Archive for 2018
Finding a new friend thanks to self expression and some scabies
Back in 2012, Elysha, the kids, and I suffered for months with a rash that could not be identified by doctors. For a while, we suspected bed bugs. Some experts agreed, and others did not, insisting that it must be our laundry detergent or some environmental change in our home. It was a harrowing time,…
Read MoreA bittersweet moment for a storyteller, and a magical night for all of us
Thought I’d share this little moment of beauty with all you: Last night I competed in a Moth GrandSLAM in Brooklyn. It was an evening filled with fantastic storytellers, a hilarious host, and a world class violinist, but the storyteller who stole the show was not on the stage at all. After winning a Moth…
Read MoreDemographics tell the story
If you want to understand the fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans, look no further than the differences in demographics in the the incoming 116th Congress. The incoming 116th Congress will include 105 Democratic women and only 19 Republican women. The percentage of white men as a share of House Democrats is set to decline…
Read MoreSpeak Up Storytelling #4: Sam Carley [rebroadcast]
The combination of Hanukah and an injury (happily not too serious) to our son’s foot has made it impossible to record a new episode for you this week, so please enjoy this rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes ever. Elysha and I will be back next week with a brand new episode. _____________________________________ On…
Read MoreThe magic of film on film
The Showtime series Kidding (which I have not watched) did something quite amazing: One continuous, panoramic, uncut shot that shows the compressed transformation of a character and a space over the course of a year, portrayed in a little less than two minutes. The scene itself is amazing, but even better, the producers added an overhead camera…
Read MoreThe curtain raised on peeing with girls
I was at a Moth StorySLAM in Cambridge last week and I found myself in a gender-neutral restroom, which I have used many, many times. Men and women peeing in the same room. Stalls and urinals. It was a little surprising the first time I entered this restroom and encountered women, but two years later,…
Read MoreBatman is depressed. Also, you are bad or good depending on how you eat your lunch.
One of the great benefits of teaching is the conversations that you have with children. A child at recess today showed me her “secret hideout” for drawing pictures. “Only villains have secret hideouts,” I said. “You must be a villain.” “What about Batman?” the girl countered. “He has a hideout.” “Yeah,” I said. “But isn’t…
Read MoreThe worst part of the Christmas season
Every year it’s the same annoying thing: Sometime before Halloween or perhaps just after, Christmas decorations begin to appear in the stores. Lights and baubles and candy canes are placed on shelves. Commercials for holiday gift ideas begin to propagate on television and the internet. Even Christmas trees, some already lit and covered in ornaments…
Read MoreThese folks get it.
I’m always heartened when I see church signs like this given the fact that about 80 percent of Evangelicals and more than half of Catholics still support the Trump Presidency. It’s baffling to me. A serial adulterer who bragged about sexual assault and paid hush money to porn stars still enjoys the support of the…
Read MoreA Patriots fan becomes an honest-to-goodness Patriot, and I’ll never forget it.
It’s rare when you actually get to witness the straw that breaks the camel’s back, but a few weeks ago, I witness just such a straw-and-back situation while sitting in the stands of Gillette Stadium. My friend and longtime seat mate, Shep, and I were waiting for the game to begin. On the field, fans…
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