thing particularly troubling: many of the students said, “I don't have a story.” From the girl in auditorium to students on the day of the in-class Story Slam, there were students that insisted that they had no stories in them.

This still puzzled me during the meeting I had with Norah Dooley and Tony Toledo on Monday afternoon. We talked about reaching all the students. I talked a little about differentiated instruction. I drifted in and out of the conversation, thinking of the students who said they had no stories. We talked about how to make the program more effective for future years. I mentioned a discussion of the five paragraph essay I had had with another teacher.

“We spend all this time in schools telling students to conform to certain norms and formats to pass tests and ‘succeed,’” Norah said. “We crush their voices and crush their voices and we never ask them them for genuine expression.”

Driving home after the school-wide Story Slam and that meaning, I realized what the students had meant. Of course they had stories. Of course things had happened to them. What they were actually expressing was that they did not have any confidence that their stories mattered. These students had had their voices crushed out of them.

One week of work with professional storytellers is not enough to help these students undo the years and years of being told their opinions and stories don't matter unless those opinions match the officially sanctioned opinions.

But that one week is a start.

* * *


Rabb Auditorium, Boston Public Library.

The StoriesLive® Scholarship Slam for the 2011-2012 Season will be March 31, 2012 at Rabb Auditorium, Boston Public Library.

* * *

Owen Grey has been telling stories his whole life. He has found his home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling community.

Your Story is "Gift" Enough

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

By Owen Grey

massmouth packed the big back room of Doyle's Cafe in JP on Sunday, December 11, 2011, for the “Gifts” Story Slam. Robin Maxfield took the mic and introduced our special guest, Michele Carlo, a storyteller who has performed on The MOTH’s Mainstage as well as in the Grand Slams.

Each story was itself a gift. A lot of first time tellers put their names in the hat for this slam. Some were first time ever tellers and tellers telling for the first time this season. I was happy to see so many new people taking the stage and sharing their stories. All were well received. In fact the Story Slam winner was a first time ever teller.

We all have doubts about the work that we do and whether what we are doing makes a difference. First time ever teller Claudia Dunne knows that all too well as a social worker working with young offenders. “Christmas is a big deal for these kids,” she told us. “Each year they asked for volunteers to work on Christmas and all of volunteered.” She talked about the kids whose families came, those who knew their families wouldn't be coming, and the saddest, those kids who hoped that their families would come but never did.

One day she found one of the kids carrying a small jigsaw puzzle she had given him. When she asked him why he carried it, she learned that that had been the kid's best Christmas ever. He gave her a great gift in turn. He told her that her work did mean something.

During a surgical residency, Abisheck Shah talked with a colleague about how he met his wife. For her birthday this man sent her 22 gifts and each was numbered. The first gift was a photograph from when she was born. Each gift in succession told the story of her life. The final gift was an address. The woman went to the address and there was this man. “The final gift is me, if you will have me. Will you marry me?” From this man's story, Abisheck learned how gifts can speak louder than words.

* * *

Michele Carlo told her story in three parts. On Christmas Eve her mother sent her on an errand that no one wants to run – especially not a 14-year-old girl – to buy Kotex. Returning from the store, she saw the two boys she had crushes on. They grabbed the bag from her. Michele chased them. Somehow the bag ended up in the street and was run over by a bus.

She knew that Dennis had seen what was in the bag. She looked at him, afraid of what he was going to say next. “Let us walk you home, Michele.” They walked through the snow and then began throwing snowballs. They fell in the snow, becoming snowballs themselves. Laughing they stood up and both the boys were holding her hands. That night she got the gift of her first kiss.

Dennis and the other boy were shot not long after. Michele went to their funeral and knelt in front of Dennis' casket. Dennis' mother came over and asked her if she knew Dennis well. At that time, Michele could only think to answer, “Yeah, I mean I guess.” Now, years later, she wishes that she had told Dennis's mother what a gentleman Dennis had been, how he had kept her confidence, how he had been a gentleman, and how that would have been the greatest gift she could have given that grieving mother.

* * *

Jackson Gillman told us the etymology of the magic words, “hocus pocus.” Those magic words come from the Roman Catholic Latin liturgy, a mockery of, “Hoc est enim corpus meum.” And the hokey pokey? That comes from hocus pocus. Jackson told us how the hokey pokey due to some mistranslation regained its spiritual dimension when some American Christian pilgrims to India taught their hosts the dance. When the pilgrims asked why their hosts had taken the dance so seriously, the Indians asked, “How could we not? Think of the meaning of the words. I invest my entire being; I withdraw my entire being; I reinvest my entire being; I vibrate through the entire cosmos; this is the essence of it all.” Jackson's story won Audience Choice.

A divorce can be a nightmare but for Beth Jones it was a gift and the start of chain of gifts. After her ex-husband announced he wanted a divorce and refused to talk about it, Beth took the time to explore her interests again and rediscover herself. She learned that she wanted children and began looking for a donor. Beth talked to a friend who had bought donated sperm before meeting the man who would become the father of her children. This friend offered to gift the sperm to Beth and she accepted. Before using the gift, Beth met the man who would become the father of her children and her husband. One day one of Beth's friends came to her, saying she wanted to have a baby. Beth offered to gift the sperm to this friend who then met the man who would become her husband and the father of her children. Beth's story won Second Place.

Scott Schultz's great grandfather promised him a white horse when he was 5 years old. Scott was so excited about the idea of having a horse that that was all he could ever think about when he went to visit his great grandfather. Now, his great grandfather lived in Everett and was raising Cloudy, Scott's horse, in his basement. But, being only five years old, Scott never caught on. Every time he visited, Scott's great grandfather would go into the basement and Cloudy would be too tired to see Scott. Finally after weeks and weeks, Scott's great grandfather said he would get to meet Cloudy. Standing in front of the TV, Scott's great grandfather pointed to the white horse leading the Rose Bowl Parade. “Well, what do you think of Cloudy? The organizer of the Rose Bowl Parade saw Cloudy and bought him. I couldn't turn down that money. That's how I had enough money to pay for this party.” Driving home the day, Scott began crying in the car and told his parents what his great grandfather had done. “Scott, your great grandfather pulled that same horsesh-- on me when I was your age. You can't believe everything he says.” Scott's story won First Place.

* * *

Make story part of your First Night in Boston! Join massmouth at the Hynes Convention Center for two rounds of storytelling. Come tell a story about “The End” or on any theme we have used this season.

Other Upcoming Slams

“Resolution” - Sunday, January 8, 2012 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Doyle's Cafe in JP

“Genesis” - Monday, January 16, 2012 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Club Passim in Cambridge.

“College Daze” - Wednesday, January 31, 2012 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at The Precinct in Somerville.

* * *

Owen Grey has been telling stories his whole life. He has found his home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling community.

Mixing Storytelling and Acting to Create Magic

2011-12-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

By Owen Grey

“Once upon a time there lived a woman with a gift for stories named Shahrazad...”

We all know the frame of the story of Arabian Nights. We all know many tales from that great work, even if only the name of the character.

The floor of the Central Square Theater Main Stage was a swirling magic carpet of colors and patterns. Tapestries just as colorful hung from the ceiling. The audience was chatting, a hum of anticipation for the lights to go out. We knew what we were here to see but not what we had in store.

How many actors does it take to bring to life enough stories to fill 1,001 nights, though? The Nora Theatre Company and the Underground Railway Theater were able to create multitudes with just 9 actors.

King Shahrayar (Vincent E. Siders) filled his palace with laughter for he so loved his Queen (Debra Wise). One day he discovered that she was unfaithful. Her faithlessness shattered King Shahrayar's faith. He ordered his Vizier (Alexander Cook) to have the queen executed.

For 1,001 nights King Shahrayar would marry a different woman and at dawn would send her to the executioner.

The Vizier's daughter, Shahrazad (Evelyn Howe), knew that her gift would save the King and the land. She begged her father to let her be married to the King. When he protested, she said that her destiny was to save the King and she would petition the King directly if he refused.

"Let me heal the king, father," she begged. "Some things are more important than one life." The Vizier relented.

Shahrazad told her sister, Dinarzad (Paige Clark), that she had a role to play. "On my wedding night, I will summon you to the palace. One hour before dawn, wake me and tell me that you wish to hear one of my stories." Trusting her sister, Dinarzad agreed.

One hour before dawn, Dinarzad did as her sister asked. With King Shahrayar's permission, Shahrazad began telling the story of "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves." As she told the story, Ali Baba (Ibrahim Miari) took the stage, his voice ringing out in unison at first and then replacing Shahrazad's.

In the morning, the King told the executioner to stay his blade. And so it continued night after night.

* * *

As each of the characters took the stage, Shahrazad, Dinarzad, and King Shahrayar exited the stage. The character narrated and acted out his or her story. The interweaving of storytelling and acting was largely successful. The actors brought the story to life.

The use of pillows was a delight. Pillows alternatively props or scenery. They were variously trees, logs, chests, and mountains.

The show had some flaws. The narration broke the magic of the storytelling in places. Most of the narration that I remember happened during the interactions between Shahrazad, Dinarzad, the Vizier, and King Shahrayar. In the last scene, King Shahrayar narrates that he realized he loved Shahrazad and then speaks to her; Vincent Siders stopped being King Shahrayar and was Vincent Siders telling King Shahrayar's story.

The use of puppetry in certain stories was a highlight of the show for me. The puppets were a delight. I had wondered how they would create some of the effects. I won't spoil the surprise.

Overall the mix of storytelling, dance, acting, puppetry, and singing will enchant you just as Shahrazad enchanted King Shahrayar. See Arabian Nights while you can.

* * *

Arabian Nights was adapted by Dominic Cooke and directed by Daniel Gidron. Arabian Nights is the first co-production of The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theatre, both of which are resident companies at Central Square Theater. Running time is approximately 150 minutes with a 15 minute intermission.

Shows run through December 31, 2011 at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. Tickets at http://www.centralsquaretheater.org/

* * *

Owen Grey has been telling stories all his life. He has found his home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling scene.

1,001 Life Saving Stories Workshop

2011-12-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

By Owen Grey

Before the workshop 1,001 Life Saving Stories began, we sat and talked. I turned to one of the participants and asked him if he had been to any of the Story Slams.

"I have been to some of them," he said. "There was one slam at Doyle's Cafe in JP. This young man took the stage. You know, stage fright is a funny thing. He clearly had rehearsed his story but he stumbled."

I don't think he realized it, but he was talking about me. The "Supernatural" Story Slam was my first Story Slam of the season. Despite my rehearsals, my nerves got the better of me. I still remember how my legs were shaking after Robin Maxfield announced my name. The whole I time was telling, I thought they were going to give out from under me.

"That slam gave me the courage to continue with this," he concluded.

"Well, I'm glad my performance did you some good," I said.

Joan Lancourt said some words of thanks for our attending Central Square Theater and 1,001 Life Saving Stories.

Then Norah Dooley took the sage. "Stories inspire stories. So, rather than talk at you, let's get a storyteller up here, like a sour dough starter."

Paula Junn, massmouth's Social Media Director and photographer, took the stage and told our first story. When all her possessions fell onto the train tracks in New York, she thought about jumping down to save her things. She hadn't slept the night before and stood there half dazed, about to jump. She told us how her life and her possessions were saved by some kind strangers. She never got to say thank you to those people but she thanks them every day.

Growing up in a war zone, Farrah Haider, second place finisher in massmouth's 2011 Big Mouth Off, learned that, "Life takes faith." She believed she was invincible until the day a militant pointed a gun at her and her brother. Quickly wrapping her arm in a coat as if she were injured, she held her arm up to the militant and said that her brother was taking her to the hospital. The militant let her pass. "I realized that day, I was injured. All of us were injured. All of us were the victims of the war."

Shortly after joining an after school program as a teacher, Ben Cunningham, first place winner in massmouth's 2011 Big Mouth Off, saw a little girl face down in the wood chips of the playground. None of the other adults approached but he heard her cries. When he knelt by her side, "Save me, Prince Philip! Save me!" the little girl cried. He played with her and the other little girls, despite the stern looks of a senior teacher. Overhearing the senior teacher crying one day, Ben learned that sometimes little girls know when a fairy tale is just a fairy tale but that grown women believe they are real. Sometimes it is grown women who need saving.

Norah took us into our imaginations. What did we see? What did we hear? We turned to the people around us to share our stories.

The man who had told me how my stage fright had given him courage made me rethinking what "life saving" meant. Stories do inspire stories. I remembered how I had help to alter the course of one of my friend's lives in college. Sometimes saving a life means helping a friend find the courage to follow his own path.

* * *

Owen Grey has been telling stories his whole life. He has found a home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling scene.

"idols" with Bill Littlefield and Karen Given at Club Passims

2011-12-05T05:44:00.003-08:00

Special guest Bill Littlefield and host Karen Given rocked the full house at the Club Passim story slam on November 21, 2011. With the theme “idols,” this WBUR duo that respectively host and produce NPR’s “Only a Game” shared tales of their own idols and encouraged audience members to do the same. Karen said that she was excited, because on this night she was finally able to be Bill’s boss. Their funny banter set the stage for a night of amusing entertainment and a close competition among the story tellers.

Karen Given

When Bill is on vacation, Karen fills in for him. During one of these occasions, after hosting a show, Karen received a letter that said a woman shouldn’t do a sports show and claimed that her voice was worse than Stephen Hawking’s computer. Shortly after this incident, Ted Koppel came to town, and Karen was able to ask him what he does when he is criticized. Ted shared that when he first started “Nightline” and was reporting on the hostages in Iran, he simultaneously received one letter of praise and another one that said, “Hey you @#$%^& mother*&^%er @#$%^&&.” This definitely made Karen feel better and she learned that all idols get cut down, and when they do, they simply need to get back up.

The night would have been a wild success with only Bill and Karen entertaining the crowd. But there was a competition to be had, and that just made the night even better. In between the contestants battling it out with their remarkable stories, Karen shared an anecdote about seeing four guys on the side of the road in her little town of Joshua Tree, California. They were wearing trench coats in 125 degree weather. Karen became excited, thinking that she finally saw some bums in her town. But it turns out that they were actually the band members of U2. Talk about encountering your idols!

Paula Junn started the official competition talking about Ron, the sandwich maker she obsessed about in her college dining hall. To enjoy 15 minutes of glory, Paula ate sandwich wraps every single day. Finally Ron asked her out for a cup of coffee. He picked her up in a bright blue truck that he had built, adorned with blue dice hanging from the rear view mirror. When Paula noted the dice, Ron said, “Yeah I fucking love blue…and yellow…and purple.” As they proceeded to the Dunkin Donuts drive thru, Ron talked about his paraplegic uncle. Their date cost a whopping $3.25. When Paula went to reach for her wallet, Ron announced in a chivalric manner, “It’s on me!” On the drive back to school, Paula noticed dragons all over the place, even dragon stickers. When she asked if he likes dragons, Ron said, “Yeah I fuckin’ love em!” He told her he was set to get a dragon tattoo, and when Paula said that that sounded painful, Ron said, “Yeah I fuckin dig pain!” After their date, they didn’t communicate much, and Ron was eventually fired for smoking weed. In the end, his obsession helped her overcome her obsession.

Brandon Schneider

Bruce MArcus

Bruce Marcus, the 2nd place winner, spoke next and shared about the origin of Brother Blue and his story telling program, The Story Space. When Bruce was a teenager, walking around Harvard Square in the 70s, he frequently noticed a man with balloons all over him and couldn’t understand what he was saying. He thought this guy was a mad man. After college, Bruce moved to Cambridge and saw the very same man accompanied by a woman and got to know him as Brother Blue the storyteller. Far from being a mad man, Brother Blue had a Doctorate in Divinity and preached storytelling with his wife Ruth. Their first event took place inside of a book store café in Porter Square, and the place was packed. Brother Blue went on to preach storytelling at academic centers, festivals and even on some famous stages. As they became closer, Brother Blue started calling Bruce his son, touching and perplexing Bruce simultaneously. Brother Blue has long passed. Bruce misses him dearly and honors him by committing to be himself.

Robin Maxfield was next, sharing her obsession with Happy Days and her love of Fonzie. She loved him so much, she used to style her brother’s hair like his. She also wore a jean jacket to bed every night, with the collar flipped, and constantly said “hey” and “oh.” When she turned 12, Robin didn’t understand her burgeoning hormones and budding attraction to Fonzie’s swagger. She just about died when she found out that he was making an appearance at the major auto show in town. She could finally meet him in person. Standing on line for 2 hours, Robin thought about how she was going to introduce herself. Finally the moment was here, and when the Fonz grabbed her hand, it was clammy. Then he kissed her on the cheek, and it was wet and gross. Robin couldn’t believe that the Fonz was just a regular man. This incident was the perfect cure to never becoming a groupie.

