Story Slamming In The Windy City

By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 1, 2010 7:30PM

We were happy to see that story slamming got some good press last week. The RedEye published a feature about the growing popularity of public storytelling events here in Chicago. Most of the time, these events put strangers on stage in front of strangers, where they then share their very personal and intimate stories. Writer Kyra Kyles also explored the idea that all this live telling and listening of people’s stories is helping us take a step back to authentic in-person communication, even as we become increasingly connected to our phone apps and tweets. One person she interviewed was Nicolette Kittinger, a regular contributor and two-time finalist in the Windy City Story Slam all-city championship.

"Something magical happens when there's a really great story and everyone is listening," Kittinger said. "It's crazy. With all this technology and no lack in other sources of entertainment, there are a lot of people still willing to pay $5 to tell and hear stories."

By all means read the article, but to really get the feel for what story slams are all about, check one out. This Saturday, you can attend Windy City Story Slam’s War and Peace show. John Schultz, author of No One Was Killed and The Chicago Conspiracy Trail will be leading the show. Windy City Story Slam is also welcoming the Warrior Writers Project, whose mission is to “create a culture that articulates veterans' experiences” through organizing writing and artistic workshops, performances and exhibits. This story slam sounds like it will be a meaningful and thought-provoking way to celebrate the 4th.

Windy City Story Slam: War and Peace, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., July 3, 7:30 p.m., $5 at door, 21+