Oral storytelling

I am totally addicted to listening to mp3 recordings from The Stoop. This American Life, hosted by the sultry and seductive Ira Glass, along with storytelling nights in other major cities, is largely responsible for the active storytelling scene being enjoyed by our country, and by our amazing Charm City, too. Though we think that TAL has done a little shark-jumping since their cable TV series came out. But we still love you, Ira. The intro for This American Life works well to introduce The Stoop: "Every [show] we choose a theme, and present [seven seven-minute] stories about this theme." Laura Lippman of the Baltimore Sun and several non-fiction titles (on the topic of failure at The Stoop): See, that's the thing--failure is kind of beautiful. Failure is spectacular. Failure is memorable. Failure is Lucille Ball in the candy factory and the conveyor belt is backing up and she's putting chocolate in her apron and chocolate in her bra and chocolate in her mouth, and she's fired by the end of the shift. Failure is a story, every time you tell it it gets better. What's really bad is mediocrity, which is private and boring. Mediocrity is like body odor or a piece of toilet paper stuck to your shoe. Mediocrity is something that happens behind a closed door most of the time. If you enjoyed the Black Panther:Rank & File symposium and exhibit, you'll enjoy Marc Steiner's storytelling of a generation before mine in cities all across America working together for revolution and to fill the needs of their fellow men. The Stoop is partnered with The Creative Alliance, a great great non-profit here in the city that has artists' residencies, shows, benefits, film, performance art, workshops, and has flourished for over a decade. The next The Stoop show is June 9th, 2008, and the topic will be stories about camp (This American Life's camp episode here) and you can buy tickets here, a steal at $12.