Sarah Krakauer was the next teller who shared a story about volunteering at a Buddhist school in India when she was 22. A field trip was planned so her students could meet the Karmapa. In Buddhism, the Karmapa is the 3rd most holy man, and in the city where this school was located, he was considered the top holy man. The school invited Sarah to attend the field trip so she could also receive a blessing. There were concerns, because her visa was restricted to a limited geographical region, but she went regardless. She didn’t realize just how daring this was until the bus was pulling away, and Sarah noticed that she was the only volunteer in attendance. When Sarah asked about this, the principal explained that the trip was simply too risky for volunteers and told her to hide in the back of the bus. The bus ride was pure torture, with a lack of food for the 8 hour trip and boisterous kids singing non-stop. At one point they all feared for their lives when they saw dead bodies resulting from a vehicle veering off of the side of a mountain. So much to endure to meet the Karmapa. And when they finally got there, and it was Sarah’s turn to receive her blessing, the Karmapa looked at her and was like, “Hey what’s up?” This top holy man seemed more like a 17 year old teenage boy.

Norah Dooley

Norah Dooley then shared a heartfelt story about her Aunt Vera. Norah didn’t have the best opinion of Aunt Vera growing up, thinking she was embarrassing and crazy, especially when she sang horribly in public. When Norah expressed her disgust to her mother, her mother took the opportunity to share some sad details about Aunt Vera’s upbringing. At the age of 5, Vera’s mother was too sick to care for her, so her father shipped her to a creanza in Italy. Vera and her 7 year old sister were forced to do many chores and also had to care for their 3 younger brothers. Their mother eventually passed, but it took forever to get back to the United States, and when they did, their father didn’t care for them. Vera continued her caretaker role, having to quit school at 13 in order to begin a real job. Learning the horrible conditions that Vera endured growing up made Nora change her opinion about her tough Aunt.

Dale Averill spoke next, discussing public speaking and how George Gurdjieff’s book impacted him. Dale was a first time teller and shared with the audience his internal debate about going up on stage and competing. He related these feelings to lessons he learned in Gurdjieff’s book. Hopefully massmouth is lucky enough to have Dale tell at future events.

Marissa Hecker

Marissa Hecker, who manages sound production for Club Passim, wowed us with a story and won 1st place! She spoke about her obsession with Karate Kid growing up. Since she lived just outside of Los Angeles, Marissa was surrounded by people who had connections to celebrities. It turns out that her school principal’s son knew the guy who played the bully in Karate Kid. She attended a Lutheran school, so the principal arranged for the bully, whose real name is Billy, to make an appearance during chapel. Billy wore tight pants during his visit, and when he went to sit on a stool, he split his pants. Everyone laughed at his expense, and when Billy left the stage, feigning the need to change his pants, he actually left the event altogether. This caused Marissa and her sister to have a soft spot for Billy. Then in her senior year of college, Marissa and her PR intern friend were talking to a group of guys, and she suddenly recognized Billy. “I know you,” Marissa exclaimed, and then she proceeded to tell Billy how she remembered him splitting his pants 15 years ago at her school. He admitted that indeed that was him, and it was the worst experience ever. His friendliness and admittance turned Billy into Marissa’s idol.

Brandon Irvine then shared tales about a series of rock idols and attempting to learn the guitar and emulate the various styles of his idols. His first guitar teacher wanted him to play like Rush, but then Brandon realized that he didn’t like Rush. Nirvana eventually grew on him a bit, but he wasn’t sold. And while Brandon liked Pearl Jam, they were difficult to mimic, because their music wasn’t melodic. As he went through idol after idol, Brandon realized that he didn’t even care for music all that much, and that what he liked was the attention from being on stage. In college, he finally heard a Bob Dylan song that he could tolerate, a song that was simply about life, and in that moment, Brandon realized that he didn’t need an idol.

Anja Rose

Anja Rose concluded the competition with a story that won her the Audience Choice Award. Growing up, Anja was an obsessive wisher and used any scenario to make her wish. She even tapped door jams in the same manner every time she entered a room. One night when she was visiting her best friend’s Cape May family home, both girls wished on the first star, and her friend wanted to know what she wished for. Anja told her that she couldn’t share her wish, but her friend eventually convinced her to divulge her secret. Anja wished for her mother to recover, because she was dying from MS. Suddenly her friend was embarrassed, because the wish was so significant compared to hers. And as time progressed, Anja knew that her mother’s condition wasn’t improving, but she still wanted to wish. A college class in grant writing helped her to re-channel her wishing into a more productive way of making an intention. Instead of keeping wishes and desires a secret, Anja vowed to tell people about her hopes and dreams. Now she writes songs, plays the guitar and sings.

massmouth's winning circle of friends at Club Passim

As you can see, this was a fascinating evening of remarkable stories. If you attended, thank you for your support. If you were not able to make it, hopefully this recap gives you a glimpse of how enriching the massmouth experience can be for our community. We hope to see you at the next event.
Laura Cannon- is a massmouth member ,co producer of Club Passim slams and a past story slam winner.

"idols" with co hosts Bill Littlefield and Karen Given

2011-12-05T05:34:00.001-08:00

"idols" slam with co hosts Bill Littlefield and Karen Given
by Laura Cannon
Special guest Bill Littlefield and host Karen Given rocked the full house at the Club Passim story slam on November 21, 2011. With the theme “idols,” this WBUR duo that respectively host and produce NPR’s “Only a Game” shared tales of their own idols and encouraged audience members to do the same. Karen said that she was excited, because on this night she was finally able to be Bill’s boss. Their funny banter set the stage for a night of amusing entertainment and a close competition among the story tellers.

The idols Bill spoke about ran the gamut of authors, musicians and athletes. The night of his college graduation senior class dinner, Kurt Vonnegut wowed his classmates with an address that included the advice – don’t kill anybody and don’t work for anyone who kills people. To this day, Bill has successfully heeded his idol’s advice. Bill’s career has afforded him the opportunity to meet many more idols, including figure skater Katarina Witt. Karen said that the day he was set to interview Katarina, she noted that he was dressed more nicely than usual. As Bill introduced himself, Katarina responded with, “Ah Bill Littlefield, that’s such a cute name.” Bill then explained that Karen had her own moment of star-struck awe during another interview, when they were working with up and coming tennis great and major hottie, Geoff Grant. As Jeff was about to begin the interview, he announced that he needed to change his shirt and did it right in front of Karen, giving her a nice piece of eye candy.

One time while returning from New York, Bill luckily shared a limo and airplane ride with Norman Mailer. Upon first seeing him, Bill wanted to conjure an intelligent discussion with this idol, and as he started speaking, Norman said that he wished he wasn’t so hung-over so they could have a good discussion. As Norman started feeling better, they shared some great conversations, and when it was time to leave Logan, Bill pretended like he needed a cab to Norman’s neighborhood, just to continue the fun, even though his car was waiting for him in the airport parking lot.

When Bill is on vacation, Karen fills in for him. During one of these occasions, after hosting a show, Karen received a letter that said a woman shouldn’t do a sports show and claimed that her voice was worse than Stephen Hawking’s computer. Shortly after this incident, Ted Koppel came to town, and Karen was able to ask him what he does when he is criticized. Ted shared that when he first started “Nightline” and was reporting on the hostages in Iran, he simultaneously received one letter of praise and another one that said, “Hey you @#$%^& mother*&^%er @#$%^&&.” This definitely made Karen feel better and she learned that all idols get cut down, and when they do, they simply need to get back up.

The night would have been a wild success with only Bill and Karen entertaining the crowd. But there was a competition to be had, and that just made the night even better. In between the contestants battling it out with their remarkable stories, Karen shared an anecdote about seeing four guys on the side of the road in her little town of Joshua Tree, California. They were wearing trench coats in 125 degree weather. Karen became excited, thinking that she finally saw some bums in her town. But it turns out that they were actually the band members of U2. Talk about encountering your idols!

Paula Junn started the official competition talking about Ron, the sandwich maker she obsessed about in her college dining hall. To enjoy 15 minutes of glory, Paula ate sandwich wraps every single day. Finally Ron asked her out for a cup of coffee. He picked her up in a bright blue truck that he had built, adorned with blue dice hanging from the rear view mirror. When Paula noted the dice, Ron said, “Yeah I fucking love blue…and yellow…and purple.” As they proceeded to the Dunkin Donuts drive thru, Ron talked about his paraplegic uncle. Their date cost a whopping $3.25. When Paula went to reach for her wallet, Ron announced in a chivalric manner, “It’s on me!” On the drive back to school, Paula noticed dragons all over the place, even dragon stickers. When she asked if he likes dragons, Ron said, “Yeah I fuckin’ love em!” He told her he was set to get a dragon tattoo, and when Paula said that that sounded painful, Ron said, “Yeah I fuckin dig pain!” After their date, they didn’t communicate much, and Ron was eventually fired for smoking weed. In the end, his obsession helped her overcome her obsession.

Brendan Schneider spoke next about his wiseass Uncle John, the kind of guy who when shushed in church for talking too much, yelled at that very person to shut up. Uncle John liked to watch Donahue, and when he saw episodes about people overeating, he thought of Brendan’s brother who also ate a lot of food. Instead of kindly confronting him, he said that he was going to rub his face on the grill. Despite Uncle John’s brashness, when Brendan had a bad breakup in 2002 and was heartbroken, he called his uncle. Uncle John advised Brendan to find a book and stab it. He explained that you should think of a breakup like a book and stab it. While the cover and first few pages become destroyed, as you go along, the intact pages represent your healing, and your story is that much more experienced and rich. And this is exactly what Uncle John did when he wanted to “fucking kill” his ex. Today Uncle John is a licensed marriage and family therapist in New York and rocks at his job.

Bruce Marcus, the 2nd place winner, spoke next and shared about the origin of Brother Blue and his story telling program, The Story Space. When Bruce was a teenager, walking around Harvard Square in the 70s, he frequently noticed a man with balloons all over him and couldn’t understand what he was saying. He thought this guy was a mad man. After college, Bruce moved to Cambridge and saw the very same man accompanied by a woman and got to know him as Brother Blue the storyteller. Far from being a mad man, Brother Blue had a Doctorate in Divinity and preached storytelling with his wife Ruth. Their first event took place inside of a book store café in Porter Square, and the place was packed. Brother Blue went on to preach storytelling at academic centers, festivals and even on some famous stages. As they became closer, Brother Blue started calling Bruce his son, touching and perplexing Bruce simultaneously. Brother Blue has long passed. Bruce misses him dearly and honors him by committing to be himself.

Robin Maxfield was next, sharing her obsession with Happy Days and her love of Fonzie. She loved him so much, she used to style her brother’s hair like his. She also wore a jean jacket to bed every night, with the collar flipped, and constantly said “hey” and “oh.” When she turned 12, Robin didn’t understand her burgeoning hormones and budding attraction to Fonzie’s swagger. She just about died when she found out that he was making an appearance at the major auto show in town. She could finally meet him in person. Standing on line for 2 hours, Robin thought about how she was going to introduce herself. Finally the moment was here, and when the Fonz grabbed her hand, it was clammy. Then he kissed her on the cheek, and it was wet and gross. Robin couldn’t believe that the Fonz was just a regular man. This incident was the perfect cure to never becoming a groupie.

Sarah Krakauer was the next teller who shared a story about volunteering at a Buddhist school in India when she was 22. A field trip was planned so her students could meet the Karmapa. In Buddhism, the Karmapa is the 3rd most holy man, and in the city where this school was located, he was considered the top holy man. The school invited Sarah to attend the field trip so she could also receive a blessing. There were concerns, because her visa was restricted to a limited geographical region, but she went regardless. She didn’t realize just how daring this was until the bus was pulling away, and Sarah noticed that she was the only volunteer in attendance. When Sarah asked about this, the principal explained that the trip was simply too risky for volunteers and told her to hide in the back of the bus. The bus ride was pure torture, with a lack of food for the 8 hour trip and boisterous kids singing non-stop. At one point they all feared for their lives when they saw dead bodies resulting from a vehicle veering off of the side of a mountain. So much to endure to meet the Karmapa. And when they finally got there, and it was Sarah’s turn to receive her blessing, the Karmapa looked at her and was like, “Hey what’s up?” This top holy man seemed more like a 17 year old teenage boy.

Norah Dooley then shared a heartfelt story about her Aunt Vera. Norah didn’t have the best opinion of Aunt Vera growing up, thinking she was embarrassing and crazy, especially when she sang horribly in public. When Norah expressed her disgust to her mother, her mother took the opportunity to share some sad details about Aunt Vera’s upbringing. At the age of 5, Vera’s mother was too sick to care for her, so her father shipped her to a creanza in Italy. Vera and her 7 year old sister were forced to do many chores and also had to care for their 3 younger brothers. Their mother eventually passed, but it took forever to get back to the United States, and when they did, their father didn’t care for them. Vera continued her caretaker role, having to quit school at 13 in order to begin a real job. Learning the horrible conditions that Vera endured growing up made Norah change her opinion about her tough Aunt.

Dale Averill spoke next, discussing public speaking and how George Gurdjieff’s book impacted him. Dale was a first time teller and shared with the audience his internal debate about going up on stage and competing. He related these feelings to lessons he learned in Gurdjieff’s book. Hopefully massmouth is lucky enough to have Dale tell at future events.

Marissa Hecker, who manages sound production for Club Passim, wowed us with a story and won 1st place! She spoke about her obsession with Karate Kid growing up. Since she lived just outside of Los Angeles, Marissa was surrounded by people who had connections to celebrities. It turns out that her school principal’s son knew the guy who played the bully in Karate Kid. She attended a Lutheran school, so the principal arranged for the bully, whose real name is Billy, to make an appearance during chapel. Billy wore tight pants during his visit, and when he went to sit on a stool, he split his pants. Everyone laughed at his expense, and when Billy left the stage, feigning the need to change his pants, he actually left the event altogether. This caused Marissa and her sister to have a soft spot for Billy. Then in her senior year of college, Marissa and her PR intern friend were talking to a group of guys, and she suddenly recognized Billy. “I know you,” Marissa exclaimed, and then she proceeded to tell Billy how she remembered him splitting his pants 15 years ago at her school. He admitted that indeed that was him, and it was the worst experience ever. His friendliness and admittance turned Billy into Marissa’s idol.

Brandon Irvine then shared tales about a series of rock idols and attempting to learn the guitar and emulate the various styles of his idols. His first guitar teacher wanted him to play like Rush, but then Brandon realized that he didn’t like Rush. Nirvana eventually grew on him a bit, but he wasn’t sold. And while Brandon liked Pearl Jam, they were difficult to mimic, because their music wasn’t melodic. As he went through idol after idol, Brandon realized that he didn’t even care for music all that much, and that what he liked was the attention from being on stage. In college, he finally heard a Bob Dylan song that he could tolerate, a song that was simply about life, and in that moment, Brandon realized that he didn’t need an idol.

Anja Rose concluded the competition with a story that won her the Audience Choice Award. Growing up, Anja was an obsessive wisher and used any scenario to make her wish. She even tapped door jams in the same manner every time she entered a room. One night when she was visiting her best friend’s Cape May family home, both girls wished on the first star, and her friend wanted to know what she wished for. Anja told her that she couldn’t share her wish, but her friend eventually convinced her to divulge her secret. Anja wished for her mother to recover, because she was dying from MS. Suddenly her friend was embarrassed, because the wish was so significant compared to hers. And as time progressed, Anja knew that her mother’s condition wasn’t improving, but she still wanted to wish. A college class in grant writing helped her to re-channel her wishing into a more productive way of making an intention. Instead of keeping wishes and desires a secret, Anja vowed to tell people about her hopes and dreams. Now she writes songs, plays the guitar and sings.

As you can see, this was a fascinating evening of remarkable stories. If you attended, thank you for your support. If you were not able to make it, hopefully this recap gives you a glimpse of how enriching the massmouth experience can be for our community. We hope to see you at the next event.

"The purpose of high school" and StoriesLive®

2011-12-03T08:47:00.001-08:00

StoriesLive® taught 1,100 high school students to tell their stories last year. And our $5K in scholarships awards may be used for any post-secondary educational endeavor, including travel.

The purpose of high school and StoriesLive® by Norah Dooley

"I think this shows a good rationale about what you have been trying to do," said my husband, who regularly sends me good stuff to read. He hit pay dirt with the following article "How College Prep is Killing High School". The article contains a compelling rationale for our program, StoriesLive®. The writer, Russell W. Rumberger asks: What is the purpose of high school? "In 1818 Thomas Jefferson stated that the purpose of public education included giving citizens information for transacting business, the ability to express ideas in writing, and an understanding of duties to neighbors and country. But the common thinking is that the main goal of high school is to prepare students for college. Period.

