STORYTELLING | This week, the whole WIBA announcement thing got me dicombobulated and off-track, so I completely forgot to post about the storytelling show I participated in at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre (CSAC) on August 4th.

If you rememember, this was my second storytelling show at CSAC, and the lovely Matt who organized it put me last again (not the closer) which was very flattering and also quite possibly just because I have a demonstrated tendency to go long.

I am a yapper, it’s obvious, but I can control it. I aim long on purpose for these things because I love longer stories! I swear I can stick to ten minutes whenever necessary, though. Just, you know, for the record.

ANYWAY, dare I say it went well? Maybe even amazingly well? I thought all the storytellers were so good and I felt honoured to be in their company. Recently, I’ve gotten to know Ramneet Kalra here in Fredericton (a photographer and poet and fellow Desi or somewhat-Desi if you’re me) and he was one of the storytellers and was great. He’s got a poetry chapbook out. It’s called Stranded Immigrant and you should get a copy!

I also got to meet and hear Gill Salmon, a local comic and playwright, and she was so funny.

Danielle Hogan, the artist behind the show Brief Infinity which is on right now at UNB (and which I will see and post about soon!) told a tale that my dumb brain didn’t understand at ALL until the very end, but that was her intention, I think. So she got me good.

Jacqui Carr, once just a vintage-and-home interiors connection on IG and the person behind The Periwinkle House, who is now an IRL connection told a tale and dang, what an interesting life she has led.

Like the doofus I am, forgot all my stuff in my car, but fellow poet Ambrose Albert was in the audience near me and spontaneously lent me the best little fan I have ever experienced in my existence. Saved my schwety arse, and was life-altering. I have already ordered the exact same one for myself!

Gosh, it was just great all around. It really was. And a bunch of money was raised for CSAC and Hospice Fredericton too. Like. Whut?. How cool is that?

It feels like it’s taken four years, which is forever, but I am finally inching towards better things, not just here in Fredericton, but in general. I am coming out of the hole I’ve been in. Slowly. But it’s happening.

Lastly but not leastly, I send out my sincere thanks to Lori Quick, the Exhibitions and Communications Coordinator at the UNB Art Centre who is the person who invited me to speak at this event in the first place. This weird little town has been coming through for me of late, in this, my rebuilding year. A joy, truly.

Oh, and if you’d like to hear my story, guess what? You’re in luck because it’s free on the Tube of You! It’s a 23.5 minute listen, a Potato Diaries Thick Cut, as it were (just a lil naming something I’m trying out, stop judgin’ me) and there IS a bit that has some video that you’re going to want to see, so when that bit arrives, I do advise you to take a moment to look with your eyeballs instead of just listening with your earholes. You’ll see why and you can thank me later.

Love you all, baiiiiiii!