Creating a moment together: a recap of ALL STARS

One of my most cherished beliefs is that telling stories is the signature cultural artifact of our species. I’ve spent my entire professional life creating stories in collaboration with others. Did I do this because I followed my heart? Did my heart follow where I went as I moved from title to title? Did they get so close that I no longer know the difference?

The opportunity to attend my first Ex Fabula ALL STARS event was well-timed to the night before my graduation from UWM’s Masters of Sustainable Peacebuilding. We had just spent months of self-reflection and discernment in creating our final deliverables for the degree (thinking so much about yourself is EXHAUSTING). I craved hearing someone else’s interior voice just as much as I was fixated on sleep. 

I had a vague idea of what to expect; I’d heard the Ex Fabula radio show, Real Stories MKE, on 89.7 (goes well with dinner unless you’re having something crunchy). What surprised me was the sheer pleasure and joy of being in that space – it was a balm for the brain and the soul.

When I think back to the vibe when I stepped into the space, the first word that comes to mind is “warmth.” The Cooperage is a large room with Cream City brickwork most of the way around, and dark wood for much of the rest, plus an expanse of factory windows and a broad vista of church-basement wooden folding chairs. Despite the room’s size, it didn’t feel cavernous or overwhelming. We were surrounded by elements from the earth and the sky, and I felt nestled in these elements. I could feel the past, given new life by the people gathering there to share the oldest thing that humans have created. The night air was warm, feeling like the first night of summer, feeling like False Spring was over and that Real Spring was finally – finally! – here. 

I was there early – early enough to grab a slice of Transfer pizza left over from the volunteers’ dinner party (wow, delicious, no wonder they were all so happy). As the room filled, the beat of the music was joined by the hum of voices and the steady movement of signing as the audience arrived and got settled. (By which I mean, they found seats and drinks and ran into at least a dozen people as is the Milwaukee way.) The shaking of ice from the bar added a tinkly top note and rhythm as the bartenders created the drink special of the night as well as custom mocktails (my ginger-beer-pineapple-juice was both gorgeous and delicious, thank you bartenders!). 

I was just as chilled out as the adorable service dog who passed by (and who now lives rent free in my head), when the MCs took the stage to open the event by reminding us that we were being given an honor by hearing the stories of the night’s storytellers and encouraging us to be supportive audience members – because giving attention is as important as telling. This was so moving to me; I believe that listening is sacred, and hearing that given words and a place of honor was powerful and affirming. “This is our space together,” they said, quoting lines of an untitled poem by Beth Strano, and boom! There we were, all of us collaborating in the creation of this moment. This moment will never happen again, this miracle of space and time, entering into the magic circle, the circle around the fire, the full silence that only a room of people focused on a teller can create, the gift of escaping the limits of our own experience. 

I have such gratitude for the people who shared their stories with all of us:

• Melani Kaplan, repping the Deaf Stories Project – hilarious, a natural comedian, a passionate advocate for Deaf culture, the best outfit of the night (I’m a costume designer, I had to say it);
• El Sebas, repping AfterDark: For the Culture – his reflection on the night’s theme “If I’m Being Honest” brought me to tears as he dug into the different uses of that phrase;
• Rowan Blair – who offered an epic story of triumphant queer love with a killer twist that had me gay-gasping and cheering;
• Rose Burrell – giving the Horse Girl that still lives inside me the best possible life; when she described petting a horse’s ear I could feel it in my fingers.

At the end of the night, we were asked to vote for our favorite story between Rose’s and Rowan’s, which seemed like such a bummer. I didn’t know what to do! Both stories were tiny gems of the teller’s spirit, holding experience and point of view in exquisite balance. I claimed the queer right to not have to choose and voted for both. I was not alone, because the result was a tie for Audience Favorite! What a perfect ending to the story!

Writing this has had me awash in remembering the night – while many of the specifics have faded, my sense of wonder and fun and joy and tenderness remains clear. Thank you Ex Fabula – thank you for gathering us!

And thanks to the funders who make our work possible: 

AfterDark funders, including CAMPAC, Herzfeld Foundation, and the Charles E. Kubly Foundation. 

Deaf Stories Project funders, including: Bader Philanthropies, Inc., the Wispact Foundation, and the Maihaugen Foundation. 

Season sponsors: Red Oak Writing, Transfer Pizzeria and Café, CopyWrite Magazine, Radio Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public Radio 90.7 FM, WUWM 89.7 FM, Ex Fabula Members!

See more event photos in this Facebook album and on Instagram.