Rumberger says: "...we need to think differently about what high school should be: not narrowly focused on classroom achievement, but broadly designed to keep more students engaged, reward more types of thinking, and leave young people better prepared, whatever they plan to do." The focus of his remedy is on vocational education and Rumberger does say that predictions show that in 2018 33% of jobs will not require a college degrees. He does not say how many of these jobs one will need to have in order to eat, house and clothe oneself, much less start and support a family. It is common for recent college grads to have many part time, non professional jobs. One of our college grad daughters has two of these jobs to support her work as an after school teacher. There are larger economic and social issues at play here. And the current indebtedness to job opportuntiy ratio for college grads is another story altogether. Still, if educational decision makers pull their heads out of the college prep-test crazed labyrinth they've been lost in and see the light? Then we storytellers may find an opening to make a significant difference, by engaging students in self-knowledge and expression through live performance of oral, personal narrative - StoriesLive®. Below is a short video with some highlights from our StoriesLive® program last year followed by excerpts from the Rumberger article:

"How College Prep is Killing High School" excerpted from the Boston Globe, Nov 20, 2011

What is the purpose of high school? Over the past several years America seems to have arrived at a consensus: The overarching goal of high school is to prepare students for college. The current mantra is “college ready for all,” which means high school students need to be focusing on academic preparation and study skills. It’s a rare issue that crosses party lines — both Republicans and Democrats can win points by pushing for a tougher, more competitive high school education.

Driven by this notion, states and districts around the country have raised high school graduation requirements by increasing the number and rigor of required academic courses and by adding exit exams. Massachusetts doesn’t let students graduate unless they can pass the MCAS exam in English, math, and one science or technology subject. Americans, anxious about their competitiveness, look around the world and worry that, if anything, we’re not doing enough. But as we push harder to create more demanding high schools that are more focused on college preparation, something is also going wrong.

Emerging research in the education world suggests that a tougher approach to high school academics might leave students no better prepared for college and work, while also increasing the number of high school dropouts....

But we also need something else: more high school graduates, and better-trained ones. And to do that, we need to think differently about what high school should be: not narrowly focused on classroom achievement, but broadly designed to keep more students engaged, reward more types of thinking, and leave young people better prepared, whatever they plan to do.

To college-minded parents and educators, rethinking high school in this way might sound like a scaling back of ambition. But it can also be a more broad-minded, accommodating vision of what school is, and who it’s for. It’s a vision with deep roots in American history, and one that gives more students a chance to lay the groundwork for their futures.

Despite the current focus on college preparedness, American students, parents, and public officials have long seen education as having broader goals. In 1818 Thomas Jefferson stated that the purpose of public education included giving citizens information for transacting business, the ability to express ideas in writing, and an understanding of duties to neighbors and country.

Support for a broad range of educational goals continues to this day. A recent survey of the general public, elected officials, and state legislators by Richard Rothstein from the Economic Policy Institute and his colleagues showed support for eight broad goals for public education, with “basic academic goals” being the highest rated, but generating no more than one-quarter of the votes. Other goals included critical thinking, social skills and work ethic, and citizenship.

The need for schools to do more than prepare students for college is supported by studies about jobs in the future economy. A 2010 report from Georgetown University forecasts that by 2018, 63 percent of all jobs in the United States will require a postsecondary education — but that also means that more than a quarter of all jobs will not require any postsecondary education. Indeed, the Department of Labor Statistics has projected that more than one-third of all job openings in the US economy between 2008 and 2018 will not require a college degree, and in fact will require one month or less of on-the-job experience or instruction to be fully qualified in the occupation.

So for a large number of Americans, a college degree won’t matter at all. What will matter, however, is graduating from high school with a set of skills that they can use to get a job, to keep learning, to live a better life.

A number of economists, including Nobel economist James Heckman, have documented the need for noncognitive or so-called soft skills in the labor market, such as motivation, perseverance, risk aversion, self-esteem, and self-control....

Only 76 percent of public high school students in the United States earn a diploma within four years of entering the ninth grade, a rate lower than 40 years earlier. This translates into more than 1 million students who fail to earn a high school diploma each year. When these students drop out of high school, either from lack of interest or because they can’t pass an academically rigorous exam, they’re losing not only the chance at the diploma they’ll need to get a job, but also any opportunity they might have to acquire those basic skills.

How can we keep those students in school — and better serve them when they stay? Research has shown that the key factor in student success is being engaged. Students who are not engaged are less likely to perform well in school, more likely to fail classes, and less likely to graduate. In the 2006 Civic Enterprises report, The Silent Epidemic, high school dropouts reported that the most frequent reason for leaving school was that classes were not interesting. America’s education system — and its students — would benefit from developing a broader measure of high school success, one that includes vocational and technical education as well as the arts and humanities....

High school, in short, should not just prepare adolescents for college and careers, but for successful lives as adults. And far from backing off modern notions of success, this approach actually embodies new understandings of what really helps people succeed: not just reading and math, but deeper life skills that aren’t reflected on exit exams or college applications.....

A long-term study by sociologist John Clausen tracked children born in the Great Depression for six decades and found that those whose lives turned out best — who obtained more education, had lower rates of divorce, had more orderly careers, achieved higher occupational status, and experienced fewer life crises such as unemployment — shared something he labeled “planful competence,” a combination of dependability, intellectual involvement, and self-confidence. Those factors, he found, didn’t necessarily correspond to higher education or test scores. “There’s nothing that predicts better,” he wrote “than what they were like in high school.”

Russell W. Rumberger is vice provost for education partnerships at the University of California Office of the President and author of “Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of School and What Can be Done About It” (Harvard University Press).

"what do I say"

2011-12-03T08:26:00.001-08:00

Nice picture, not a weak performance at Royalston Shakespeare Co.

Reposted from Connecting Stories by Norah Dooley

Just another day online, at the office. The research errand I was on, was serious - time sensitive tax information for our nonprofit corporation. Not exactly my fave topic. And somehow I had wandered into the ArtsEdge site. Delightful. Not what I needed to be doing but what a rich resource for arts educators. Warning: DO NOT go there if you are in a hurry.

So after spending an hour online browsing at the excellent Kennedy Center for the Arts site, I had to move on. Before I left, I skimmed an article about "what to say" when directing students in theater. I started thinking about how to adapt these ideas for use in my storytelling coaching. I copied and pasted the list into an email and sent it to myself. And went back to the fun stuff. Sometimes the material presented by a performer is astoundingly bad. Did I just say that? Phew, no. I just wrote that. We all know that we think that sometimes. But that is not what we want to say. We know the work or performance at hand is just unformed, not 'ready', 'in process', etc, etc... The writer/educator at ArtsEdge and I think it good to have a few set phrases you can rely on while you gather thoughts about how to be helpful. Below is my first stab at riffing on that list to help story coaches say positive things to help move into a conversation and critique. Do you you have any favorites? Add yours in the comments below.

Things for a teacher/coach to say after a flawed performance or weak story:

1. “You are really improving. What would happen if you tried... ( give a specific exercise or direction for student to try.)

2. “Good" Or "Thank you. How can we help you make your story stronger...” ( if obvious to you what might help, name it, if not just say "stronger").

This was "bad", even the other actors thought so.

3. “Project your voice as if the whole audience was outside, down the hall and in the restroom”

4. “Good. Keep what you are doing. Please try or see how you feel about adding…” ( when someone is really tentative - then give some specific exercise or direction to try)

5. “Interesting. Help us help you by telling us what you care about most in this story...( when you don't even know where to begin - or some specific questions from what is given to tease out where the story is)

6. “Good. Now what are some ways you want to challenge yourself ?” ( for someone who is almost there but kind of missing the mark)

7. “Stories happen people to people, or people and animals, people and environment - Show us one thing ( each) so we can "hear" "see" what you see? Show us verbally - or Show us non verbally ( facial, sound effect,movement etc.)

8. “What is most important to you? What do you really want us to take away from your story?”

9. “Breathe. "Anxiety is excitement without breath, " said my first storytelling teacher and great storyteller, Jennifer Justice (now the Artistic Director of Durham Family Theater). Don’t rush - find at least two places to pause for a full 3 count.”

10. “What felt good to you in this story? How can you build on that ?”

Ah - finally found the the original article and you may read it here: What Do I Say? Ten ways a drama teacher can respond constructively and sensitively to student work

2011-11-17T18:45:00.001-08:00

Lowell “where I’m from” slam Reveals Rich Stories

On Tuesday, November 15 Back Page in Lowell filled with about 60 people; about 54 more than the average Tuesday according to Courtney, who single-handedly and very cordially managed the bar. People from all walks of Lowell life gathered for the first massmouth Lowell slam, to hear and share stories on the theme, “where I’m from.”

The Back Page

Seconds before the evening started, I heard first-time producer and co-host, Obehi Janice, ask off-mic to Andrea Lovett, massmouth co-founder, “How do I start?” I feel the same way about this blog: How do I begin to describe an evening with such a rich menu of stories?
The evening began and ended with heartfelt stories about finding life’s true touchstone: love. Raw stories elicited the joy of holding a first born, to the wonder of re-meeting a middle school crush in time to hold his hand through a terrible illness. The theme brought forth stories of childhood beginnings. Joe Hungler, Executive Director of the Lowell Boys & Girls Club, gave us an insight into why he is where he is today. “It doesn’t matter where I was raised; where I come from is the Boys & Girls club,” that took a shy “wallflower” and transformed him into a leader. On the other hand, Craig Thomas is lucky to be alive after his experience ski jumping in Vermont to the light of a self-made, heavily doused in gasoline fire.
The theme brought forth stories of heritage. Gilbert Gandia elicited howls of laughter as he described his Puerto Rican mother as a “true G.” As a girl living in Puerto Rico she stood on the corner waiting for a turn to ride around the block on the neighborhood’s only bike. When a tough boy took one turn too many, Gilbert’s mother spent little time snatching the bike away.
And, the theme brought forth stories of finding home and establishing roots. Breanna Bradley endeared herself to the audience telling how she found home as a freshman in a new high school with romance with an upperclassman -- a senior, no less.
The evening’s winners represented the theme’s broad inspirations. Audience Choice went to Emily Levine, a self-described, “Lowell cultist.” Her ultimate measure of a boyfriend is his interest in her new city Lowell, whether picnicking at Kerouac Park, or roaming empty mill buildings at night. Second place was awarded to Y Sok whose story about cooking the Thanksgiving turkey came full circle back to her Cambodian heritage, tipping her chef’s hat to her mother.


David Sullivan 1st place winner

First place was well-earned by David Sullivan. He had the audience laughing at his days of high school truancy, forging forms, being discovered by his father(the assistant principal), and suffering his father’s rage in silence. The story turned as the father’s shoulders slumped and he told his son, “I just can’t take this anymore.” This was his father’s way of admitting defeat to cancer. The silent boy became a man who was able to rescue a failing high school career and receive his diploma from the hands of his father.

Co-host was Jessica Wilson, Executive Director of ONELowell, who was dressed to impress in Lowell haute couture, an original from the (r)evolving museum.

Obehi Janice and Jessica Wilson hosting

Obehi and Jessica charmed the audience with their asides, their enthusiasm, and their insights. The slam was co-sponsored by COOL who gave the winners a copy of Lowell Anthology 2011.
All in all, a feeling of being satisfied but not quite full left the audience mulling around after the evening had officially ended. I think they wondered, as I did, “How do you end such an incredible evening?” Perhaps, a second Lowell slam …?

Nicolette Nordin Heavey has been a professional storyteller for ten years. Her curriculum based workshops and residencies include: How to Create a Story without Writing a Word(elementary); Hello the Past(historical narrative for 5th and 8th graders); Fairytales Revisited(middle school). She has lectured on story at Emerson College.

2011-11-15T04:06:00.001-08:00

Read about two Story Slams Doyles "obsession" and Precinct "pranked"

What's Your 'Obsession'?

What consumes your every thought during the day? What keeps you up at night? Do you ever lose track of time because of something? If you do, you've got an obsession. On Sunday at Doyle's Cafe in JP we gathered to tell stories about our obsessions.

Robin Maxfield host

Robin Maxfield took the mic wearing a strange coat. “This coat brings together my various obsessions: coffee, crafting, and turning trash into treasure.” Her coat crinkled as she moved. “This coat is made out of coffee bags. And very expensive coffee at that.”

Many first time tellers were inspired by our theme and threw their names in the hat. Robin started drawing names.

Rage told us about her seventh-grade obsession: the bathrooms at school. She memorized the way the tiles were laid, the names of companies written on the drains, she played anagrams with those names. When she realized she could hide things in the ceiling of the bathroom, her obsession became hiding things she took from the girls who were mean to her in school.

We heard from first time teller Chris Hall about a his friend's cat named Turkey Pan and it's obsession with chasing string. An obsession undeterred by two visits to the vet.

“Darkness is obsessed with lightness and lightness with darkness,” Diana Valentine told us. She talked about the boy who for years would tell her dark things. But she had no darkness in her. Finally she told him about the light within her. He realized she was just as obsessed with him as he was with her.

Joshua told us about going to a new doctor for the first time. His doctor just seemed obsessed with Joshua's sex life. To say the doctor's questions strayed from the clinical would be an understatement.

Marcy Goldberg Sacks co host

Comedienne and storyteller Marcy Goldberg Sacks, our special guest, told a number of stories throughout the night. My favorite was about her childhood obsession.

When Marcy was a little girl she was obsessed with Miss Piggy. She thought Miss Piggy was so glamorous and so strong and unconventional, her own woman. Her world changed after her mom took her to the ice capades to see Miss Piggy skate. “Mom, that is not Miss Piggy,” Marcy said. Her mom told her that Miss Piggy wasn't real. This, of course, resulted in a crisis of identity for Marcy.

Years later she went to a retrospective on the Muppets. There was Miss Piggy in a wedding dress. Behind Miss Piggy was a video of Jim Henson talking about his inspiration. “Miss Piggy,” Mr. Henson told Marcy, “is really a truck driver pretending to be a woman.”

I told the story of the woman I met at the Museum of Fine Arts, with the crimson heels and the flower in her hair, and how I lost her. She was all I thought about and I burned with passion for her. When I sent her sunflowers, she said I shouldn't have – and meant it. I took home the Audience Choice Award.

Alison, a first time teller and our videographer, told us about her high school crush on her South Boston Romeo, the best hockey stick handler in New England. She remembered how he came to one of her parties and how they kissed before they'd spoken so much as a word to one another. And she also remembered how he didn't acknowledge her in the hallways until she confronted him. “Let's pick things up after hockey season,” he said. But then he showed up to one of Alison's friends' parties – with a senior cheerleader. Alison was so mad she kicked in a window. Her latest obsession is stained glass. Her story won second place.

Tony Toledo 1st place winner

Tony Toledo wouldn't say he is obsessed with books but his wife would. What's wrong with loving rare, first editions? “Nothing,” Tony says. First editions are something special. These were the first time the words were printed, not the 27th time. They represent the faith of the writer sending his or her words out in the world, not knowing if there will be more than one printing. Tony was able to keep his obsession in check until the librarian wanted to reward his volunteering by letting him take books home. “You mean, I could take a box of books home?” Tony asked. “A box? Take ten!” answered the librarian. Tony's story won first place.

Robin Maxfield,Owen Grey,Tony Toledo,Allison Cook, Marcy Goldberg Sacks

Owen Grey has been telling stories his whole life. He has found a home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling scene. Watch him compete during this season.

"Pranked" 11/10/11

The provocative theme lent itself to an evening of very entertaining stories, as an excited group of contestants and loud-cheering audience members found dry haven on a rainy night at former-police-station-turned-pub Precinct in Union Square, Somerville, Mass., on Thursday, November 10, 2011 for the “Pranked” story slam.

Giovanni Alabiso co host

Guest co-host, comedian Giovanni Alabiso recounted some major pranks that resulted in more dire consequences than intended, including times he perpetrated some serious workplace disruption, and a tale of med school students who “borrowed” a body from the morgue. Host Diana Valentine presided with mischievous sparkle, and capped the evening with an account of a college girls’ dorm “secret code” that fooled the male housemaster for years.

Slam winner Brad Smith dazzled both audience and judges, relating a gaff involving the band Green Day, a mosh pit and a bag of cornbread that wreaked even larger havoc than 15-year old Brad had intended. Dan Dahari was runner-up with his hilarious, expletive-laced account of inter-collegiate pilferage and an unwelcome gift to school administrators. Audience Choice winner Anna Murray’s saga of her meatball-snitching dad recounted her parents’ years-long struggle to outwit one another in the kitchen. When you watch the video of this story, you’ll agree she “nailed” it.

Brad Smith 1st place winner

Other contestants kept the crowd laughing and groaning as well. Paul Maguire initiated the competition sharing how he outed his sister’s study habits – or lack thereof – to his father, and how comically his sister, in her ignorance, played perfectly along, incriminating herself during the ensuing parental interrogation. Paul started off by stating “My daughter dragged me here.” Later it became clear, when he got up again to share a one-minute tale – and still later, as he regaled this blogger for the entire intermission – that the man is a veritable Vesuvius of life experience poised to explode upon listening ears. Dragged, indeed!

