Archive for October 2018
Speak Up Storytelling #22: Q&A catch-up
Episode #22 of the Speak Up Storytelling podcast is now available for your listening pleasure. On this week’s episode, Elysha Dicks and I talk about finding excellent stories in your everyday life using my strategy “Homework for Life.” We discuss how a moment can not only be storyworthy for the stage but might be useful in…
Read More“Ask a Teacher” has become a permanent gig of sorts, and perhaps another step to my lifelong dream
I’m happy to report that my temporary role as columnist for Slate’s “Ask a Teacher” column has become permanent. I wrote four columns of my own in the weeks prior to the start of school, and since then, the column has transformed into a something that a group of teacher-writers contribute to weekly, including me.…
Read MoreSpeak Up #60 was a big night
Kind of an amazing night. When Elysha and I launched Speak Up in May of 2013, we wondered if anyone would show up. We wondered if our first show would also be our last show. Our expectations were low and our vision for the future of Speak Up was dim. If some people came to…
Read MoreWhat inappropriate things did I put in my mouth?
Tonight I’ll be taking the stage at Infinity Hall in Hartford to tell a story for Speak Up. It will be our 60th show, stretching back to April of 2013 when we produced our very first show in an art gallery at Real Art Ways, and I have told a story at every one. In…
Read MoreI threw away my bathrobe after wearing it zero times
I threw away my bathrobe a few years ago. It was soft and warm and looked lovely, but I never wore it. I never found a single moment to wear it in the five years I owned it. This is not to criticize anyone who wears a bathrobe after they emerge from the shower. Perhaps…
Read MoreThis sign is amusing but otherwise pointless
This sign can be found at the entrance to the historic carousel in Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford. There are so many things wrong with this sign: I don’t think the sign’s target audience – the kind of child who would put a ticket in their mouth – is willing or able to read this…
Read MoreOwn your domain, dummy
Wondering what kind of information Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh might include on BrettKavanaugh.com now that he has won his confirmation? We’ll never know. He doesn’t own the domain. The domain BrettKavanaugh.com is now a dedicated forum for helping sexual assault victims and ending rape. The website, titled “We Believe Survivors,” was purchased by Fix The Court, which…
Read MoreSpeak Up Storytelling #21: Don Picard
Episode #21 of the Speak Up Storytelling podcast is now available for your listening pleasure. On this week’s episode, Elysha Dicks and I talk about finding excellent stories in your everyday life using my strategy “Homework for Life.” We discuss how a moment that didn’t seem initially storyworthy can prove to be storyworthy with a little…
Read MoreBrett Kavanaugh and the photo that will never go away
You’ve probably seen the photo already, and even if you haven’t, you’re probably trying to put the Brett Kavanaugh hearings behind you, but I just couldn’t let the moment pass without taking a moment to highlight this remarkable image. I don’t know if Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Dr. Ford, but here’s what I do know:…
Read MoreMatilda vs. Donald Trump
This statue of the the classic British children’s character Matilda staring down a likeness of President Donald Trump has been erected to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel. As the Roald Dahl Story Company prepared to mark the anniversary of the novel, it asked the British public to weigh…
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