A free storytelling class for underrepresented voices
Making space for those who have been silenced
Many years ago at a conference, I heard Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming, say that books should be both mirrors and windows—stories we can see ourselves in and stories that let us see into experiences of people we don’t know much about. She described the loneliness of growing up without books (and dolls and TV shows) that featured Black girls like herself, which is part of why she became a writer.
The idea of mirrors and windows resonates deeply with me. My work focuses on helping people cultivate their creativity and share it with others, which is why I started Story Connection, a live storytelling series. This spring, Story Connection continues as it began one year ago: with a free storytelling class that centers underrepresented voices.
So what does underrepresented mean? It means a lot of things—it means people of color, disabled folks, queer folks, immigrants, and refugees. It means anybody who's been minimized or silenced because of their identity.
There aren't checklists or requirements—those who feel called to this offering are welcome. The goal isn’t to gatekeep—it’s simply to hand the mike to folks who’ve had it pulled away, to create an inclusive space that welcomes a broad range of people and whatever stories they want to tell.1
Last year, when I first offered this class, I wasn’t sure exactly what the impact would be. The feedback from storytellers and audience members surpassed my highest expectations. Here’s some of what they shared:
To be seen and heard has magical powers.
We're all more alike than we are different.
Hearing someone else's story (especially if that person has a story that our culture doesn't want to hear) creates empathy, compassion, and awareness. It made me sit and think about the experience of living in a body that looks and sounds different from mine.
This event had all the intimacy, aliveness and bigness of spirit that so much of modern life lacks.
Sharing our stories and listening to others is a supremely powerful act, one that interrupts silence and isolation, that creates connection and community.
If your voice has been stifled and you’re ready to roar, sign up now.
If you want to witness powerful stories from your fellow humans, mark your calendar for the final performance on May 22nd.
If you’ve been feeling worn out and worn down by the world these days, let me remind you: Your voice matters. Your story matters. You matter.
Participants will not be required to tell identity-based stories.