Contestant Mike Sweeney described how the elaborate fabrication he constructed for his mother about his school day came much closer than he ever could have imagined to being plausible. Ralph Chadis recounted an overnight camp prank involving some very beached boats, and the inexplicable parallax between campers’ and camp staff’s ability to see said boats. Mike Cohen continued with a series of pranks, including another camp exploit – astonishingly echoed by other contestants later in the evening, both on and off the stage – of rowing a sleeping counselor, bed and all, out to a floating raft. Molly Cosgrove told about “The Diarrhea”, and how acting upon a dare came back years later to haunt her. Aaron Loren shared an alarming tale of a friend who lent him her car and seriously spiked his beverage, both enabling and disabling him for a four-hour job interview. Massmouth photographer Paula Junn closed out the contest telling of a childhood Korean New Year’s celebration involving a group of friends, a quantity of fireworks and an enraged neighbor.

Winners l-r 2nd place Dan Dahari,1st place Brad Smith,Audience choice Anna Murray

The massmouth slam series continues with a packed November schedule, first on Sunday, November 13th at Doyle’s in Jamaica Plain with “Obsessed”, featuring guest host, Comedy With Wings co-creator Marcy Goldberg Sacks. Next up: “Where I’m From”, Tuesday, November 15th at The Back Page in Lowell, guest hosted by techno-story instructor Jessica Wilson and co-hosted by actress Obehi Janice. November 21st will round out the month with the “Idols” slam, guest hosted by NPR’s Only a Game host Bill Littlefield, at Club Passim in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Bill guest hosted last season’s “Games” slam and has some terrific stories; he is not to be missed.

Diana Valentine will preside at Precinct once again on January 31st with the “College Daze” slam. For a complete slam series calendar and listing of other massmouth and member spoken word events, visit massmouth online.

Bruce Marcus has performed across the region at venues and events large and small for over two decades, entertaining crowds with his original true-life tales, made-up stuff, crowd-pleasing rhymes and various "medicine show" miscellany.

'home' is where the slam is

2011-11-08T02:02:00.000-08:00

by Owen Grey

Max&Dylans, lovely hosts

Upstairs at Max and Dylans

Home means different things to different people. For some, it's where they grew up. For others, it's where they are now. For others still, it's something they make for themselves. Ten storytellers told us what home meant to them as they competed in the massmouth “Home” Story Slam co-hosted by ArtsEmerson at Max & Dylan's Kitchen Bar in Downtown Crossing.Inspired by working on You Better Sit Down: Tales from My Parents' Divorce, Julia Propp and Sara Bookin-Weiner of ArtsEmerson wondered about other people's stories. Their neighbor and massmouth's good friend, Bob Goldman of Goulston & Storrs told them about massmouth. After several planning sessions with co-founder Andrea Lovett, the third floor of Max & Dylan's was buzzing as Norah Dooley took the mic. She introduced, story slams and our judges who were from ArtsEmerson and some of the Civilians and Emerson students who were cast members of You Better Sit Down. Then she began pulling names from the hat. The stories were by turns intense and funny. All were touching.

Julia Propp

Among the stories we heard about Julia's husband who turned their small apartment into a costume shop and how she learned to let go and learn to love never knowing how her husband would be dressed when she came home. Robin Maxfield told her story of searching for a place to call home, finally finding it in an apartment where, for the first time in her life, when she left something on a counter or a table, it would be where she left it when she came home. From Greg Hather we heard about hippies making homes in trees outside his window. And I told the story of the first poem that had ever hit home.Liz Appleby told us about her new home. For the past year, she's been living in New Hampshire. And she's learned that home is a mental state. From deers hanging in the neighbor's yard (and outside her window) to bears attacking bear feeders, Liz gave us a sense of what it's like to live – and to want to die – in the “Live Free or Die” State. She took home the Audience Choice Award.

(l.to r.) Liz Appleby, Ben Walsh and David Briola

Emerson College grad student and erstwhile massmouth host, HR Britton, told about schlepping from one very small Brooklyn apartment to another even smaller one and the relationships how relationships change with space, and finding home in a cup of coffee. Originally from Cincinnati, Ben Walsh grew up a Reds fan. His mother taught him that no team would ever be as great as the 1975 and 1976 Cincinnati Reds. Although a few Bostonians may disagree with that, he made us feel what it was like to cheer on the home team. He told us how he felt in his Wiffle Ball league when his team took the championship and he was able to bring his own golden fleece home. This was Ben's first time competing in a Story Slam. His story won second place.

David Briola, Semi-Finalist in the 2010-2011 massmouth season, told us about feeling unsafe in his home as a boy. He remembered one day his father trying to force an apple down his mother's throat and, though he was only five years old, running to his mother's aid. He told us what it felt like to hold her as she cried and he cried too. But the violence continued. He told us of the night he realized that violence had found a home in his heart and how he knew then that he had to change his life. David took first place and again earned a spot in the Semi-Finals in the 2011-2012 massmouth season.

Owen Greyhas been telling stories his whole life. He has found a home with massmouth and the Greater Boston storytelling scene. Watch him compete during this season." Here are some links to a few more massmouth slams:
The Precinct • THUR November 10th 7-10 "pranked"
Doyle's • SUN November 13th 7-9pm "obsession"
The Back Page • TUE November 15th 6:30-9 "where I'm from"
Club Passim • MON November 21st 7-9pm "idols"
Doyle's • SUN December 11th 7-9pm "gifts"
First Night • SAT December 31st 8-10:30PM "starting over"
2 shows at the Hynes Auditorium 2012

Story slams roll into Cambridge: "wheels" @ ClubPassim

2011-10-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

Winners: (l.to r.)Tim Neunzig, Ben Vixx & Justin Werfel.

On October 17th, massmouth opened in a new venue and "wheels" was the theme for the first event of the 2011-12 Cambridge story slam season at ClubPassim. Special guest, Richard Fries offered energetic anecdotes from his 35 years as a cyclist, journalist, race announcer and organizer. Host Norah Dooley told about her days as a bike courier in Cambridge but Fries was the main act as he shared just a fraction of thousands of stories about his two-wheeled adventures from free wheeling through his neighbor's yards as a nine year old to fabulous spills and races all over Europe. As a side note the event had a small carbon footprint since Richard and his wife rode into Cambridge, from Lexington, on their bikes. Coincidently, all the winners and the host, Norah came to the event on human powered wheels as well.

Winner, Ben Vixx, rocked the house

From the contestants we heard various car stories and near death experiences in car accidents, Big Wheels memories, the trials and tribulations of bicyclists in the city, and at Burning Man. A story about pedicab drivers, a first mototcycle and the wheels of industry, which kept turning, even with workers jammed in between rounded out the evening. Ben Vixx won with a story about drunken frat boys in a car chasing him on what was really the wrong day. See a selection of videos here. After each slam massmouth will post the winners and one or two massmouth's choice stories. Unicyclist, Justin Werfel, came in second with his commuting unicycle crash saga and newcomer Tim Neunzig won Audience Choice with his tale of biking through Burning Man. We posted Brogan Graham's pedicab story as massmouth choice.

Bambi Good led a crackerjack judging team that included a librarian, a storyteller, and two performance artists. Bambi was our first judge and a chief justice/volunteer at massmouth from the first season, in October 2009, until now. Bambi has been an amazing force in the slam scene, spreading the word about storytelling far and wide. Thanks to Laura Cannon for her excellent photos.

The staff and all the folks at Passim, a nonprofit arts organization, were great to work with and the room filled up nicely. The food and drink from Veggie Planet was excellent. Passim creates an interactive and inspiring music experience for all, building a vibrant community for artists, students and audience members through its legendary listening venue and school of music. We are really fortunate to have such a great venue. Next month, Karen Given hosts with Bill Litttlefield of "Only A Game" as special guest and the theme is "idols". Click here for more information. The show will be webcast through ConcertWindow and tickets are available through the ClubPassim website.

"supernatural" slam @ Doyle's

2011-10-19T15:30:00.001-07:00

Doyle’s Supernatural Slam
by Laura Cannon

l.to r. Sandy Bonfiglio (#2), Beth Jones(AC), and Katie Liesener(#1)

When a light fixture came crashing down at the beginning of the “Supernatural” Story Slam at Doyle’s Café in Jamaica Plain, it felt like the very spirits featured in everyone’s stories were making room to be wildly entertained. The event kicked-off with host Robin Maxfield introducing the special guest, Lloyd Sheldon Johnson, a psychic, medium and visionary leader. Robin first met Lloyd years ago when she hired him for a reading, and she knew he would be the perfect guest to share his experiences involving spiritual communication. Lloyd’s opening story detailed an example of his generosity that was returned ten-fold when a voice told him to purchase a lottery ticket, and he won $100. Lloyd taught us the importance of listening to these voices and proceeded to share a heart-breaking story about losing the 3 women closest to him, all within a span of 5 years. Even more alarming is the vision he experienced prior to his sister’s death. When she was visiting him in Boston, he had a vision depicting her death, and he begged her to stay and not return to Detroit. Six months later, she was murdered, exactly as Lloyd had envisioned. Today she manifests herself in glows at the very time depicting her birth date. Lloyd also sees his departed mother manifest herself in other ways that encourage and comfort him, and Lloyd implores us to stay connected this way with our beloved ancestors.

Lloyd Sheldon Johnson

After we were wowed with Lloyd’s powerful messages, Mary Hannon started the competition with a story about 5 friends turning to a Ouija board to ask if they were ever going to have another child. None of them could imagine having more children, but 4 months later, Mary became pregnant. Over the next year, so did the rest of the women. This experience prompted her to start visiting Psychic Sundays at Milky Way, and Mary concluded her story with a recommendation: When we are wondering about some of life’s toughest questions, simply grab a dowsing pendulum and just ask. Beth Jones, the Audience Choice Winner (AC), followed with a story about her visit to a historic spa in Sharon Springs, NY so she could recover from an eye injury. After being fed a steady diet of blue green algae and diluted apple cider vinegar, Beth and the other spa guests decided to have a séance. They began by singing “Row Row Row Your Boat” in a round and felt a dramatic shift in energy. Suddenly her mother screamed when she saw a man appear behind a woman in their circle. The woman explained that it was her father, and Beth and her mother were so spooked and terrified about being sucked in, they freed their hands and returned home the very next day.

Katie Liesener, who won 1st Place, spoke of the Aston Hall ghost from her college. During her senior year, her closest circle of friends was reminiscing about their freshman year, a time of uncertainty and fear. Katie’s friend Anna had woken up in the middle of one night at 3:37 am and said she saw her roommate Julie hunched over her desk studying. But when Anna approached Julie about it the next day, Julie swore that she had spent the night at her boyfriend’s house. The next night, they both unexpectedly woke up, and this time, Anna saw a girl emerge and disappear. Katie’s journalism studies led her to research tales of these appearances, and Katie discovered that in 1927, a young student named Bernice Richardson drank carbolic acid and died, but was still very present in Aston Hall.David Briola followed Katie and told the audience about his attempt to achieve enlightenment. That enlightenment took form in a training camp in the woods of Wisconsin, for the simple price of $650. David shared his experiences of meditating, chanting and running naked through the woods into a cold lake, all to achieve enlightenment. He even upped his intake of fiber, just as the trainers suggested. When he still didn’t feel enlightened, he complained, only to be dismissed. But then later at home, in the midst of watching Jeopardy and fixating on Alex Trebek’s annoying moustache, David felt enlightened. But then it went away.Rhea Becker saw her first ghost 15 years ago, on Christmas Day, in Jamaica Plain. While at a friend’s house playing a board game, a cat moved around her leg and ran away. When she asked her friend about the cat, he replied, “I don’t have a cat.” Rhea continued to support her claim that ghosts are true by relaying a story about her friend Jane who grew up in a large home in Beacon Hill. When Jane slept in one particular bedroom, she repeatedly saw a man floating above the footboard of her bed, but said nothing. After that room caught fire, was repaired, and the hose was sold, Jane and her sister reminisced about the home. Jane’s sister started speaking about a man floating above the footboard in that same room, and for the first time, both sisters shared details of their encounters and realized that they were seeing the very same ghost.Laura Cannon’s supernatural story took place inside of a Pentecostal church when she was 11 years old. Laura had grown up Catholic until her father decided that their family needed to become born again. Laura vividly reenacted the wild behavior of her new Pentecostal parishioners who she thought were insane, but claimed to be “filled with the holy spirit.” Eventually Laura was able to tolerate her fellow church goers dancing, speaking in tongues and falling down – until they had a good old fashioned revival – where a special guest pastor laid hands on the congregation so they could be “slain in the spirit.” Laura faked feeling the pastor’s special blessing so she wouldn’t get in trouble with her parents. Intermission was a spectacular performance by Violet Maxfield and her friend Collette, who call themselves In Key. Sporting snazzy goth costumes and spooky makeup, Violet wowed the crowd with lead vocals and acoustic guitar, and Collette sang backup vocals. They performed 2 songs that were specifically picked to coincide with the event’s “Supernatural” theme.

Judges (on right) and crowd get ready, the room was packed.

Sandy Bonfiglio, the 2nd place winner, works for a ghost tour company, and when business is slow, she entertains her tourists with a remarkable story about her Aunt’s haunted house in London. Whenever Sandy visits and spends the night alone in a particular bedroom, she hears footsteps, hides under the covers, and then feels pressure on her foot. Sandy heard that someone had killed themselves in the house, so to appease the ghost, she apologizes to it for having been so depressed. Sandy’s boyfriend has also encountered this ghost, so they make sure they never spend the night alone at her Aunt’s house.Mary Faith Goessling has been a practicing psychic and energy healer for years. In the 80s, when she was a young college graduate living in Brighton, she and 3 friends rented a spectacular home for a very cheap price. But that home came with a huge cost in that it was haunted. Mary and her roommates didn’t believe the landlord when he told them about the house being haunted, but a few months into their stay, they started hearing footsteps and slamming doors. Mary personally encountered the ghost when she went to read in bed, and it started hammering above her head. Mary tried to talk about this with her family, but they didn’t believe her, until they came to visit. In one instance, the ghost pushed her brother into a bathroom, and in another instance, it interrupted a rendezvous between her other brother and his now wife. After that, her family refused to visit her home until she moved 10 years later.John Cannon shared a story about his friend Chad and Chad’s family, who hail from Western Pennsylvania and have lived on the same plot of land for over 200 years. In Chad’s family bible, there is a story dating back to the 1800s about local Indians attacking the homestead after the men had departed for a hunting trip. A young boy was kidnapped and brutally murdered next to a particular tree. Chad frequently relayed this story to John and other friends at various gatherings, and one night, John and his friend Mike decided to walk toward that tree at 2:00 am. John and Mike saw both a boy and a girl next to the tree and ran back to Chad’s house. When they inquired about a girl, Chad admitted that a girl had disappeared in the tragedy, but he didn’t think it was an interesting fact. Apparently her disappearance was significant.

Robin Maxfield, host of JP slams

slams

The competition concluded with Owen Grey and his story about playing at the railroad tracks when he was a child. His parents warned him to not play there, but Owen succumbed to peer-pressure, even though he felt certain spirits hovering around that area. One night Owen dreamt about him and his friends being killed at that spot. The next day, his friends wanted to play there, and he tried to stop them, but they accused him of being too chicken. Suddenly they understood when they had to jump into a ditch to avoid being run over by the commuter rail.

This was definitely a night to remember, as the audience was wowed and spooked, story after story. Congratulations go to Katie Liesener for 1st place, Sandy Bonfiglio for 2nd place, and Beth Jones for the Audience Choice award.

Interview: Sara Pesce, Lesley U intern at massmouth

2011-10-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Sara working on StoriesLive® "data"

Sara Pesce is a sophomore at Lesley University and our Fall semester intern. Say hello when you see her at a slam or the office or some
other event. - Editor

Q from massmouth: How did you hear about massmouth ?

Sara Pesce: I first heard about massmouth through the University’s internship office. And from my TA who interned for you last year. [Maddie Panella! -Editor]

Q from massmouth: What attracted you to our organization ( the fame and fortune, obviously!) but what else?

Sara Pesce: I had never before heard of storytelling as an art form, and was curious to explore more what it was like and what it consisted of. At school I am studying Expressive Therapy was motivated to intern at massmouth since it is an opportunity to learn about a different modality of expression. In the past, I have been involved in theater productions and the performing arts. I have a great interest in learning about other people’s experiences and bearing witness to the connection that can develop from people exposing parts of themselves that otherwise would have remained inside.

Q from massmouth: What has surprised about your work here?

