The Odyssey Storytelling Podcast

In times like these, it's important to remember stories about people who have fought and won against injustice (spoiler alert: they're usually women). In this story, originally told at the "Labor" show in January 2017, Lorena Parra Howard recalls her struggle to form a labor union to protect herself and her co-workers -- one of whom coincidentally, also had a baby in the process! From Lorena's Ody...

We like to think we control our fate, but, as the old saying goes, "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Come hear stories of debacles, fiascos, and cataclysmic misfortune. Find out how our storytellers held it together–or didn't–when their worlds fell apart. This week's storytellers include: Linda Strader Jana Segal-Stormont Mary Jo Pollack Ellen Morell Brad Poole Karla Campillo-So...

Once again, we're nearly finished with another show from Odyssey's past -- this time the "Body" show from December 2015. We have two more stories from that month to share with you, and one of them was told by Deborah Mayaan, who took the opportunity to educate us on the pros and cons of "being serious," especially in regards to your health. From Deborah's Odyssey bio: Harnessing the healing power...

The March 2016 "Strange" show was an evening full of laughter, but David Gramling's story about the final years of his father's life added some poignancy to the proceedings. Which isn't to say David's story doesn't include humor -- his reflections on the ways his father found to deal with dementia --  a personal world that had suddenly turned strange -- are by turns joyful, beautiful, and surprisi...

We're fast approaching the end of the February 2016 "Bridges" show -- almost to the end of the bridge, you might say. This is our penultimate story from that show, and it's a moving and funny story of education and inspiration told by Greg Hart. From Greg's Odyssey bio: Greg Hart has been involved in education in Arizona for forty years. He and his wife Vicki have been married for 45 years.  They...

Unfinished. Ill-conceived. Not thought all the way through. It seemed like a good idea at the time…though perhaps at the time, the person who came up with the idea was half-baked themselves. In any case, joining us for a celebration of our most ambitious mistakes is always a good idea, no matter what time it is! This week's storytellers include: Sharon Schneiderman David R. Davis Jeremy Steve Brau...

The great thing about Odyssey is that you never know what kind of story you're going to hear. On this show, we've had funny stories, sexy stories, emotional stories told by people who lay bare the pain in their hearts and in their souls...but one of the reasons we love  this story, told by Martha Retallick at the "Home" show in October 2015, is that on the surface, it's just a story about turning...

We've all had that friend or loved one who seemed to have a clear path laid out for them, only to suddenly diverge and begin traveling in a very different direction. For Elena Acoba, that person was her teenage daughter, a story she told on the Odyssey stage at the Detours show in August 2015. From Elena's Odyssey bio: Los Angeles-born Elena Acoba has been telling stories her whole life. Her first...

We're nearing the end of December 2016's "Fraught" show, but Chase Matthews' story from that event focuses on a very different kind of ending -- one that he came extremely close to experiencing, but that ultimately became a new beginning, instead. From Chase's Odyssey bio: Chase Matthews is a college student who is majoring in the Social Science field. He has overcome a traumatic brain injury and...

Bursts of light. Symbols of celebration. Fire in the sky; fire in the heart. A thing of beauty viewed from a distance, or a thing of danger viewed up close. Objects exploding above us or feelings exploding inside us, equally capable of burning down a mountain or a soul. Join us as we celebrate the past and light the flames of the future. In this episode, Odyssey Storytelling says goodbye to one of...

We haven't checked in on our storytellers' archenemies yet in 2019, but every good story needs a villain, so let's hear from Robert Gonzalez, who took the Odyssey stage four years ago to talk about the woman who made him a better person by consistently beating him at...everything. Like, literally everything. You have no idea. From Robert's Odyssey bio: Robert Gonzalez is determined that his last w...

Anna Darian was 10 years old when she abruptly moved with her mother to America. Some years later, at Odyssey's Forgiveness/Grudges show in September 2016, she told the story of that journey, and of her relationship with the father she left behind. From Anna's Odyssey bio: Anna Darian is a storyteller in Phoenix. But don't hold that against her cause she is also a proud Tucsonan and a 3-generation...

Odyssey storytellers declared themselves independent from many different things at the July 2015 Independence show, but none larger than Catherine Rhianna Hess' twin oppressors. And if you didn't expect our 4th of July podcast to be about boobs, you might not have been paying attention. From Catherine's Odyssey bio: Born just outside the Bible belt to a welfare-for-life mother and an illiterate fa...

