The Odyssey Storytelling Podcast

Things once forgotten, now remembered. Distortions. Clarities. Revelations. Remember that time when…no, I don't recall. Traditions and sacred events that keep memories alive. Grammy's cookie recipes. Anniversaries. Passover. Acid trips? Do this in remembrance of me... This week's storytellers include: Ana Chavarin Glenda Bonin Ellen Melamed Phil Gordon Emmy Creigh Monica Bauer This episode was per...

Way back in December of 2015, Drew Cronyn took advantage of the "Body" theme to tell a series of funny and gross and also funny stories about attending autopsy classes in medical school. Side characters in these stories include Fire Island regulars, die-hard Charlie's Angels fans, and people with too many grandmothers. From Drew's Odyssey bio: Drew Cronyn is delighted to be telling another story f...

Of course, if any episode of this podcast had to come out a day late due to technical difficulties, it had to be a story from the Awkward show! Mel Blumenthal, in her own words, should never be allowed to speak due to her familiarity with the taste of her own foot, and in April 2017, she took the Odyssey stage to explain why. From Mel's Odyssey bio: Mel Blumenthal is on the executive board of FST!...

Tripping. Slipping. Falling. Crashing. Feeling the fool. Throwing caution to the wind and hitting the road. Is your mind open to new realities or do you shut down? Accidents happen. Wipe out with us. We promise not to point and laugh. This week's storytellers include: Kuvaal Patel Richard Dooley Jillian LaCroix Kim Lowry Pat Bean Shannon Deady This episode was performed and recorded in front of a...

Celebrate the new year by returning to Odyssey's first storytelling event of 2017, the Labor show, which featured Cam Juarez on building community and telling the stories of the unheard. From his Odyssey biography: Cam Juárez was born to migrant farm worker parents in Yuma, Arizona. His mother Adela helped to put 7 of her 9 children through college, with 5 of them earning advanced degrees from uni...

Early in 2017, University of Arizona student Aly Cruz took the Odyssey stage during the "Left" show and told a story that was perhaps a more literal interpretation of that theme than most expected. From her Odyssey biography: Aly Cruz is originally from Phoenix, Arizona. She was raised on punk music and campfire stories. She moved to Tucson three years ago to go to school at The University of Ariz...

Was it the right combination or was it really, really wrong? Why do our hearts skip a beat and our minds get rearranged sometimes? Experiments, explosive reactions, elemental bonds. Solids, liquids and gases. This is the stuff we are made of -- and the clues to so many mysteries. This week's storytellers include: Ana Gaskin Adam Hostetter Chef John Wirtis Terry Gallegos Sharon Schneiderman John Ba...

You won't hear an audience in this episode, but that doesn't detract from Bella Vivante's profound story of identity, and the consequences of trying to pass for someone you're not. From Bella's Odyssey biography: Bella Vivante, actor, writer, dancer and leader of study trips to Greece and Turkey recently returned from Turkey as a Smithsonian Journeys Study Leader. A retired professor of Classics,...

A year ago this December, Sergio Calderon bravely took the stage at Odyssey's "Fraught" show to talk about why he was more afraid of going to school than going to Afghanistan. From his Odyssey biography: Sergio Calderon is a Tucson native who is currently attending the University of Arizona. In May, he will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. While it all looks like roses and but...

Back in 2015, award-winning author Marge Pellegrino stepped onto the Odyssey stage and told the remarkable story of a Guatemalan refugee named Juana who escaped torture and genocide to find sanctuary in Tucson, Arizona. By recounting Juana's tale, Pellegrino comments on what the concept of "home" might mean to a refugee, the response of the United States government to a refugee crisis vs. that of...

Regrets, longing, and missed opportunities. Creaks, groans, and bumps in the night. Things just out of view in the dark. The hairs raising on the back of your neck. A sudden drop in temperature. Is something there? Join us as our storytellers share true stories of what haunts them! This week's storytellers include: Miles Schneiderman Jane Bendickson Mary Reed Michael Cardenas Lisa Cardenas Andy Cr...

In the first of Odyssey's single-story episodes, travel back almost exactly a year to 2016's "Natural" show, which featured, among others, a story by Elliot Jones, Music Director of the Arizona Repertory Singers. From his Odyssey biography: Elliot Jones holds degrees from New York University, Indiana University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Arizona.......

In this very special episode, nationally syndicated political cartoonist David Fitzsimmons hosts an evening of storytelling in support of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. From survivors to doctors to tattoo artists, David has gathered six incredible storytellers together to help us, in his words, " find comfort, amusement, encouragement and inspiration from these remarkable souls." Storytelle...

Back to school, out of the closet, joining a gym. Climbing the corporate ladder, running away, over the hill. Free at last? New people, perspectives and places. Breaking addictions, breaking traditions, breaking up, brokenhearted, broke. Life? Fantasies, dreams, generations. Children, caterpillars, tadpoles, The Ugly Duckling. Trans. Action, gender, formation. This month's storytellers include: Br...

At the Odyssey Storytelling "Potluck," we gather and listen as seven people bring their tantalizing tales to the table. These are stories about food shared with friends or with strangers, food prepared by professional chefs or from old family recipes. They are stories about cooking and eating, but also stories about pot, and stories about luck! This month's storytellers include: Vene Aguirre Steve...

Screams and shouts! Fight or flight! Lights and sirens! Embarrassing autocorrects! Diaper explosions! Wardrobe malfunctions! Emergencies take many forms and we've ALL been there. Whether hideous, horrendous, or hilarious, they often make for great stories. This month's storytellers include: Rachel Cramton Joe Silins Andy Pfannenstiel Todd Nardi Lara Howard Smith This episode was performed and reco...

  Hiccups. Bumps in the road. Small mistakes. Unexpected detours. Involuntary reactions. Glitches and malfunctions. A disturbance in the force. Nervous tics. Mysterious ailments. Weird and wonderful antidotes and home remedies. This month's storytellers include: Judith Weiser Jeff Fearnow Melanie Madden Marell Nicolas Rios Paco Velez This episode was performed and recorded in front of a live audie...

From saguaros to snake bridges, chimichangas to cholla bud salsa, from Mounts Lemmon and Wrightson to Wasson and Rincon peaks, and everything in between that smells like creosote when it rains -- the Old Pueblo has stories! This month's storytellers include: Bridgitte Thum, stand-up comic, radio actress, and DJ at KXCI Ted Springer, co-steward of The Land With No Name Sanctuary For Homeless Sculpt...