Sara Pesce: Even though I have only been an intern for a few weeks, I have been surprised by the amount I am learning about social media and storytelling. Each week that I come in, I become more knowledgeable and am filled to the brim with new information.

Q from massmouth:You assisted in classroom lessons at StoriesLive®. How was that?

Sara Pesce: I thought the lessons were highly engaging and helped students grow and learn in a different way than traditionally taught. It helped the students understand each other better and develop a greater way of understanding themselves. I heard a lot of great stories and even got to share a story about the time that I broke my arm!

Q from massmouth: What are you looking forward to in your work here?

Sara Pesce: I am looking forward to opportunities working in the community with massmouth. I am excited to assist at Storyslams and become more involved in the storytelling community!

1st Worcester MA Story Slam, Sept. 27, 2011

2011-09-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Justin Shaffer Duffy told about how he came to Worcester...whooeeeee!

There will be a website where last night's video and even more stories about Worcester in the World will be posted. Big thanks to Brittany Durgin from Worcester Mag for covering and all her superb photos. Here is an open letter from last night's prime mover and organizer, Josna Rege...

Julius Jones, emcee

Dear Storytellers, Aspiring Storytellers, Judges, Emcees-par-excellence, Publicists, Worcester-insider Advisors, and our intrepid video crew: Check out this link to a photo gallery at Worcester Magazine! Last night's first-ever massmouth story slam in Worcester was a success because of all of you. Thank you so much for your participation in an event that was much more than mere entertainment. It was moving, brilliant, heart-warming, thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and a testament to the beauty and vitality of the people of Worcester. Thanks in particular to those of you who had the courage to stand up and tell a story in front of a mic for the very first time. And a big thanks to Worcester State University, to massmouth, and to the Sahara Cafe and Restaurant for having made this possible. As we were packing up last night, several people asked when the next story slam was going to be, and some of them promised to be involved in it as hosts and storytellers.

Grace Duffy, 1st place slam winner!

If you weren't able to attend last night, the good news is that it looks as if there's going to be a next time. It's up to us, but if you are interested in any capacity, please let me know and I will keep you on a mailing list for the future. In the meantime, you guys are the best! Do stay in touch, and please let me know if you have any friends who might like to participate in next month's storytelling workshop for Worcester-area high-school teachers, supported by a faculty mini-grant from Worcester State University.
All the best, Josna *

Farid, owner of Sahara Café

Editor's Notes: *Josna Rege is Associate Professor of English andDirector Global Studies Worcester State University. She may reachedat: jrege@worcester.edu

Many thanks to Professor Rege who conceived of this slam as part of her project which is part of a larger venture called “Worcester in the World” Information below from WSU website: The theme for Fall 2011 is entitled “Worcester in the World”; its focus is on the processes involved in globalization and how the local and the global mutually influence each other. Its mission statement is the following:

In the current era social problems are increasingly defined in global terms. Threats to health, political stability, and the environment can best be understood as arising within a world that is increasingly integrated in terms of trade, communication, and transportation.

This complex interconnectedness also allows expanded opportunities for positive social change through increased democratization, economic opportunity, and conflict resolution.

Worcester in the World will explore the ways in which globalization is presenting new problems and opportunities, and will emphasize that the “global” cannot be understood without reference to the “local.” As communities are affected by globalization, so too they respond, resist, and contribute to it, in a mutually reinforcing cycle.

These complex processes require a deep and multidisciplinary analysis. Thus, Worcester in the World will involve students, faculty, administrators, staff, and the larger community joining together to investigate the problems and opportunities inherent in globalization.

Worcester in the World received a grant from WSU’s Strategic Planning Trust Fund. A number of curricular and cocurricular activities are planned for Fall 2011. In addition, we will put out a call to faculty and student groups to propose their own programming. (Use of the word “Worcester” is a metaphor for the local. Events, programs, course, etc. do not need to be literally tied to Worcester, but should embrace the local/global thrust of the mission statement).

First Slam Doyle’s 9/11 "emergency”

2011-09-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

Robin Maxfield (at mic, right,in camo) had the idea for the theme and the fabulous guest and she emceed too!

Posting by massmouth member, Jeffrey Dell. Guest blogger Jeff was a contestant at massmouth's Haley House "wysiwyg" slam, March 2011.

Sheila Leavitt, massmouth supporter, extraordinaire

As I walked into the bar a familiar voice struck myeardrums.

"Are you going to tell tonight?" The voice wasthat of Laura Cannon, one of the judges for tonight's Story Slam.

"No," I replied "I'm just here tolisten." This was a question I was asked repeatedly as I settled into thebackroom at Doyle's Cafe in Jamaica Plain for what had promised to be aninvigorating night of story telling.

As a story slam veteran, I was excited for the season tobegin and I was not disappointed. Last season’s story slams at the Bella LunaCafe in JP had proved to be wildly successful, and the slams I had attended turned into standing room events. Ihad found the massmouth story slams after finding NPRs The Moth radio program inwhich storytellers share personalstories from their own lives.

Mia won Audience Choice in a close tie

Doyle's Cafe was the site of the first story slam of the fall 2011/2012 season. Modeled after a poetry slam, a story slam is an event where the names of storytellers are drawn from a hat and those selected have 5 minutes to recount their personal experiences about a theme. Judges score the stories based on a myriad of factors including relevance to theme and flow of the story and prizes are given to the winners along with an opportunity to compete in the semi-finals in the spring.

Josh and his nunchucks* to the rescue.

The nights theme was "Emergency" and a small crowdof approximately 50 people had crammed into the back room of Doyle’s, aneighborhood bar squirreled away on Washington Street in Jamaica Plain on a Sunday night to listen to and share their own stories. As away of honoring the memories of the horrors of 9/11, special guest Shawn Donovan,a firefighter for the city of Boston, shared his own personal experiences bothfrom his childhood in a Midwest town of 30 people and his experience as afirst-responder for the city of Boston, in one instance responding to a callfrom a retirement home to install a resident’s cable.

Special guest, and one fabulous storyteller, Shawn Donavon

Allie McGovern, 2nd place winner

The stories were focused, intense, and funny. Storytellers shared openly and honestlyabout their experience. From tales of the 9/11 attacks to fighting the spreadof communism in school and nuclear proliferation through "duck andcover" tactics to someone losing their cell phone in a cowboy boot, thestories were truly unique and I found myself hanging on each and every word asI got lost in the individual stories. As I listened, my own personal emergencystory came to mind, working for a German phone company and flooding E911dispatchers with automated phone calls in an effort to test an upgrade to theirsystem, nearly crippling the entire dispatch system in several communities --but that's another story all together." Josh Whiton,was the Ist place winner. Jonathan Morgan,Ralph Chadis, Hal Miller Jacobs, Katherine David Briola, Mia Avramescu, captured the audience. Greg Hather, Aleah Starr, all told great stories. Allie McGovern, was our 2nd place winner .
* Nunchucks or Nunchaku (ヌンチャク Nunchaku?) is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.

Truth Be Told! Storytelling in Brookline, MA

2011-09-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Wandering the streets of Brookline, an old friend came across this storytelling project. It was right in my own back yard. They told me it looked interesting and I should check it out. So I wrote to the organizers, Shannon Snapp & Roscoe Mutz, Co-Founders of Truth Be Told! Storytelling and here is their generous response. - Norah Dooley

A poster from recent "Truth Be Told" in Brookline

" Here is a little background about how Truth Be Told! Storytelling got started, the purpose of our project, and the format of our Storytelling events (as they are slightly different from story slams, as I understand).

My wife, Shannon Snapp, and I had the idea to start a storytelling event in Brookline that was similar to The Moth in New York (and The Moth Radio Hour on NPR) and an event called "Live Bait" in Providence that is held at the Perishable Theatre. At those events, like our event, storytellers are given time to tell a true story (a story about themselves and something that happened in their life or a true story about someone that they know personally) loosely based on the theme of the month. We generally try to match our monthly themes to events/holidays of that month. So, for example, February's theme was "Love Stories" and July's theme was "You are Free: Stories of Independence." Storytellers generally have approximately 5 minutes to tell their stories.In addition to meeting new people and building a community of storytellers, we also wanted our events to bring awareness and suppor to local charities, so we ask for a free will donation of $5 per person, with every penny going to the chosen charity for that month. We also attempt to match the charity purpose to the monthly theme (to a certain extent). For example, we collected funds for Burma relief efforts during the "You are Free: Stories of Independence" theme and we recently collected funds for a Brookline charity called Facing History and Ourselves for our "Life Lessons" theme, as they provide support for racial and ethnic awareness programs in schools worldwide.

Although our attendance currently hovers around 20-30 people per event, the United Parish in Brookline (where our event is held) has generously agreed to provide matching funds for what we raise during each event. We hope to continue growing.

We generally have on average 7 storytellers per event, although we would like to have 10 storytellers each night. It is a very laid back and supportive environment for storytellers. And it might be a great practice venue for some massmouth storytellers who have true stories that they want to vet or practice in front of a live audience.

I appreciate the invitation to join your website and publicize our events there. I will check that out when we prepare our flier for September and start advertising. Our events are held on the last Friday of each month from 8PM until 9:15PM at the United Parish, 210 Harvard Street (in Coolidge Corner), Brookline, MA.

Thank you again for the e-mail, and we hope to see you at one of our
upcoming events!"
Shannon Snapp & Roscoe Mutz
Co-Founders of Truth Be Told! Storytelling
Follow the Truth Be Told! Storytelling Blog:
http://truthbetoldboston.blogspot.com/

"air" mouthoff at Boston waterfront

2011-08-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

Laura Cannon hosts the "air" mouthoff last night.

The theme for tonight's mouthoff was "air" and the evening air was balmy on a gorgeous late summer evening. And the 'air' was also full of engaging stories. A massmouth season II story slam winner, Laura Cannon was our able host and she was supplied with many poignant and funny stories that explored and broadened the theme "air" through stories of her life as an officer in the army during the Iraq invasion and war. People of all ages and conditions, strolled by and stopped to listen at Christopher Columbus Park, right on the waterfront.

We loved Elizabeth Appleby's story about her first hilarious moments in Italy. She was stuck in a bathroom and mortified. Ben Cunningham took us on a fantasy ride that involved poptarts and a dreamy toaster. Then Andrea Lovett nailed the theme with her tale of honeymoon 'wind'.

We were delighted when "T'pring's" name sake (see below ) stood up and told for the first time. When a person who had no intention of performing in public, finds us, and then finds a story in response to listening to our stories and then... gets up and performs? It is a testament to massmouth's vision and Laura's open and encouraging manner from the mic. Storytelling connects us and makes life sweeter. "Air" was the next to last mouthoff for the season. Our next adventure is a return engagement telling traditoinal stories and folktales at Shleburne Farms in Stow, MA . This setting is in front of a the barn of an apple orchard in OCT and will be hosted by Doria Hughes.

'Elisabetta' Appleby

People come to our mouthoff's and slams for a variety of reasons. Generally, they come because:

1]they have a great story on the 'theme' or prompt for the night or
2]they are interested in hearing what stories a particular theme will bring forth or
3] a friend or relative dragged them there

Mostly people come to have fun.

Liz used Italiano in her stories

Performing is very satisfying and vital to our art form. An oral narrative story does not fully exist until it is performed for an audience. While we respect and appreciate the healing power of story we strongly discourage therapeutic storytelling as performance. That does not mean all stories must be funny, but stories cannot simply be sad either- they most hold together as works of art.

Thanks to all for coming and making the stories come alive !
Norah 'LaTosca' Dooley

Shakespeare mouthoff - "the rain it raineth..."

2011-08-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

After one rain-out the week before and random drops falling from the sky and huge roiling clouds on the horizon, we reluctantly moved our event planned for outdoors on the Common, to a tried, true and luckily free at short notice too, venue - Kennedy's Midtown. Thank you Kennedys!

We had invited people to bring 5 minute stories showing how the bard's words can ring true in our lives ...or our imagined lives. And afterwards they could see the Commonwealth Shakespeare's free performance of "All's Well That Ends Well" on the Common. We played hide and seek with the rain and ended up hiding from rain that fell the next day. But I am convinced that Karen was right: If we had gone outside? The rain would have dumped on us right then.

Karen Given's story questioned names, roses and smells

Karen Given was an excellent host and we had plenty of fine stories. Storyteller, Michael Anderson brought some inspired riffs on Shakespeare as did Karen, John Albioso and others.

Michael has an entire evenings worth of material on Shakespeare and will host an open mic event called Free Will at the Burren in Somerville, on November 5th from 4-7PM. Last year it was an SRO event, so plan to get there early for a good seat.

Here is an audio file of one of Michael's offerings at the mouthoff that I captured on my cell phone. Sorry for the sound quality but I think the story quality creates a balance and a clip worth listening to.

http://soundcloud.com/norah_dooley/michael-anderson-massmouth

Michael Anderson @ massmouth Shakespeare mouthoff on AUG 15th 2011 by norah_dooley

Living the life of a storyteller

2011-08-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Image found at http://shannonmcm.com/

I spend a lot of time writing about storytelling and various issues in the art. I’ve written about striving for excellence, various performances, listening, telling specific kinds of stories and so on, but I’ve not written explicitly about living the life of a storyteller, how to move through the world so story informs everything you do and everything you do is informed by story, moving through the world prepared to accept the gifts and challenges story brings. In some ways my personal blog is about living the life of a storyteller, so I demonstrate by example, but I thought it might be fun to come up with a list, a few ways that might change the way you think about your life and incidentally deepen your storytelling and other endeavors. This may be especially useful as we move into slam season and you're looking for story material.

“yes, and…” is the first rule in improv. It's also the first rule in the life of a storyteller. Every experience is fodder for the next story. You see a hippy walking a toy poodle? Great, that could be a story. Your mother calls and talks your ear off? That’s story fodder too. You accept life experiences, joyful or tragic, participant or observer, as opportunities for stories, even if you may never tell the obvious story in front of you. Maybe that toy poodle is really a magical servant. Maybe it’s a hallucination personified. Maybe the hippy is really a breeder of rare dogs. Maybe it was inherited from their just-deceased stock-broker son. You don’t know what the story really is, so you can make it up. It’s your story now. Even if you don’t use the idea immediately, add it to your compost heap, a file somewhere that contains various ideas, phrases and inspirations for stories. “Yes, and…” also means that you’re willing to risk failing. If you work on a story that doesn’t go where you expected or you get stuck, it doesn’t mean it failed. It means you learned something new about your own process and maybe you should move onto a different story. This one will wait for you. Frankly, “yes, and…” is a pretty nice rule to have for life in general.
Listen. The best storytellers I have ever known are also among the greatest listeners. They know that listening to other tellers and the world around them will only deepen their own telling. By listening intently to other tellers they learn more about the craft of storytelling and increase their understanding of how it works in performance and in the world at large. Great storytellers also listen to the audience. Remember, there is no fourth wall in storytelling, so you can react to your audience in real time. If the audience loves it when you talk about trees and you can do so appropriately in the context of the story, talk about trees more. The meat of the storytelling performance happens in the audience’s head. Listen to them and take advantage of it. Equally, storytellers need to be listened to; practice your new stories with a friendly audience who can give you useful feedback. You get to decide if you use that feedback or not, but a little friendly listening can go a long way. Lastly, when you listen to the world around you, it’s quite likely you’ll overhear stories just waiting to be told.
Praise. Be abundant in your praise of other tellers. Don’t hesitate to tell others what you love about their work and their gift. Just as importantly, accept praise as you receive it. Don’t second guess it or deny the listener’s experience by minimizing their praise. What we don’t need but frequently get or give is “constructive criticism.” Newer endeavors especially thrive when they are fed, not when the roots are plucked off. Heck, be abundant with praise in general. If someone does something well or kind, let them know you appreciate it. How often do you feel appreciated? You’d be surprised how giving appreciation leads to being appreciated. Thanks to Doug Lipman for starting me down the path of being a routine appreciator.
Fail again, fail better. In other words, take risks. If you take no risks in your art or your life you will never grow. Don’t be afraid of failing. Your job is to try new things, fail frequently and to learn from each experience, so you can reach new heights of success.
Change is inevitable. You may be a superb teller of personal stories. You may one day find yourself drawn to tell folktales. This may be frightening but remember, change happens. The only time change stops is when you die. As you try new things, listen, praise and take risks, you will change and grow. The material you are drawn towards will change, as may your audiences. Embrace it. Find a way to make it your own.
Value. No one else does what you do. Your art has value and deserves to be valued. Your whole self deserves to be valued. When you are living the life of a storyteller you may find people under-estimate the time and work you put into your craft. Don’t let them. Make sure they know that your skills are valuable. This must start with valuing yourself. If you don’t know what to charge for your work, ask other tellers what they charge. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth; you support yourself and your community when you do.
Self-care. No one else is going to take care of you for you. You must understand what nourishes you and your art and provide it for yourself or ask for it clearly and firmly. What is conducive to you doing your best work? Do you need a cup of tea ahead of time? Do you need to run a mile? Do you need space and quiet in which to create? No one will know to give you these things if you don’t ask. Equally, you need to explore what helps you feel most whole, how you can take care of yourself. Maybe you need a bath before you can sleep, or you are renewed by eating sushi once a month. Find a way to care for yourself and you will be a more complete artist.
Abundance and generosity. Assume the world is abundant. That there are ample gigs for all of us, that there are audiences, that you will learn and tell the next story. Be generous with your talent, your compassion and your heart. When we expect abundance the world becomes a much bigger place than when we assume there is scarcity. What we are given or create for ourselves can be accepted with that much more joy. When we are generous it becomes easier to accept the gifts of the universe, because we have become part of the gift of the universe. Envy (I’m a better storyteller than he is) greed (I want more gigs, even if they aren’t right for me) refusal to share (No, I don’t know anyone who can do that gig even though I can’t) all will only keep your heart compressed. Be like the grinch, let your heart grow three times in a day.

