The Story Show

What do you do when one of your most valuable possessions is stolen, and the thief brazenly advertises it for sale on social media? Appeal to the thief's sense of humanity? Call the cops? Give up? In this closing story from our February 2025 "Better Together" Story Show, Jens Lange shares just exactly what he did. This is "The Prodigal Bike."  

Remembering and expressing the love we have for those we’ve lost can appear in myriad ways–hearing a favorite song, telling a funny story, even writing a poem in their honor. In this episode Jeremy discusses his love of writing alongside his creative writing students, and he shares two poems written for loved ones who have passed, one composed by a former student remembering her uncle, and another...

If it hasn't arrived for us yet, it will one day: moving our parents. How does one move a life from one house to the next? What does all of this stuff say about us? What goes, what's left behind, and who ultimately decides? "A Moving Experience" is Deborah Rohne's story about moving her mother closer when the time was right and the new insights this gave her into who her mother was.

Let's face it. Parents can be annoying, and loving, and wonderful--especially on road trips. Katherine's father felt it was his utmost parental duty to take her on the road for spontaneous adventures, regardless of whether she had any advanced notice or shared his enthusiasm. Fortunately, with age often comes appreciation. 

Story Show veteran Scott Pirsig returns with a moving story about a grueling trek into the Quetico wilderness where he and his canoeing partner find an incredibly remote campsite containing two mysterious objects. Check out this story for a powerful reflection on nature’s (and our own) impermanence. 

As adults we often forget how challenging a first big trip away from parents can be. In this story from our February 2025 “Better Together” show, Taylor shares the story of traveling from her home in southern Minnesota to New Orleans with her youth group and how embracing new things helped her grow with the help of friends.

Season 8, Episode 2 of The Story Show Podcast features the return of Jim Troe. Other than his college years, Jim has spent his entire life in the Albert Lea (MN) area. He and Carrie (his wife of 40 years) have raised four awesome children and are now embarking on the grandparent journey. Jim works as the director of marketing at Van Ladder Bucket Trucks, and in the last few years has written two n...

We're back with Season 8 of The Story Show Podcast. This season's stories all share the theme of "Better Together" and were recorded live at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center in Albert lea, MN on February 8, 2025. Our first story features Apryl Gorton. After getting a really difficult medical diagnosis, Apryl reflects on the necessity of adapting, relying on loved ones, and choosing to move f...

A talented and dynamic speaker, Hannah Bergstrom de Leon closes the October 2023 Blaze Your Trail show with her story about the fruits of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Angie, Jeremy, and Shane chat about anti-imposter syndrom, curling, and the nature of time in this final episode of Season 7.

Story Show veteran Jen Vogt-Erickson returns to the show with a story about multiple generations of her family. Many of Jen’s ancestors came to the US during the latter half of the 19th century and settled on land in Minnesota and the Dakota Territory due to the Homestead Act of 1862. These are the people she thought of when she first heard the theme “Blaze Your Trail.” At the time she was also re...

It's the early '70s, and four bright high school boys with a passion for chess are faced with a challenge: How to compete for a Minnesota state high school chess championship when you have no coach. In another story from our 2023 "Blaze Your Trail" Story Show, Kelly Callahan shares how he and his friends did just that when students had a little more freedom than they perhaps do today. 

In this episode from our October 2023 Blaze Your Trail show, a college student shares a tale of reckless adventure that quite literally sent him over the edge. Looking back, he discusses how the adrenaline rush of that moment has since given way to a valuable life lesson: there are more important--and less physically dangerous--risks to take in life. Be ready to laugh as you listen to this story a...

In the fourth story from our October 2023 Blaze Your Trail Story Show, educator Monica Ocampo shares her story about navigating the public education system, college, and graduate school as a Latina and the first in her family to attend college in the U.S.

This episode features another story from our October 2023 "Blaze Your Trail" show. Burke Egner moved to Austin, Minnesota 11 years ago with his wife and two sons, and he's a career and tech education teacher for nearby Albert Lea Area Schools. Burke encourages everyone to embrace their inner unicorns and "be the one" with this children's story about the power of overcoming fear and self acceptance...

Innocent mistakes from our youth sometimes remain with us decades later, inspiring us to re-evaluate both our past and present actions. In this episode, Scott Pirsig returns to Story Show for Season 7 with another wilderness story, this time exploring the tension between our healthy engageent in nature and the inevitable impacts we make upon it. Jeremy, Angie, and Shane chat about the story first...

In the opening story from the October 2023 "Blaze Your Trail" Story Show, a retired teacher reflects on the routines that shape our lives and her post retirement efforts to seek and blaze new trails for herself. 

Bev Cotter Jackson returns at our January 2020 Pass the Plate Story Show with a story about growing up in Albert Lea in a time when much of what appeared on the supper table was a little wild (squirrel anyone?) and certainly not purchased at the grocery store. Bev has carried with her many of the lessons she learned from her parents approach to food during those early years.

In this season's final episode, Shane talks about the creation of the Food for Backpacks Program (the beneficiary organization for the Pass the Plate Story Show) as an introduction to the show's closing story by Janece Jeffrey. "Nothing on the Plate" was inspired by a real student of Janece's shrugging with food insecurity. Check it out here.  

Only twice have we featured poets on the Story Show. This episode features the playful poetry of 11 year old Zachary Heiken. 

In this story from our January 2020 Pass the Plate Story Show, chef and musician Bob Tewes shares this piece of fiction about need, service, and shared meals.

Jeff Zoller is a man who sees life through the lens of food. Prepare yourself for laughter as you listen to this story from our January 2020 Story Show.

Often the difference between a young person "making it" or not is having a relationship with a mentor, a special adult who invests time and attention into that child's life. "My Uncle Luke" is a story about such a relationship. Pam Johnson performed her story live at our January 2020 Pass the Plate Story Show. 

While language and cultural barriers can make connecting with strangers challenging, sharing food often helps bring us together. Angie, Shane, and Jeremy chat about the power of shared meals before introducing world traveler Ross Pirsig's story about globe trotting and sharing food with new friends. Ross's story was recorded at the January 2020 Pass the Plate Story Show, 

Our long-delayed second episode for season 6 comes from our January 11, 2020 Story Show recorded at the Marion Ross Performing Art Center in Albert Lea, MN.  In "The Anatomy of Giving,"  Jane Bute shares memories of her stepson, Derek and asks us to reflect on legacies, on what we leave behind.

So much has happened since our last release. Season 5 ended in early January, and now we're looking at distance learning, mass work stoppages, social distancing, and quarantining across the globe. While we adjust to all of this new stuff, The Story Show Podcast is asking listeners to submit audio recordings sharing how they're dealing with things. Angie, Shane, and Jeremy chat about this and share...