An anonymous note about a possible murder
I arrived at Kripalu, a yoga center in the Berkshires, on Sunday night with a bag full of my novels, magazine columns, and comic books. I spread them on the table…
Teaching is full of unexpected surprises
One billion years ago, I taught a third grader named Kaity to multiply. Last night, as Elysha and I were leaving for a Moth StorySLAM in Somerville, I asked Kaity, now…
A possible (though not advised) replacement for heart medication
I spent a week at Kripalu Institute for Yoga and Health last week, teaching storytelling to a dozen remarkable people. On Tuesday night I performed my one-man show, and on Thursday…
Seven and counting…
One of our Speak Up storytelling shows earlier in the year featured four former storytelling workshop students who have gone on to tell stories at Moth StorySLAMs in New York,…
I don’t teach mindfulness. Don’t ever accuse me of teaching mindfulness. Here’s why.
When I teach storytelling, and especially when I teach about finding stories in your life, I'm often told by students that what I'm really teaching is mindfulness. When I hear…
Meditation and McDonald’s
I've spent this weekend at the world-famous Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. With its silent breakfasts, farm-to-table meals, candlelit shrines, and slow walking, the place doesn't exactly match my…
Go to The Moth and tell a story. And not “someday.” Go soon.
Just this past week, I heard from listeners who heard one or more of my stories on The Moth's podcast, The Moth Radio Hour, and/or The Moth's website in: Cape…
My “Diet Coke and aggressive attitude” didn’t exactly match the yoga aesthetic, but I somehow managed to fit in anyway.
Last weekend, I performed 90 minutes of storytelling to a capacity crowd at Kripalu, a yoga and fitness center in the Berkshires. I spent the weekend at Kripalu, teaching a…
A lesson on the importance of stakes in storytelling – Plus the story of the day I posed as a charity worker for nefarious reasons
In my most recent appearance on Slate's The Gist, I discuss the importance of stakes in storytelling and some of the tricks that I use to build and maintain them…
How I teach storytelling
I did an interview with Jim Levulis of WAMC public radio on storytelling, and specifically, the teaching of storytelling. If you’re interested, you can listen here.