You may have guessed this manifesto is about more than being a storyteller, it’s about life. We are all storytellers; the world is our stage and we can decide if our life-long performance is a sold out success or a bust. Go for it. The world is waiting.

(c)2011 Laura S. Packer

Slam Season Three About to Begin!

2011-08-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ben Cunningham, Season II 1st place slammer

Loosen your jaws and wiggle your tongues massmouth story slam season three has nearly begun. We have a fast paced exciting season planned for the upcoming year with a few new venues. We'll kick off the season at the historic Doyle's in Jamaica Plain on Sept.11th with the theme “Emergency”. The first slam of the season will be hosted by Robin Maxfield and special guest Shawn Donovan.
Shawn has worked as an EMT and firefighter with the Boston F.D. He has cut cars open, picked up severed limbs, pulled people from burning buildings. During tough times Shawn has leaned on his sense of humor. Clear the roads and slide down the fire pole to hear his outrageous, funny, and heartwarming stories about real life emergencies. The dates and themes for Doyle’s have been set as follows: Sept.11th, “Emergency”, Oct.9th "supernatural", Nov. 13th” Obsession”, Dec. 11th "Gifts", Jan. 8th "Resolution", Feb.12th “Playing Cupid”, and March 11th will be the semi finals for Doyle’s.

Doyle's on Washington Street in JP

Club Passim will be another new venue for massmouth in Cambridge. Club Passim has a long and rich history, in fact, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan played Passim! A quote from an anonymous patron "...The beauty of this place is that in 30 years, those of you who pass through this sacred room will have equally wonderful memories of performers whose careers were launched here. I hope your memories, felt years from now, will inspire the feelings of kinship with special musical experiences that mine do for me. Come here often. The specialness of this room will grow on you." We are delighted to begin our season in this new venue with massmouth member and host/producer Karen Given. Karen is the NPR producer of "It's Only A Game" with Bill Littlefield. The dates are set for this venue OCT 17, NOV 12, JAN 16/, FEB 20 and MAR 19 and we have some unbelievable guests…but shhh it’s a secre t This year we are not going to announce our themes or hosts until our Halloween Fundraiser on October 22nd (with the exception of October 17th currently TBA).

During the summer massmouth has had an online contest to "Name That Theme" offering a theme for the upcoming season. The winner and theme will be announced at that time as well as the remainder of themes for the up coming year. We will have special guest Judith Black co hosting and telling some out of this world horror stories. Tickets will be available on eventbrite in Sept. The price is $20.00, which includes cocktail hour, d’oeuvres, and a chance to drop your name into the hat for the mini slam. Be the first to know the slam themes for the upcoming year. Start your story season early!

These two new venues are not the only venues and changes for the year. We will return to the Precinct with host Diana Wiesner and The Burren with host Michael Anderson in Somerville. We will be hosting our first South Shore Slam in Quincy at Blue22 with massmouth's Andrea Lovett producing, these dates are being finalized. Beyond the borders of Boston look for The BackPage Bar in Lowell with Obehi Janice producing and continuing the series of slams in Fitchburg hosted by Sally Craigin.

This year the semi finals will be held in each slam area venue. There will be a first and second place winner at each venue and an audience choice as well. Five lucky winners will be sent onto the BIGMOUTHOFF this year at Coolidge Corner Theater where the semi finals were held last year. We have grown so incredibly fast we need to accommodate and the Coolidge Corner Theater's largest theater holds up to 440 seats. We are excited to be able to offer this kind of venue to our contestants at the BIGMOUTHOFF and our delighted guests. Watch for upcoming details to follow in future blog posts.

Storytelling and meaning

2011-08-03T19:02:00.001-07:00

Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.
Hannah Arendt

When we stand in front of an audience and tell stories, we give our listeners the chance to apply their own meaning to the narrative we present. As storytellers, our job isn’t to be explicit about meaning, but to reveal it as if we are drawing back a curtain to a stage where the audience can both see the story play out and place themselves on the stage. A well-told story gives the listeners a chance to find their own meaning in our words and gestures; a poorly-told story requires that we be explicit in the meaning. It requires that we expose Oz as a fraud; when we spell out that there is no magic, we assume the listener isn’t clever enough to figure it out themselves and certainly not clever enough to understand the magic in the message of the story - that there's no place like home.

Let’s take a look at a story.

Think about the story of Little Red Riding Hood. A child goes into the forest after a warning not to stray off the path. She encounters a wolf, to whom she tells her destination. The wolf races ahead of her, eats her grandmother and ultimately the child. What is the meaning of this story? Is it a warning to not stray off the path? To not talk with strangers? To obey our parents? To be wily in sourcing our supper?

Maybe your understanding of the meaning in Little Red Riding Hood differs from that of your listener. For some it may be a simple warning about the dangers in the woods. For others it may be an allegory for growing up too quickly. Or for abuse. Or for how hunger drives wolves to extreme acts.

Does the story lose power if you conclude with, “And that’s what happens to bad little girls who disobey their mothers and talk to strangers”? Is it more powerful if you use all of your craft to show, not explicitly tell, your meaning in the story, thus leaving the audience with the image of the wolf’s bloody mouth and the child who has been silenced, allowing them to insert their own meaning into the story guided by your images?

I’ve written before about the wonderfully flexible nature of story, the way that the teller cannot control what happens in the listener’s head, so how ultimately our job is to get out of the listener’s way. Storytelling works best when all three players (teller, listeners and tale) are allowed to dance with one another without interference.

If you explicitly tell your audience what the story means then you are cutting into their dance with the tale. It’s inadvisable to do this unless it’s important that the moral be explicitly stated.

You may be thinking that none of this applies to you, that your stories don’t have deeper meaning. Every story has meaning, because every story is commentary on some aspect of the human condition. When you describe your commute to work you are saying something about your community, your socio-economic status, your feelings about your employment and more. You are also giving your audience the chance to compare your commute story to their own, to put their own feelings and meaning into your story about your wait for the bus or drive through traffic or walk to your office. Stories reveal meaning because story allows humans to connect one to another.

When you develop your stories for performance, decide early in the process what meaning you hope your audience will walk away with. You may find your understanding of a story and your sense of its meaning will change as you tell it, but don’t forget throughout that there is meaning and your audience can be guided in a particular direction. Should they leave with a question? Moral certitude? Construct your telling so that meaning is a likely outcome, but bear in mind you cannot control the story in your listeners’ minds. The best you can do is guide them along a path.

If you want Little Red Riding Hood to be about staying on the path, make sure the danger in straying is apparent as she strays and the consequences are clear. If you want it instead to be about talking to strangers, make that the danger moment. Or, if it’s about cleverly finding new foods for dinner, make sure your wolf is sympathetic, leave little room for your audience to think otherwise.

In revealing meaning without defining it, you have the opportunity to dance with the story and your audience without having to tell them when to turn. You are letting them lead their own internal story and own it, thus making it a more powerful experience for the listener. They will be more invested in the story and in you as a teller, because you trusted their intelligence, the story and your own skill. You didn’t need to show them the man behind the curtain, they knew he was there all along and believed anyway.

(c)2011 Laura S. Packer

"fire" mouthoff on July 17th, 2011

2011-07-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Alan White, hosts "fire" at Waterfront park

"fire" mouthoff on July 17th, 2011
by Andrea Lovett

On a warm night in Columbus Park, thirty delighted listeners and ten tellers were the ingredients in a recipe for a successful mouthoff . This the second in a series of mouthoffs in Boston this summer. Our host for the evening was massmouth member, Alan White. Alan is both an actor and storyteller who performs throughout New England, telling historical tales of ghastly deeds and high piracy along the Freedom Trail in Boston. He also tours his new storytelling show "Around the World in Folk and Fairy Tales." On Sunday, Alan entertained the audience with his delightful stories and his wry sense of humor.

We listened to tellers from as far away as Kentucky and as close by as the neighborhoods of Boston. The theme for the evening was "fire" in keeping with our 4 elemental themes. We kicked off our mouthoff season with "water" in June. We were fortunate to have drawn such an engaged and lively audience, many of whom stayed the entire evening.

We look forward to featuring host Karen Given from WBUR's Only A Game. Karen is a Season II story slam winner, massmouth member, and future cohost of the Season III, Club Passim story slams. She will make sure stories flow and "Creep in their petty pace " at our Shakespeare mouthoff on the Boston Common on August 7th.

Check our website for details. www.massmouth.ning.com/events More event pictures at Facebook page "massmouth,inc."
Website for Alan:
http://www.thealanwhite.com/
Listen to Karen here:
http://tinyurl.com/3zmlwpw

"water" mouthoff 2011

2011-07-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

by Paula Junn
Wednesday night, June 29th, was the first event of massmouth's mouthoff series of the year! Robin Maxfield led the storytelling affair accompanied by the Sam Adams' statue at Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA. There were stories told, that involved the theme of water (e.g. near-drowning experience as a toddler, an incident involving water that led to one's very first bout with the judicial system, etc.)

We piqued the interest of commuters and tourists. We made friends. We told stories. We heard stories.

All in all, as my first time, I'd say it was a pretty good first mouthoff!!

Here are some visuals for you!!:

Big Mouth Off 3.0 Slam Winners

2011-06-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Here I present the winners of the BigMouth Off of season 2011!!!
Click on the names to see them in action!!

1st place: Ben Cunningham

2nd place: Farrah Haidar

3rd place: Helena Leet-Pellegrini

Audience choice: Justin Werfel & Ellen Robertson

Congratulations everyone!!
Thanks so much for sharing your stories!!
Looking forward to hearing more!!

Got story?
Bring it!

"storytelling: funnier than poetry, deeper than comedy"
- Michael Anderson

Sound files - The Boston vs. Philly Story slam@Philadelphia Book Fest 2011

2011-05-26T08:06:00.001-07:00

Left to right: From massmouth, Katie Liesener, Jim Stahl, Ben Cunningham and Norah Dooley amidst team Philly

We've been working all year to get some podcasts up on masssmouth sites. Here is one try from a new service. Loads more to come..sometime soon.

Final Philly vs. Boston slam by massmouth Michael Anderson @ massmouth Shakespeare mouthoff on AUG 15th 2011 by norah_dooley

Finals and awards to the high School winners

2011-05-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all the participants in StoriesLive® first ever high school story slam. The scores were really close and all the tellers were ‘winners’ by bringing their stories and energy! massmouth developed StoriesLive® to promote the unique voice of high school teens. We found listening to these stories powerfully moving. Videos of all the components of our program; from the assemblies, in-class lessons and final performances can be viewed at http://massmouth.org - StoriesLive®. This program received seven LCC grants and generous support of a project grant from MassHumanities.org.

Our massmouth storyteller-educators have heard over 1,200 personal stories from high school juniors and seniors in Abington, Andover, Boston Latin Academy, Everett, Lynn Classical, and Newburyport high schools. The best of the stories heard in the classroom moved on to tell in front of a larger high school audience. The best of each high school competed on April 30th, 2011 for a share $5000 in scholarship cash. Prizes were awarded for any post-secondary educational endeavor as follows: $2,000 for the 1st place and $1000 each to 2 runners up. $500 to the Audience Choice winner. A $500 award is a discretionary prize from massmouth to any student in the program.

Here are our first year prize winners:
1st place for $2,000 scholarship for any post-secondary educational endeavor –
Brianda Agramonte, Lynn Classical High School, senior, for her story "Big Red Gum"

2 runners up $1,000 scholarship -
Matthews DeSouza, Everett High School, junior

Matt Alves DeSouza receives his certificate for his win at the regional story slam on April 30th, 2011

Also a runner up with $1,000 award; Conor Miller, Newburyport High School, junior ( picture from April 30th performance)


Conor Miller at the slam at the Cambridge Public Library - he had a long wait and did very well.

And our massmouth choice winner, selected by massmouth educators for a $500 award-
Sandy Fonseca, Boston Latin Academy, senior

Sandy Fonseca Lopes receives her certificate from Torena Webb Thomas, massmouth storyteller/educator
who worked with Sandy at Boston Latin Academy in April 2011.

StoriesLive® Audience Choice award of $500 towards any post secondary educational endeavor was awarded to:

Lexi Hernando, Lynn Classical High School, Senior

Katie Liesener leads a class at Lynn Classical High School

Students practice stories at BLA

Students practice listening and telling at BLA

Ben Cunningham leads a class at Boston Latin Academy

Student Tellers For Program (Alphabetically by school)
ANDOVER HIGH SCHOOL, Andover, Mass.
Caylen Bryant   Where I’m From
Patrick Farnham   Learned the Hard Way
Michael Galletti   Learned the Hard Way
David Iannalfo   The First Time

BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY, Dorchester, Mass
Julio Abreu     The First Time
Sandy Fonesca   Lost and Found
Robert “Sonny” Finch Where I Am From
Elvis Garcia     Learned the Hard Way
Barbara Kirby   The First Time
Vition Mbrica   Learned the Hard the Way

EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL, Everett, Mass
Ryan Considine    Where I Am
Matt Alves DeSouza The First Time
Eilish Faherty   Learned the Hard Way
Marie Goodman   Where I Am from
Claude Simon   Where I Am From
Qualified: Francisco Lemus   and Kylan Nowell

LYNN CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL, Lynn, Mass
Brianda Agramonte   The First Time
Dammy Dada   The First Time
Chris Divorell   Learned the Hard Way
Maho Dzekic    Where I’m From
Lexy Hernando              Lost and Found
Chastity Mathurin   Learned the Hard Way
Riley McManus   The First Time
Ann-Louise Rescigna Learned the Hard Way

NEWBURYPORT, Newburyport, Mass
Jack Brophy    Learned the Hard Way
Heather Davis   Lost and Found
Sam Ettenborough   Learned the Hard Way?
Hannah Koen   The First Time
Conor Miller    The First Time
Nat Muros    The First Time
Andrew Orlando   Where I’m From
Qualified: Nora Casey
Emcee: senior Masio Dotson from BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY

Reach us at stories@massmouth.com or call us at 617-942-2553 to find out how you can donate to or to bring StoriesLive® to your school next year.

Storytellers and educators from massmouth in StoriesLive®
Executive Director/ Project Director
Norah Dooley
Program Director/Project Director
Andrea Lovett
Managing Director/Project Director
Nicolette Nordin Heavey
massmouth storytellers/educators:
Dan Dahari, HR Britton, Karen Given, Ben Cunningham, Katie Liesener, Tony Toledo, Lani Peterson, Torena Webb, Esther Piszczek
Adjunct storytellers:
Paula H. Junn and Maddie Panella
Project Videography and Photography:
Paula H. Junn
We thank all our generous Scholarship Donors:
Morton Financial
In memory of Helen Moore
Charles and Andrea Lovett
Blair and Nicolette Heavey
Robert Fairchild & Norah Dooley
Marcelo and Marcela Lopez
Juan and Norma Sanchez
Allen and Stephanie Maruzzi
Karen and Raymond Chace
Richard and Patricia Thompson
Tina Jaillet
Daryl Mark
Bambi Good
Lucy Patton
Marie Claire Humblet
Joan Radner
Hal Miller-Jacobs
Gail Leicher
Laura Stock
Judith Nathans
Elizabeth Gospodarek
Bruce Marcus
Nina Berger
ML Grimaldi-Marvel
Mimi Grosser
David Briola

We thank our distinguished judges Tony Toledo, master storyteller and emcee, Judith Black, master storyteller and last year's recipient of 1st prize at the BigMouthOff (adult story slam), Holly Samuels, media specialist/Librarian at Cambridge Latin High School and a expert story listener, Karla Nicholson, Executive Director of Haymarket People's Fund, Karen Given, massmouth member StoriesLive® teacher,storyteller and a producer for ONLY A GAME on NPR and Brooks Dyroff is a 2011 finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award. He and Kenny Haisfield founded CEO 4 Teens in December 2006.