Boycott, break away, protest, resist or strike. Differ or disagree. Chart your own course, refuse to submit or to follow the rules. Object or oppose- be your own person, embrace individuality, enjoy variety or seek diversity. (Not to be confused with descend [verb] or descent [noun], decent, the scent or the cent.) This week's storytellers include: Jim Walmann Fran Krackow Timmothy Haver Barbara L...

Some might say this story should have been released in October, not June. But at Odyssey, we believe that there's never a bad time for a ghost story. And after all it was originally told in October 2016, at the Natural show...only this tale is more unnatural than anything else. What happened when Moses Thompson started digging for answers in his own back yard? You'll have to listen to find out......

Liane Hernandez has a strong relationship with food. It shaped her life and career, inspired her personal and professional missions, and helped her find an amazing community. In February 2017, she took the stage at Odyssey's "Mission" show to tell the audience all about it! From Liane's Odyssey bio: Liane Hernandez is the Community Life Director of the YWCA Southern Arizona in Tucson, AZ.  She is...

Heroes & Villains have faced off since the beginning of recorded history. Moses and Pharaoh, Beowulf and Grendel, Batman and The Joker, SpongeBob and Plankton; we love'em, we hate'em. Sometimes a single character can be a hero to some, and a villain to others. This week's storytellers include: Terry Ahearn Pat Davis A.J. Flick Ryan Bravin Shanin Williams Ana Gaskin Molly McCloy This episode was pe...

The April 2016 Contradictions show carried the overall theme of the contradictions of the human condition, and no story embodied that theme better than Jovahn Walid Thomas' extremely heartfelt tribute to his grandmother, a story about family and tradition, about triumph and tragedy, about life and death. It's not an easy story for Jovahn to tell, but his raw emotion is as beautiful as the story it...

Some stories at Odyssey's January 2017 "Labor" show were about birth. Some were about unionizing. And some, like Jema Patterson's, were about specific labors unique to their lives alone. Like, for example, meeting a hot, smart, Spanish guy on a ferry and somehow failing to mention that you have a boyfriend. From Jema's Odyssey bio: Jema Patterson is a free-spirited life-hacker driven by math and i...

Gloria Elizalde's interpretation of "Strange" for Odyssey's March 2016 show is a broad one. For one thing, it can refer to Gloria's personal desire to be different from the people around her. For another, it can refer to an extended stay in Mexico that involved long lines, late payments, finding friends at the gym, highly specific ice cream instructions, and two separate run-ins with the police. F...

Odyssey proudly presents to you a night of extraordinary feats brought to you by storyteller extraordinaires. Extrahuman strengths over adversity, extroverted artistic endeavors, and botanical extractions turned to culinary delights. An extravaganza of tales extrapolated in stunning detail guaranteed to extract genuine feelings in the coldest of hearts. This week's storytellers include: Joe Wright...

We've had a lot of content from the February 2016 "Bridges" show on this podcast, and there's a reason: It's great. It's great in part, because of Kamaran Zangana, who spoke candidly of his life in the war-torn middle east, a life he describes as "always jump[ing] from this bridge to that bridge." From Kamaran's Odyssey bio: Kamaran Zangana is Kurdish and has being living in US since 1994.  He has...

Nature illustrator Beth Surdut has as many stories in her head as she's had homes in her life, and with a life like hers, that's quite a lot! But of all her numerous experiences, perhaps none was as challenging as that most perilous of enterprises -- house hunting in Hawai'i. At the "Home" show in 2015, the Odyssey crowd joined Beth on a strange journey from the death of a beloved friend to the li...

Nothing changes the course of your life like the discovery of a fundamental truth. In the case of David Dickerson, that truth was the fact that women -- well, most women, anyway -- actually  enjoy having their breasts touched! Astounding! Where that revelation led Dave is a story I'll leave to him, though anyone who attended the "Detours" show in August 2015 already knows the hilarious answer. Fro...

A long strange trip, venturing out and coming back again, leaping into the void, vacations, adventures and just plain life. Thank you for your love and support for the last 15 years! We are an audience-supported nonprofit, and this event was an Odyssey Storytelling fundraiser. If you'd like to help us out, please donate to our Facebook fundraiser (active until April 4th) using the link below. Than...