James Navé here. Unlike other Twice 5 Miles Radio broadcasts, which feature conversations with guests on subjects that focus on art and culture. Occasionally, I like to go solo, like in this episode titled: Tesla Coil Stories and Other High Voltage Tales.
All last week, I thought about sitting down at my desk and recording a solo hour of my reflections on storytelling. Lately, I've come to understand that this radio show is as much a storytelling exploration as it is a radio show. When you have an hour to work with, you have ample opportunities to build out a compelling story arc.
I named this episode Tesla Coil Stories and Other High Voltage Tales. As I started recording the show talking from thought the thought bead with the idea of telling a story about my father playing the fiddle, the theme of electricity emerged.
This episode, Tesla Coil Stories and Other High Voltage Tales, ontains three personal stories. The first story is about how I built a Tesla Coil for a science fair project when I was in high school. Unfortunately, my Tesla Coil almost didn't make it to the science fair because of a disaster. The second much shorter story is about being in New York and seeing the room where Nikolai Tesla died a couple of floors below the New Yorker sign that glows red at night. The third story is about my father, who worked at the power company and loved to fiddle. Unfortunately, the fiddle my father played came from a minor theft he perpetrated. He didn't think he stole his fiddle; he thought he was saving it.
In this episode, I also reflect on how you put a story together. What makes a story? You'll discover I hold the opinion that everyone has multiple stories to tell. Some people decide to tell their stories, and other people remain quiet. No shade in either direction, you can tell your stories, or you can stay silent. Enjoy this radio podcast. Catch you on the turnaround somewhere down the line.