Thanks to all the staff and teachers at the high schools in StoriesLive®:
Andover High School: Rebecca D’Alise, Eric Pellerin, Brian Shea, Pat Whalen
Boston Latin Academy: Amy Berinato
Everett High School: Sarah Belson, Andrea Cerchione, Michael Fineran, Ryan McGowan, Linda O’Brien, Valerie Shively
Lynn Classical High School: Jerry Burke, Daniel Collins, Patty Frey, Erica Tolley, Jack Vandergriff
Newburyport High School: Tom Abrams, Susie Galvin, Constantina Knecht, Steve Malenfant, Deb Szabo

StoriesLive® First Ever High School Scholarship Story Slam

2011-05-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all the participants in StoriesLive® first ever high school story slam on April 30th, 2011 at the beautiful, new Auditorium of the Cambridge Public Library. The scores were really close and all the tellers were ‘winners’ by bringing their stories and energy! We have the three prize winners: 1st place for $2,000 scholarship for any post-secondary educational endeavor –

Brianda Agramonte, Lynn Classical High School, senior

2 runners up $1,000 scholarship-

Matthews DeSouza, Everett High School, junior

Conor Miller, Newburyport High School, junior

And our massmouth choice for a $500 award: -

Sandy Fonseca, Boston Latin Academy, senior

StoriesLive® Audience choice award of $500 towards any post secondary educational endeavor.

Lexi Hernando, Lynn Classical High School, Senior

Here is what some of the voters said:
Her story really hit me on the gut level…. Loved it
Her story send a positive message that young people struggle with
everywhere…finding themselves.
Suicide awareness is brought along with this truly captivating story.
Brave story constructed with a good sense of drama.

The Big Mouth Off 2011

2011-05-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

(l. to r. )Ben Cunningham, 1st, Farrah Haidar, 2nd and Helena Leet- Pellegrini, 3rd

The Big Mouth Off 2011
by Andrea Lovett on April 27th, 2011

Last night the stars were out. It was time for the very talented tellers of the 2010/11 Story Slam Season to shine and tell their winning tales. Rabb Hall was filled to capacity as Norah Dooley mc'd the night brilliantly. Bruce Marcus and HR Britton led the audience in games and stories during a brief intermission.
The judges had an incredibly hard task to choose just three tellers from a deep bench. We are pleased to announce the winners from last night's BigMouthOff are as follows: Ben Cunningham in first place, Ben told the hilarious story about a shoplifter hiding meat in his pants, Farrar Haider in second place, telling us the story of being from "Here and There" beautifully told with a satisfying ending and Helena Leet-Pellegrini in third place, Helena told the side splitting story about a ticket that ended up being a whole lot of trouble.

We have not one but two winners of the Audience Choice Award category this year and they are Ellen Robertson and Justin Werfel. Ellen told us a story from her college days when she had this wonderful idea to take dancing to inmates that were soon to be released. (listen for the podcast coming soon) and Justin told the story of Moose Encounters in Alaska. He had prepared for encounters with bears but moose?... listen for the upcoming podcast.

We are pleased to announce Katie Liesener as this years winner of the 2.0 Award. As many of you know Katie always has stories that delight and surprise us. This award is given to someone each year that supports massmouth's mission to "...renew the timeless art of storytelling in Massachusetts by building audience while engaging a new generation of tellers..."

The Judges had a hard job

We began the competition with Michael Anderson’s humorous story about his work as a Male Sensitivity Trainer and how he got fired. Very funny! Susanne Boitano AKA (Mrs. L) told us her tale of a doomed corned beef sandwich. Caro Gay Bosca took us up above the clouds in a vintage plane that nearly cost her life. Good thing she used to be a stunt pilot- what an amazing story. Laura Cannon took us to the outhouse and beyond in ...Iraq during the war, well have you ever wondered? me too, David Corbeau told us about some cats and thing that go bump in the night. Well told David! Ben Cunningham told his winning story he titled "The Magician", Dan Dahari, always a crowd pleaser (he has previously won 2 audience choices) made us laugh as he ate mushrooms and decided to go to the crowded Earth Day Concert with Green Day (good move ?) Last year's winner and stellar storyteller Judith Black kicked off the next set with a brand new story about her recent European vacation.

Norah Dooley and Andrea Lovett, co-founders of massmouth & storyslams

Elissa Davidson told about the life and death of Eggbert, a good fish, which made us laugh and wonder. Farrah Haider told her second place story with her thought provoking story about being from here AND there. Mary Hannon told a story about a dysfunctional family Xmas and how she left a little bit of herself behind at the scene when she left to go home. Helena Leet Pellegrini won third place, with her story which began with the first meeting with her parole officer. Katie Liesener told the story of an older sister(Katie) and her younger sister Mindy and the games people play ,especially when you are an older sibling with a competitive streak, Katie is the recipient of this years 2.0 award as mentioned previously, Robin Maxfield and the muffin man and two kids later, curious? this was a very funny story that landed her on the front page of a local newspaper, Tori Piskin is a rising star and told about the experience of babysitting the kids from hell, Jo Radner always a crowd pleaser told of love and salamanders,very funny, Bob Rieser brought us back and forth through time to a place called 'Flabbush', the audience delighted in calling out 'flabbush!' (and he encouraged it), Ellen Robertson won the audience choice award with Justin Werfel. She told about organizing a community service dances in prison project, while Justin told of Moose Encounters. Elizabeth Wylie had us roaring with laughter at the end of the night with her story of Boston to New York delivering things from "Bowl and Bored".

Paula Junn (left) and Maddie Panella

In short or (now long) the evening was, by my account, an overwhelming success thanks to all the impromptu storytellers from the audience and the volunteers including Gina Mittal,
Harrison Sywter, and all-around, stand up guy, Tony Toledo. We love how Violet Maxfield is always pitching in. And we thanked and acknowledged our interns Paula Junn, (an incredible photographer who donates many hours) and our Lesley College, Expressive Therapies Intern, Maddie Panella.
We thank our hardworking panel of judges: Brian O'Donovan, WGHB ACeltic Sojourn host, Deborah Henson Conant amazing HipHarp Artist, Josna Rege author and Worcester College professor, Kerry Schmidt ReadBoston literacy specialist and storyteller, Heba Salem valued volunteer, Shiela Leavitt who we love to death for all she does for massmouth, and of course Bambi Good our Chief Justice who is an amazing advocate for our work who gets the word out - everywhere.

Katie Liesener, Storyteller 3.0 Award

Justin Werfel, Audience Choice

Ellen Robertson, Audience Choice with

Thank you to our donors Tuscan Villa (you know who you are anonymous) Peter Picket from the Grist Mill BnB in South Woodstock Vermont and Inn Magnolia's Amanda Nash . (Please check the website for details of the Prizes) Nkki (great website) Lamagna, Gus from Toscannis, Woo Taing from Kennedys Midtown, Josh Fine podcasting ,Leeza, Doria Hughes, Robin Maxfield on videos and to all of you who helped make this our second year a great success. Karen Chace who proof reads (as much as we can send to her in time) before we publish. PS> Not this article. If you are not mentioned here ? Please don't think you are not appreciated - you are, beyond your wildest dreams. Drop us a line and we will add you in.Tons more pics at our new Facebook page, thanks to Paula Junn.

Philly vs. Boston throw down

2011-04-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Katie Liesner, Jim Stahl, Michael McCarry, Bernardo Morillo, Marla Burkholder, Ben Cunningham, Norah Dooley. Last but not least, Michael Minard

We are a bit "slammed" with work at the moment but we still wanted to note our win and our fine storytelling work in Philadelphia at the Philly vs. Boston throw down on April 15th, 2011 at the Philadelphia Book Festival, 2011. First Person Arts invited us and when we saw the date, we froze like deer in headlights. So much to do! How can we? What timing ! The semifinals are the night before! Story slams at high schools - How can we?

But we recovered, put together a team on the theme "experiments" and really had a blast. Katie Liesener told first with a great story about her Wisconsin salad days as a "cub reporter" when she combined an experiment with creating news with a study in bladder control. Then Jim Stahl took the stage and the crowd and judges loved his tale of experimenting with a rocket and how he has dealt with the results of that experiment. Next, Bernardo Morillo from Philly told a hilarious tale about medical experiments, big egos and computers. I was up after him and told how I had used Human Subjects and a real live guinea pig in my experiments with homeopathy. I was followed by Michael McCarry, Marla Burkholder, and Michael Minard from Philly. Ben Cunningham had to wait for the rest of the Philly team to perform but his story was a crowd pleaser. Given the enthused and partisan Philly crowd ( they booed when we were introduced) this was no small feat. Ben rocked the house with his story about childhood experiments trying to solve world hunger with gold fish and the radiation from a television set.

The judges gave the team win to Philly but Jim Stahl, from massmouth was the undisputed winner of the slam. Our dauntless photographer, Paula Junn offered to cover the event and schlepped all over town with us. We are lucky to have her and happy to share some photos here. There is an entire album at http://massmouth.com. and the library videotaped the entire show so we hope there is youtube video soon. I also have a podcast that is near completion, and will announce when you can hear all the fun and judge for yourself. Dan Gaseiwiski sent us the final scores and I proudly post my dead last finish here for the schadenfreude of all the people this season who have had to listen to me natter on about games and sportsmanship and the like. Enjoy!

Kate Liesener (Boston): 44 (average 14.66) went over time = minus one full point
Bernardo Morillo (Philly): 47.5 (average 15.83) went over time = minus one full point
Jim Stahl (Boston): 57 (average 19) 1st winner
Norah Dooley (Boston): 43 (average 14.33) dead last and did not go over time - ouch!
Mike Minard (Philly): 54 (average 18) 2nd place
Mike McCarry (Philly): 49 (average 16.3)
Marla Berholder (Philly): 50.5 (average 16.83)
Ben Cunningham (Boston): 53.5 (average 17.83) 3rd place

Team Boston, Team Philly and Judges in a sold out house.

We also were invited to have massmouth represent at the Slam Nation event when FPA hosts "the best storytellers from across the country convene at the Kimmel Center as part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA). Each storyteller will share a five to ten minute story based on the theme “Worldly Possessions.” Popular First Person Arts storyteller R. Eric Thomas hosts. A “not to be missed” PIFA pick from Philadelphia magazine. Slam Nation Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 8PM Perelman Theatre at the Kimmel Center Representing massmouth are multi-slam winners, Nicolette Heavey and Laura Packer who stepped up to travel to Philly and perform on the night of our Big Mouth Off. Our loss is Philly's gain. There were chosen from 5 tellers we proposed from massmouth.

- Norah Dooley

From Jim Stahl:
"The judges scored quickly, using whole numbers only, and that helped keep the slam moving nicely. I was honored to share a stage with such huge talent -- Katie, Ben, and Norah – and came home with new ideas based on their work. Hearing Ben, for instance, expertly make the sound of fish hitting the water got me right to work on adding a real sound effect to my next story. The celebrity judge – Mary Roach, author of “Packing for Mars” – very bravely told a revealing tale of a laboratory sex experiment featuring her and her husband, so she really showed her stuff and raised the bar high (no pun intended; well, OK, it was). The Philadelphia Central Library auditorium has 390 seats, and smiles and laughs came from each one: the place was full! Thanks to Norah for her leadership and energy in planning this road trip, particularly during the busiest week of the slam year!"

and from Katie Liesener:
"To see every seat filled - in a hall that just recently hosted the likes of Garrison Keillor and Tina Fey - for a storytelling event, thrilled my little story-telling soul. It's so encouraging to see that people are curious and hungry enough for tales well told, that they will come out on a Friday night and pay for the chance to hear them. The Philadelphia and Boston teams teemed with talent; each teller had a distinct style and rapport with his/her audience. Seeing storytelling at its best, from the high-quality supply to the eager demand, has motivated me to be an ever better plier of the trade. "

Newsflash and "From back stage at the Semi-finals..."

2011-04-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

l. to r. Dan, Farrah, Tori and Susanne in back Dan Gewertz and Phillip Bloom

On April 14th from 7-9PM at the Coolidge Corner Theater hosted the Semi-finals of massmouth’s Greater Boston Story slam series…. over 20 stories, 20 storytellers from all walks of life in a benefit performance for StoriesLive®, the first ever high school scholarship storytelling project

The 2nd place and audience choice winners told their story - live, no notes, props, songs or poems to a packed house. Among the tellers were a dairy farmer, a retired kindergarten teacher, radio producer, a marketing manager and a full time theater student. Storytelling connects us all and massmouth audiences and participants encompass a wide diversity of race, age, class and ethnicity. This has been an incredible season with more than half of each audience being introduced to story slams and storytelling. It’s clear to massmouth organizers that our high tech society is ripe for some low tech action – and the essentially human experience of storytelling is fitting the bill.

Robin Maxfield on stage at the Coolidge Corner Theater

Last year, our final slam filled a 350 seat, Rabb Hall at Copley’s Boston Public library a went toward the scholarship fund for Stories Live®, massmouth’s initiative supported by a MassHumaniites.org grant and other funding, to teach storytelling as a performing art to 11th/12th grade high school students through shared oral personal narrative. Students are learning an indispensable life skill - the ability to tell a good story. 1000s of high school students and their teachers are a part of the learning and excitement inherent in our initial statewide, scholarship story slam competition.

We raised over $1,200 for our scholarship fund for the high school storytelling program, StoriesLive® as 175 people listened and enjoyed an amazing set of stories. The Coolidge Corner Theater was nearly full on April 14th as 16 semifinalsists, an Andover High School student from our program and many others offered up stories to a warm and welcoming crowd. The judges sent Farrah Haider, Susanne Boitano, Dan Dahari and Tori Piskin on to the finals, aka the Big Mouth Off on April 26th, 2011. Thanks to emcee Robin Maxfield and all who organized, supported, volunteered and listened. We raised another $109 for Partners in Health and we introduced a whole new audience to storytelling. Check out many more pictures from our wonderful photographer, Paula Junn @ massmouth.com "photos". Below is a post from the blog of contestant Farrah Haider. It gives you a peek behind the scenes and in the mind of a semifinalist...

massmouth finals
by
Farrah Haider

The lights are bright. I close my eyes, intent on gathering my thoughts and my energy as a tiny voice screams in my head, “Why in God’s name are you doing this?”
This is the massmouth semi-finals. I took part in my first slam a short month before as a creative outlet. When they told me I qualified for the semi-finals, I was like “semi-what?”
I never intended to get here. My only desire had been to share a story about my dual identity and how confusing it is to be from two places. But, I can’t help but soak it all in. Waiting in the wings while listening to the chatter of other tellers feels right, natural.
As my turn approaches, I stretch my neck and arms. I expected the butterflies to be worse but, as I walk out of the wings, the stage is like familiar ground. I refuse the microphone stand. I don’t want anything between the audience and me.
The timer starts. The hardest part of this whole affair has been cutting the story down from five minutes to three. You can’t just talk faster. Telling a story involves timing, pace, allowing the audience to absorb an emotion before you move on to the next segment. You must imagine that you are dragging them through the muck of your own experience. Too fast and they miss the sights. Too slow and you bore them. Do it right and they will come with you, willingly, joyfully.

Farrah on stage at the Coolidge Corner Theater, April 14th 2011

Rehearsing pays off. I am able to put the time from my mind, as I know that my story will take me exactly ten seconds into my grace period.
The best part about telling a story is the audience’s reaction and this audience is wonderful. They listen intently allowing me to fill them with a little bit of my experience. And it pushes me to give them more of what is in my heart.
I can hear the applause as I walk off the stage. My fellow tellers are both supportive and encouraging. There is no competitiveness, despite it being a game. We are all in this together and you couldn’t ask for more graciousness.

When they announce my name as one of the four tellers to move on the finals, I am both humbled and ecstatic. I can’t imagine being a massmouth judge. So, finals are now a short ten days away. For me, being in the competition is enough. But, if I am really honest, the week at a medieval Tuscan townhouse doesn’t sound too bad either.
After all, God knows I need a vacation.

Tuesday links

2011-04-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

I think it might be useful to post links to recent storytelling articles and blogs of note. Please let me know if you find this of use or if you have a link you'd like me to post.

In the interest of simplicity, I won't post too many at any one time and will try to give you a range to choose from. Enjoy!

Connecting Meaning and Learning through Storytelling, Huffington Post

Why Getting Kids to Bed is a Families Worst Nightmare (and how stories can help), Express UK

Storytelling in Psychology and Marketing

Once Upon A Time In Brooklyn (collecting folklore in the city), Brooklyn Eagle

Storytellers can win a year of organics goods, Stonyfield Farms

and for good measure, a list of story prompts.

(c)2011 Laura S. Packer

Haley House Slam on March 31st Entertained All Who Came!

2011-04-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Maestro Z.O.O.M. and Andrea
Lovett warm up the crowd!

