Odyssey Storytelling presents "DETOURS"

http://www.storyartsgroup.org/odyssey/Odyssey/Next_Show.html

 

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Odyssey Storytelling Presents:

“DETOURS”

Curated by Carolyn Fort

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., Show starts at 7:00 p.m.

The Screening Room, 

127 E. Congress Street, Tucson, $8

 

What happens when we're derailed, sidetracked, or change horses mid-stream? Come hear stories of Detours!

 

Storytellers: Writer, activist, performer, Claire Louise Swinford; movie reviewer and proud mother, Jana Segal; change maker, Michelle Pitot; writer and editor, Elena Acoba; Feminist, free spirit, Lisannette Adelaida Dawson-Ruiz; and author, storyteller, David Ellis Dickerson!

Storyteller Bios:

A Midwesterner by birth, Michelle Pitot ended up in Tucson via an eight year bypass that routed her to the San Francisco Bay Area. Tucson was also meant to be a brief detour on her way to Colorado but here she is, almost 20 years later, without a single Rocky Mountain in sight. Michelle is also a Social Worker by birth and now by choice, with a lifelong goal to change the world. For a long time she did that by working with delinquent teenagers, then she accidentally veered into the world of Wall Street when the tiny agency she worked for upon her arrival in Tucson expanded across the country and went public, trading on NASDAQ. Finally, she chose to leave that particular freeway and now work as one of the many changemakers at the YWCA, where she is Chief of Staff.

Los Angeles-born Elena Acoba has been telling stories her whole life. Her first published works were part of an elementary school anthology; her pieces appeared in the section of second-grade authors. Elena gravitated to writing stories about real people and events, which naturally led her to a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Cal State Long Beach and a career at several news outlets in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. Looking for another gig, she decided 27 years ago to accompany her now-husband to Tucson, where he landed an editing job at the Arizona Daily Star. The only thing she knew about Arizona was Barry Goldwater. She decided to go only after she discovered that Tucson had a good Chinese restaurant. After another year of journalism, Elena switched to telling the story of the Old Pueblo as publications director at what's now Visit Tucson. Today she is marking nearly 18 years as an independent writer and editor, telling stories from gardening to the miracle of mechanical hearts.

Jana Segal received her MFA in Dramatic Writing from Brandeis University. Her screenplay, Model-T Biscuits, won first place at both the International Family Film Festival and Moondance. The self-proclaimed queen of no budget films, Jana wrote/produced/directed several short films.  Jana has been active in building the Tucson film community for over 15 years. As the president of AIVF (renamed IFASA), Jana organized the 3 Minute Thriller Film Contest and the popular filmmakers mixers.  Jana is the founder of Reel Inspiration - a grassroots organization created to encourage and promote diverse films that inspire, give hope, or raise human consciousness.  She coordinated Reel Inspiration’s Film Contests, the Reel Vision Filmmakers' Conference and Directing Workshops.  She also promotes meaningful films through movie reviews atwww.reelinspiration.blogspot.com.

Recently returned Tucson native David Ellis Dickerson is an author, storyteller, and former greeting card writer who is a regular contributor to public radio's "This American Life," where he usually tells stories about his fundamentalist Christian upbringing. As the host of the YouTube channel "Greeting Card Emergency," he has also become the unofficial greeting card laureate of public radio, with interviews on Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Talk of the Nation, Studio 360 and other shows. His greeting card memoir, "House of Cards," was published by Riverhead in 2009. A volunteer docent at the U of A Poetry Center, David currently writes, teaches, and looks under sofa cushions for spare change.

Lisannette Adelaida Dawson-Ruiz hails from the Bronx, New York.  In 2007, bored with the constant strain of not be being able to afford a living, she randomly moved to Tempe, AZ in search of adventure and self.  She met her future wife and followed her to Tucson when she got laid off during the recession.   Almost 8 years later, she's a Tucson convert in love with sites and sounds of the city and its vibrant culture, she's built a lovely nest on the southside with Robyn, and their kitties, Aladdin and Jasmine.  When Lisannette's not super busy with her epic social life, she enjoys volunteering for local non-profits such as the Body Love Conference, and salsa dancing, especially with the university's Rueda de Casino Club.

Curator:  

Carolyn Langford Hussein Fort detests writing bios and instead chose a few nouns and adjectives (and one adverb) that give the basic idea. She remains a Luddite, Southerner, uncomfortable daughter, lover of most creatures great and small, occasionally successful friend, descendant of a short line of intellectual snobs, astonished partner/fiancé, olive enthusiast, introverted exhibitionist, amusedly aging, and unabashed devotee of Meat Loaf.

 

Venue: The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street, Tucson.

            Parking information found here, and a map identifying downtown parking areas here.

           

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We’ve chosen themes for 2015 to make it easier for future 

storytellers to see where your favorite personal story will fit in.

 

Next Up 

 

September 3, 2015: “Escape”

The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress, Tucson.

Do You have a story? Contact us!

 

 

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Storytelling is a way to make connections with diverse and different people that you may not meet in your every day life. Because these stories are from our lives they may be amazing, messy, enlightening, disturbing, and entertaining . . . and more.

 

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