Our inaugural episode shares a story from In a Nutshell Storytelling’s first live show at the stellar Sofia Theatre in January, when the prompt was “Breaking the Ice.” Master storyteller JP Frary told us a tale about turning 21 on an Alaskan fishing boat full of seasoned fishermen. JP felt like the odd man out and homesick until he shared his letters from home with the crew members (Sharing letters with the whole crew was mandatory, the ship’s captain informed a wary JP at one point) and began to see how he was more connected to them—and the rest of humanity—than he had initially thought. It’s an immensely satisfying tale with JP deftly weaving the stories of his family back at home with his own out at sea.
The Nutshell Crew spent a sunny afternoon talking extensively with JP about his thoughts on the craft of oral storytelling. JP, never one to shy away from sharing his opinion, provided us—and anyone interested in turning real-life experiences into shareable stories—with many practical tips on how to intentionally approach storytelling, from the benefits of counting syllables to maintaining a neutral appearance so the audience can imagine their own versions of the story’s characters.
We hope you enjoy our first episode. We want to hear from you! Tell us what you thought of JP’s story in the comments.
A semi-curated list of items, subjects, and places mentioned in JP’s interview:
Dutch Harbor, Alaska
Odysseus
Brogue
Abdul Kenyatta
Wallace Stevens: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
The Moth (StorySlams)
Haiku
Beyond Borders
George Nakashima
William Faulkner: As I Lay Dying
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Prompt: is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling
Hostest: Amy Bee
Mostest: Keith Lowell Jensen
Producer: Aaron Carnes
Thank you to:
DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show.
Hyperpixel for audio and video services.
Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around.
Babalou for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible.