What You See Is What You Get! That was the theme for the last story slam of the season held at Haley House Cafe & Bakery in Dudley Square last Thursday night. It was an intimate affair punctuated by the delicious aroma of Haley House's gourmet fare and energized by The Maestro Z.O.O.M. and massmouth co-founder Andrea Lovett. Haley House is a new venue for story slams this year, as massmouth partnered with the Art Is Life Itself presentation series hosted weekly by Bay State College Professor Nina LaNegra. It was another successful night filled with wonderful stories.

Stories came in many forms on Thursday night, spoken, monologued, and sung. Special co-host The Maestro Z.O.O.M. and his musical partner, The Donstress, both nominees for the New England Urban Music Awards, heated up the audience with a piece from their nominated hit single "American Dream" and actresses Tierra Allen and Caroline Katsire performed two select pieces from the Vagina Monologues in anticipation of the "Towards a New Ecology for Women" Play Festival hosted by the New Africa Company, which runs through April 12th.

So many stories!!

Spoken word personal narrative was the focus of the evening, however, and the audience was not disappointed. Online dating adventures, childhood memories, assaultive police in Northern Ireland, and the consequences of making a really tasty cheesecake all entertained within the theme of What You See Is What You Get.

Winner Laura Cannon poses with
her massmouth t-shirt!

Out of all those stories, Iraq War Veteran Laura Cannon took home the winning prize! During three long weeks, her Army division pushed through the desert toward Iraq during the 2003 invasion. For three long weeks, she, and her unit, had to find creative ways to dispose of human waste that lead to a truly entertaining story. Bag it? Bury it? Burn it? Creative solutions all and each one was utilized at some point in those three trying weeks. Laura's story won her a $50 gift certificate to Haley House, a massmouth t-shirt, and the opportunity to enlighten others with the sacrifices required of military personnel in a time of war when she tells it again at the Big Mouthoff on April 26th at the Boston Public Library.

Kennedy's, March 21st: Everyone Explored Where They Are From!

2011-04-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

MC and massmouth co-founder
Norah Dooley sharing a story!

From the North End to Peabody to Lebanon, on Monday, March 21st, ten talented tellers took the Kennedy's Midtown audience on a experiential tour of where they are from. Master of Ceremonies and massmouth co-founder Norah Dooley also invited several audience members to take the stage and tell one minute tales to fill in for special guest and co-host Brian O'Donovan who fell ill and could not attend the slam.

All the tellers had something special to share as they reflected on childhood memories, moving from city to city, and family history. Teller Harry Mishkin summed it up for everyone, when he said that, for him: home is where I do something I love, in a place that I love, with someone I love. In the end, only two of these colorful storytellers had the honor of advancing to the final rounds.

First place winner Bob Reiser.

First place winner Bob Reiser took the audience on a sensory tour of the seasons as he remembered his childhood experience of growing up in Flatbush, New York. From Coney Island's boardwalk in the Summer to falling leaves in October, Bob's story felt like a meditative trip to a time where life was simple and every day was a fantastic adventure. Bob will tell his story once more to compete for a week's stay at a Tuscan villa on April 26th at the Boston Public Library's Rabb Hall. He took home a $50 gift certificate to Kennedy's Midtown and a massmouth t-shirt.

Second place winner
Farrah Haider.

Second place winner and new storyteller Farrah Haider explored the question "Where AM I from?" as she described her experience of living in Lebanon, her country of ethnicity, and her home state of California. When in Lebanon, she felt very Californian and in California, she felt very Lebanese leaving her to constantly question, "am I from here? am I from there?" In the end, she decided that she is from here AND there. She will have the opportunity to describe her experience again when she competes in the semi-final round on April 14th at Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline. Farrah also took home a massmouth t-shirt.

Love hearing stories? Come to the semi-finals and finals and hear the best storytellers of the season compete for the grand prize. Check out the event details here: http://massmouth.ning.com/events Inspired to tell a story? Visit The Story Space any Tuesday night at Out of The Blue Gallery in Central Square and enjoy the luxury of having eight minutes to tell your story! Details here: http://www.storyspace.org/Events.asp

'Storyslam' helps students relate life's tales

2011-03-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

March 24, 2011

'Storyslam' helps students relate life's tales

By Lynne Hendricks
Staff Writer
—

NEWBURYPORT — If you don't know your own story or are unable to tell it, someone will tell it for you. And with that in mind, the Newburyport High School junior class, with the help of English Department Chairwoman Susie Galvin and the massmouth program, is endeavoring to learn how to spin a compelling, real-life tale that will captivate audiences.

They've started from scratch, with little experience in sharing their innermost secrets to their entire peer group. And along the way, some have understandably experienced a wee bit of anxiety about the public portion of the program, Galvin said.

But Galvin and other English teachers say they have been blown away by the effectiveness of the nonprofit educational group's program in getting students to open up and express themselves.

"One young man in front of his class told the story of his first kiss, and it was very raw because it was the first day," Galvin said. "But he told it with a humor that really was sweet, and certainly, the kids could relate to it.

"Another boy told the story about being in a foreign country and getting separated from his mother and his grandmother and how he was able to find them, and there was a nice twist to that story."

It's not just the most successful students who have been the most open and animated in this workshop-based series of classes, Galvin said.

"You don't have to have theater qualities or acting qualities or exhibit the necessary speech intonations, although that naturally evolves and the kid gets comfortable telling their story," Galvin said. "You get the feeling the stronger students would grab onto it, but that's not really been true."

Guided by representatives of the StoriesLive organization, which is implemented by massmouth with grant funding from Masshumanities.org, students have been learning for several weeks how to organize their thoughts and learn how to construct a story others will want to hear. They met with massmouth storytellers yesterday for the third time and those who were ready to read stood up and tested their material in the classroom environment.

"They're telling personal narratives," Galvin said. "What they have to learn is they do have stories to tell. There is a uniqueness to who they are."

Those who have struggled are encouraged to use the tools offered by massmouth to foster and cultivate the creative spark within, she said.

"We had a boy say the other day I don't have any stories," Galvin said. "The teacher said you are 16 years old — yes, you do. You have stories. You just have to take these exercises and allow yourself to express it."

Students will select some of the best stories to come out of these classroom "slam" workshops to be presented in an end-of-year slam on stage before the entire junior class, Galvin said. Those storytellers who are voted the best of that bunch will go onto a state slam.

But even those who don't end up on stage will reap benefits from participating in the project when it comes to crafting the kind of effective, individualized essays required in their application this year to colleges and universities, Galvin said.

"They try to get the kids to understand what a story needs to have in order for it to be interesting," she said. "The kinds of stories that they do activate that kind of thinking."

Students are forced to ask themselves what the audience can learn from their story, what the message is that their story is sending and how they portray themselves.

In the end, the inaugural program is experiencing tremendous success, she said.

"It's been working out well. The feedback has been great. The kids are having fun with it," Galvin said.

NewburyportNews.com Newburyport, MA

Great Life Experience Made for Great Stories at Bella Luna!

2011-03-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

From Left: Co-host H.R. Britton, first place winner
Kathy Power, Second place winner Christopher Osborne,
and co-host Robin Maxfield.

Down AND out?? That was the theme of Sunday night's slam at Jamaica Plain's Bella Luna and the story telling was nothing short of amazing! Co-hosts Robin Maxfield and H.R. Britton kept the evening light as ten talented tellers shared their stories of depression, suicide, psychiatric care, prison, the blues, military hazing, break ups and debilitating illness. Fortunately, these very serious topics were often interspersed with great humor and special guest Jeremy Phillips polled the standing-room only crowd with entertaining questions while the judges did what they do best.

Kathy Power and Christopher Osborne took home the honors March 20th! First place winner Kathy Power told a story of forgiveness about her time at Framingham State Prison. When given the opportunity to allow her enemy to fall down a flight of stairs, Kathy chose to help the woman avoid harm and their relationship was forever changed. Her riveting account earned her a $50 gift certificate to Bella Luna, a massmouth t-shirt, and the opportunity to tell her story on April 26th at The Big Mouthoff in the Boston Public Library's Rabb Hall.

The Ripped Up 22s!

Second place winner Christopher Osborne's story was equally powerful. He told of a friend who struggled with addiction for years until ending his life with a bottle of vodka and a nail gun. Christopher won a massmouth t-shirt and will have the opportunity to compete in the Semifinal Gala at Coolidge Corner Theater on April 14th.

Jamaica Plain's last story slam of the season ended with a special performance by three very talented young ladies. The Ripped Up 22s wowed the crowd as they performed two original songs on slam themes Love Objects and Secrets. Their performance was just one more indication that yes, indeed, story is everywhere!

Interested in sharing your own story before next September? Come out to the last slam of the season at Haley House Bakery Cafe on March 31st and tell tales about computer glitches that relate to the theme "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG). See details here: http://massmouth.ning.com/events

Need some storytelling tune-up tips before grabbing the microphone in public? There is one last storytelling workshop this Monday, March 28th, at 6:15 p.m., at Kennedy's Midtown. Come join Andrea Lovett and myself for the How To Tell A Kickbutt 5 Minute Story Workshop and craft your story into a 5 minute crowd pleaser! Sign up here: http://massmouth.ning.com/events/how-to-tell-a-kickbutt-story-2 Hope to see you there!!

Death AND Taxes at The Enormous Room!

2011-03-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

Special guest Gus Rancatore of Toscanani's tells his story!

The Enormous Room crowd was small on March 13th, but the stories loomed large as ten spirited tellers told their personal tales about brushes with death and the inevitability of taxes. Massmouth co-founder Norah Dooley and ice cream king Gus Rancatore of Toscanani's entertained the audience while the judges worked their magic. Gus delighted the crowd as he matter-of-factly shared more than one near-death experience in the 1980's as a small business owner in Central Square before it became the funky, college-student-filled hub it is today.

The rest of the stories were equally delightful, even though the subject matter was sometimes quite serious. Avoiding taxes while invading Iraq and shopping for the military, connecting with loved ones as they walked through their final days with dignity, and reliving a near-death car accident almost twenty years after it occurred were just a few of the stories shared on Sunday night. The stories were so good that at the end of the night one of the judge's announced they had "a terribly difficult job" deciding and "were] filled with admiration for [the] tellers." The judges did decide, however, and two ladies took home the honors.

Yana Sherman and Elissa Davidson show off their t-shirts.

First time teller Elissa Davidson won the top prize for her story about Eggbert the "good, but not great" goldfish who lived for four years and traveled fourteen years before being properly laid to rest and eulogized. Elissa's dry wit and keen observations added humor to an already colorful storyline. For her win, Elissa took home a $50 gift certificate to The Enormous Room, a massmouth t-shirt, and the opportunity to honor Eggbert once more at The Big Mouthoff in Rabb Hall at the Boston Public Library on April 26th.

Second place went to veteran storyteller Yana Sherman for her story about how her brother's struggle with and ultimate death from lung cancer brought them closer together. Yana won a massmouth t-shirt and the opportunity to compete in the massmouth gala semi-finals at the Coolidge Corner Theater on April 14th.

Do you have a story to tell? Ever felt "down and out" in your life and want to share your experience? Come to Bella Luna on Sunday, March 20th, but get there early as this venue has been standing room only since the new year.

Or, maybe you grew up somewhere interesting that shaped your life. On Monday night, March 21st, you will have the opportunity to share your story at Kennedy's Midtown on the theme "Where I'm From." See you there!

Stories of where I'm from

2011-03-17T09:42:00.001-07:00

Today is St. Patrick's Day. In Boston, where I live, this is a really big deal. Even if you're not of Irish descent you may very well be wearing green today. Many people take this as an opportunity to drink a lot of beer, eat corned beef and cabbage and carry on. Those of Irish descent may use today as a chance to reconnect with their roots, to tell stories of where they came from and the history that helps make them who they are.

St. Patrick's Day is a lot of fun, but bear in mind you don't actually need a special day to remember your heritage.You can seek out then tell those stories anytime and they'll bring value into your life.You can even come to our Where I'm From slam on March 21, 2011 and share your story. We'd love to hear you!

The U.S. is a nation composed largely of immigrants (voluntary or not) and those descended from immigrants. Our ancestors brought with them a rich cultural heritage in story, music, food and tradition.Those who are native to this land have their own rich heritage of stories, music, foods and traditions to draw on. If you explore these aspects of where you're from and tell some of these stories, you may gain insight into who you are now and your role in the 21st century.

You don't need a special day to tell the stories of where you're from, be it another country, your family in another time, or from just around the corner. If you take these aspects of your personal history and weave them into your own narrative, the stories you tell will have resonance for all your audiences, even if they don't share your cultural background; audiences are usually interested in stories they can relate to and empathize with. As long as your story is one people can feel connected to ("We had a hard time but we made it." "We came from far away and now we're here." "We celebrate holidays this way only once something crazy happened.") your personal history will only enrich what is ultimately a human story, just as much as it may be an ethnic, cultural or national one.

(c)2011 Laura S. Packer

International Women's Day

2011-03-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. While it doesn't seem to get much play in the U.S., this internationally recognized event is an important milestone each year. It gives us a chance to look around, see how far we have come and how far we have to go

I wanted to take a moment today and do two things for International Women’s Day.

First, as a storyteller I think we become better tellers and listeners when we tell and hear stories of all people, regardless of gender, age or nationality. Here are some of my favorite traditional stories that feature strong women and girls, the ones I can quickly recall off the top of my head. I hope you tell these stories.

Tatterhood
Vasilisa the Beautiful
Baba Yaga
Clever Manka
The old women on the road
Janet
Scheherzade and her sister, Dinazade

There are so many others. Tatterhood and Other Tales is a good place to start. What are some of your favorites? let us know in the comments section below.

Second, I’d like to recognize some of the amazing women in my life, those who have inspired and helped me, set examples for me and set a high bar for my vision. I’m absolutely certain I will omit women who belong here from this list. Please don’t feel slighted if I've forgotten to list you. I am blessed with many amazing women in my life.

My mom, Florence Packer. My step-daughter, Cara Brooks. My mother-in-spirit, Ruth Hill.

My friends, among them Amy, Mary, Christie, Stacy, Serene, Joy, Elsa and many others. Thank you for your kind hearts and good ears. I would be devastated without you.

My storytelling comrades, among them Norah, Andrea, Doria, Elizabeth, Fran, Regi , Marni and so many others. Keep telling, we need your voices.

Those whom I have never met, but inspire me. Sojourner Truth. Mary Oliver. Jeanette Winterson. And many others.

Who are some of the women who have inspired you? What are their stories?

We are stronger when we lean on one another and do so with gratitude. Thank you all.

A Fantastic Partnership Blooms with Haley House Bakery Cafe!

2011-02-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

Co-host Nina LaNegra welcomes massmouth co-founder
Andrea Lovett to the Art Is Life Itself Performance Series
at Haley House Bakery Cafe.

On Thursday, February 24th, massmouth partnered with Haley House Bakery Cafe in Roxbury's Dudley Square to bring storytelling to the Life is Art Performance Series hosted by Bay State College Professor Nina LaNegra. A huge success, this collaboration was a first for both massmouth and Haley House! Haley House's intimate setting, soft lighting, and gorgeous quilt lined walls blended with the tantalizing smell of healthy, lovingly prepared food to relax the crowd of new storytellers and set the tone for the evening. Quintessential performer ToRena Webb Thomas and massmouth co-founder Andrea Lovett co-hosted the evening along with Nina LaNegra and Fulani Marilyn Haynes.

Quintessential Performer and co-host
ToRena Webb Thomas shares a story.

Ten brave tellers grabbed the mic and shared their "Point of View" on topics as varied as hair length, unions, religious and racial tolerance, fasting to reach spiritual enlightenment, ethnic profiling, and love. First place winner Margie Klein, however, stole the show with her story about her experience as an environmental activist working in South Florida to influence a senator's vote on the Clean Power Act.

The youth she recruited to deliver signatures to the senator included a young arsonist who expressed anger that he was in juvenile detention for setting fires that created the smell of burning chemicals, while companies that build power plants that create the same smell make money, instead. After hearing the juvenile's passionate comparison, the Senator voted to support the Clean Power Act. Margie vowed never to judge a person based on their circumstances again.

First place winner Margie Klein!

Margie's powerful, personal story won her a $50 gift certificate to the Haley House Bakery Cafe, a massmouth winner's t-shirt, and the opportunity to influence others' point of view when she tells her story again at the Big Mouthoff on April 26th at the Boston Public Library's Rabb Hall. A second story slam will be held at Haley House on Thursday, March 31st! In the meantime, you have the opportunity to tell your story on the theme "Death and Taxes" on Sunday, March 13th at The Enormous Room in Central Square with co-hosts Gus Rancatore of Central Square's Toscanini's and massmouth co-founder Norah Dooley. Check out the details on this and other massmouth events here: http://massmouth.ning.com/events