Archive for August 2019
Bizarre coincidences are not so bizarre when it comes to storytelling
This past weekend, one of my stories was rerun on The Moth Radio Hour. I’ve been fortunate enough to have eight stories appear on their show, and after every one, I am flooded by emails, tweets, and Facebook messages from listeners expressing words of appreciation. Storytelling audiences are the best. The story featured this week…
Read MoreI have no idea where my children get these ideas
During our visit to Massachusetts earlier this week, we stopped by John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Blackstone, which I attended in grades K-3. Our kids played on the same playground that I played as a kindergartener. We peaked into my old kindergarten classroom, played on some playground equipment that I played on as a…
Read MoreIt’s gone, and I couldn’t be happier.
Elysha, the kids, and I went on a nostalgic road trip to Massachusetts yesterday to visit many of the places where I grew up. This was partly to show my family the places that they have only heard about in stories, but it was also to help inform a memoir that I have been writing…
Read MoreWhy do teenagers smoke?
The tobacco plant has been disastrous for human beings. According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day. On average, smokers die…
Read MoreLessons are almost always learned the hard way. But not on Wednesday night.
On Tuesday night my friend, Donna, and I journeyed east to attend a Moth StorySLAM at Laugh Boston, a comedy club in the south end of the city. The theme of the night was Animals. If my name emerged from the bag, I planned to tell the story of approving an expensive, improbable spinal surgery…
Read MoreToni Morrison helped me feel like I belonged.
As you probably know, Toni Morrison died this week. The world lost a literary giant. I read every one of Morrison’s novels – mostly in college – and they frightened the hell out of me. I remember finishing The Bluest Eye and thinking, “Damn I’m never going to be able to write a novel if…
Read MoreIs the hand hover respectful and thoughtful or a sign that the end of days is near?
It appears as if Keanu Reeves has decided that the hand hover – once mocked for being awkward and strange – is now the preferred move when taking photos with fans. There are dozens of photos of Keanu Reeves executing this move online. My first thought: “Have we really reached a point where a person’s…
Read MoreSpeak Up Storytelling #61: Joe Basile
On episode #61 of the Speak Up Storytelling podcast, Elysha Dicks and I talk storytelling! In our follow-up segment, we discuss our magical night of storytelling earlier in the week. We also update listeners on Charlie’s health and remind listeners about our upcoming trip to Seattle. STORYTELLING SHOWS 2019 August 10: Great Hartford Story Slam at…
Read MoreJoe Basile: “Misinterpretations”
On episode #61 of the Speak Up Storytelling podcast, Matthew and Elysha Dicks talk storytelling! In our follow-up segment, we discuss our magical night of storytelling earlier in the week. We also update listeners on Charlie’s health and remind listeners about our upcoming trip to Seattle. STORYTELLING SHOWS 2019 August 10: Great Hartford Story Slam at…
Read MoreFriday night magic
Some nights in your life are simply magical. Friday night was one of those nights for me. After spending a week working with storytellers from China, British Columbia, San Diego, Chicago, Westchester, and a few locals, I had the honor of introducing them to an audience of friends, family, and fellow storytellers so that they…
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