On this week’s episode, Sean talks with Dyan deNapoli, who is better known as The Penguin Lady. Dyan is a penguin expert, TED speaker, and award-winning author. Her first book, The Great Penguin Rescue, chronicles her experiences helping to manage the rescue of 40,000 penguins from an oil spill in South Africa. Her first book for children, All About Penguins, was released this past December. Dyan took care of the penguins at Boston’s New England Aquarium for 9 years, and has been writing and lecturing about these charismatic seabirds for 25 years. She has given four TEDx talks, but this is her first foray into short-form storytelling - and her first time sharing such a deeply personal story.
EPISODE TIMELINE
4:00- Why less (exposition) is usually better
5:45- Dyan's 7-minute story
13:00- How a memory can spark a story
14:00- How one story can fit multiple themes
15:00- The challenge of how and where to start (and stop)
17:00- How Dyan structures/connects her scenes
19:30- One thing Dyan might change
20:30- The beauty of coming full circle
22:00- Why scary truths matter
23:00- Dyan's fear around her clients
24:00- Teacher Kurt's unexpected response
25:00- Why Dyan stepped out of her story
26:00- Dyan's pro tip
29:30- Two favorite tellers
31:00- Moms
34:30- Story as a powerful/accessible vehicle for connection
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