massmouth

the living art of storytelling in Massachusetts

"Where I'm From" Story Slam

Event Details

"Where I'm From" Story Slam

Time: March 21, 2011 from 6:30pm to 7pm
Location: kennedysmidtown.com
Street: 42 Province Street
City/Town: Boston MA 5 minutes from Park Street T
Event Type: storyslam, contest, improv, games
Organized By: Big Mouths
Latest Activity: Mar 21, 2011

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Event Description

6th and final open slam in Boston Then we have semi finals and the Big Mouth Off, April 26th, 2011

If you have a life, you have a story. Bring it.
Admission $7 and $3 for students...

Brian O'Donovan

WGBH host of Celtic Sojourn will be our special guest


The theme reminded me of this poem from George Ella Lyons. Our final prompt is wide open for every kind of story....

Where I'm From

I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening,
it tasted like beets.)
I am from the forsythia bush
the Dutch elm
whose long-gone limbs I remember
as if they were my own.

I'm from fudge and eyeglasses,
          from Imogene and Alafair.
I'm from the know-it-alls
          and the pass-it-ons,
from Perk up! and Pipe down!
I'm from He restoreth my soul
          with a cottonball lamb
          and ten verses I can say myself.

I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch,
fried corn and strong coffee.
From the finger my grandfather lost
          to the auger,
the eye my father shut to keep his sight.

Under my bed was a dress box
spilling old pictures,
a sift of lost faces
to drift beneath my dreams.
I am from those moments--
snapped before I budded --
leaf-fall from the family tree.

 speaker

Listen to George Ella read the poem.


Where I'm From

“Where I'm From” grew out of my response to a poem from Stories I Ain't Told Nobody Yet (Orchard Books, 1989; Theater Communications Group, 1991) by my friend, Tennessee writer Jo Carson. All of the People Pieces, as Jo calls them, are based on things folks actually said, and number 22 begins, “I want to know when you get to be from a place. ” Jo's speaker, one of those people “that doesn't have roots like trees, ” tells us “I am from Interstate 40” and “I am from the work my father did. ”

Besides being a poem in its own right, “Where I'm From” can be a map for a lot of other writing journeys. " - George Ella Lyons


massmouth and Kennedy’s offer a $50 gift certificate and a t-shirt for the winner of each monthly slam. On April 26, 2011 all the finalists will gather for a BIGMOUTHOFF story slam at Rabb Hall at Copley Square Library. massmouth will award the winners of this contest a fabulous prizes.


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Events

BMO 2012 Winners

 Regi Carpenter, 1st prize, Jannelle Codianni, 2nd and Mary Hannon, 3rd Prize

StoriesLive® Winners - 2012

StoriesLive® 2012:

First place, and $1,000  prize

Junior Fernando Ortiz from Revere High School 

Senior Amario Malcolm from Boston Latin Academy

Runners-up ($500 each)11th

Alan Estes from Newburyport, 

AngelinaFerullo from Everett and 

Runners-up ($500 each)12th Caylen Bryant (Andover) 

Shavar Lazarus (Boston Latin Academy).

Audience Choice awards:

11th Justin Alexander 

(South Community High) 

12th Varvarra Valentin

(Lynn Classical High School)

massmouth choice awards:

Juniors 

Jennifer MonJoie(Revere) 

Bahiya Nasuuna (Chelsea) 

Karen Hua (Andover) 

Senior 

Jason Hittinger (Revere)

___________

Last Year 2011: StoriesLive® first ever high school story slam. 1st place awarded a $2,000 scholarship Brianda Agramonte, Lynn Classical High School, senior

2 runners up received $1,000 scholarship each: junior Conor Miller Newburyport High School and Mathews DeSouza, Everett High School,  Our "massmouth choice" was Sandy Fonseca, Boston Latin Academy, senior [below] She was awarded $500

Lexi Hernando Lynn Classical High School, senior was chosen by the attendees and awarded the Audience Choice prize of $500.

Congratulations all!

Drum Magazine

The Drum Magazine
Each of The Drum's ten annual issues brings you new literature you can weave into your daily life. Listen online or download the audio to listen to on your mp3 player and/or to share with up to five friends.

 

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StoriesLive® Greater Boston student story slam & scholarship competition for 11th and 12th grade high school students ||| massmouth.org: promoting the timeless art of storytelling in 21st century life. MA •

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