Writer, Educator, and Storyteller
A first page is the first impression. The first chance to make people sit up and take notice of your work.
“Marley was dead, to begin with.” A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens.
Join us today at The Astoria Bookshop at 5 pm to kick-off a new year by exploring how to write powerful openings. Through a mixture of discussion and writing exercises, we’ll take a look at various story starter techniques and use them to revise an existing piece of work.
$10 suggested contribution. BYO Pen & Paper!
As 2019 comes to a close, I am honored to have helped hundreds of students find and shape their personal stories this year.
Kelly Jean coaxed out the best in my son’s writing. Through a very focused series of activities and clear questions, she taught him to tell his story in a vivid and engaging way. Although we hired Kelly Jean to help with one particular essay, the tools she gave my son will serve him forever.
Kelly Jean was a pleasure to work with, she is a great teacher. Kelly Jean taught me to be a better storyteller by showing me how to put the reader in the moment using sensory details. I was working on an application essay, so she taught me how to not say what the admissions office had heard a million times, and get them to imagine the situation from my point of view. Kelly Jean showed me how to do these things by having me read passages from other students finished essays, which I found very helpful. I learned how to show what I wanted to convey in a more interesting and immersive way. I also learned to edit my essays in a better way, cutting away unnecessary sentences rather than important details. All in all, I learned a lot from Kelly Jean.
In the spirit of Giving Tuesday and considering the question of “Why?” … Why donate to No, YOU Tell It! Why do I, personally, put so much work in? The answer resides in these words of trepidation that I often hear from participants about the value of their personal story:
“Why had I agreed to do this? Who was I to even attempt a prose form? A performance piece? Why did I think I deserved to have any kind of attention?” – poet Pichchenda Bao, NYTI “aMuse”
The NYTI creative team gives each show our all because we believe:
YOUR SLICE OF LIFE IS AS VALUABLE AS ANYONE ELSE’S IN THE WORLD!
Everything we do is worth witnessing storytellers speak each other’s words aloud to empower their voices on the page and stage. In 2019, we:
All to give life and attention to the value of each other’s stories.
As of today, we need 23 people to donate $25 to REACH our 2019 goal of $5000 raised! Can you be one of them?
Click here to make your tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor The Field.
NEW! Kids’ Writing Lab for ages 10+ at Sunnyside Plays on 12/16. Preregistration required by 6 pm on 12/13.
Have students with college apps due in December who’ve yet to start their essays?
A few people contacted me in a panic this week. YES, breathe, I am available for video calls and/or written feedback via email. Reach out!
All the work that goes into No, YOU Tell It! is worth the impact made on our storytellers and audience.
Honored by this touching testimonial from “aMuse” storyteller Pichchenda Bao.
Join us on 11/14 at 7 pm for a special Sip-N-Scribe at Sunnyside Plays.
Sip-N-Scribe is a fun evening of creative writing prompts, idea swapping, and drink-sipping. The goal is to experiment with something new on the page in an informal, relaxed way, all while enjoying an evening out with your friends and making new ones.
One drink minimum (beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages available)
$5 suggested donation
Click here to RSVP via Facebook.
Push away from your keyboard, get ready to put pen to paper, and come mingle with other writers in person. No one is here to write the next Great American novel. But hey, if that happens, please include us in the special thanks!
Great audiences for No, YOU Tell It! 2019 at Dixon Place, The Astoria Bookshop, plus a student story swap at Legal Outreach.
Give a listen to live story swaps from our “Crafty” “Snapped!” and “aMuse” shows on the No, YOU Tell It! podcast.
Adored working with the amazing students in Legal Outreach’s College Bound program. Swapping stories No, YOU Tell It! style this past Saturday gave participants and audience members a new perspective on what they want to shine forth with their college application essays.
Click here for more details on the event made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts.
Poets and stand-ups have developed their nonfiction stories inspired by the theme “aMuse” on the page. Join us TONIGHT as they trade true tales on stage!