Writer, Educator, and Storyteller
Next month, I’m producing our first No, YOU Tell It! student matinee on March 13 at Symphony Space.
This special show is for the junior class at Global Learning Collaborative and features all NYTI alum storytellers.
I’ve been working with the students on their college essays and can’t wait for them to experience the power of personal storytelling on stage. Follow No, YOU Tell It! on Bluesky for more news and behind-the-scenes looks at the show!
A definite 2024 highlight was designing and co-leading the “Art Heart: Storytelling and Portrait Trading” workshop for our No, YOU Tell It! “Left My Heart” show.
For the first time, our four NYTI storytellers participated in this Queens community event about a month before the show. All the participants generated and shared personal stories inspired by the life and music of Astoria legend Tony Bennett from the Greater Astoria Historical Society archives.
Watch these highlights and contact kjfitzsimmons@gmail.com if you want a unique team-building event for your school, company, or organization in 2025.
I’d love to design one for you!
What an unforgettable No, YOU Tell It! “Hell Gate” show!! Thank you to everyone for such an amazing evening of Hell Gate Bridge history, storytelling, art, poetry, and music.
Visit the show program here. Photo credit: Yui Kitamura
Podcast episodes featuring the live story swaps coming in October!
Follow @noyoutellit and subscribe to the No, YOU Tell It! podcast on your preferred platform.
Special thank you to:
~Our storytellers, Alicia, Jackie, Mia, and Ashley, for sharing such beautiful stories and giving incredible performances.
~Everyone who came out to see the show!
~Grove 34 for the space to have such a special evening.
~Ashley, for creating your Hell Gate-inspired art and music to inspire us all.
~Greater Astoria Historical Society for teaching us so much about the history of Hell Gate and our neighborhoods.
~Bob Singleton for his poetry and insights into the history of Astoria.
~Natalia ‘Saw Lady’ Paruz for her special, beautiful *birthday* performance.
~Brooklyn Book Festival for including us as a Bookend Event once again.
~Flushing Town Hall, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, New York Foundation for the Arts, and New York State Council on the Arts for making this possible.
~Our amazing creative team, Erika, Kelly Jean, Chenda, and Tim, for everything to make this possible.
Stay tuned for more photos and clips from the show and to hear what we’re up to next season.
In the meantime, check out the full list of #bkbf Bookend Events and the main festival this weekend!
No, YOU Tell It! “Left My Heart” photos and show video are coming soon. Follow @noyoutellit for more.
Credit: AJV Media Video, Photography & Graphic Design
We had a fantastic evening of story swaps, Astoria history, and music at our “Left My Heart” show! Full program here.
To quote storyteller Catherine Kapphahn, “We laughed and cried and sighed.”
Click here to learn more about all that went into the amazing night at Grove 34!
I’m excited to announce that No, YOU Tell It! is a 2024 Queens Arts Fund recipient!
This project-based grant will enable us to bring NYTI “Left My Heart” in partnership with the Greater Astoria Historical Society to Grove 34 in Astoria on June 5 and a second show in September.
Thank you to the New York Foundation for the Arts and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs for helping to support this work!
Click here for the full 2024 Queens Arts Fund award announcement.
Be sure to follow #QAF2024 for details on when and where you can experience the arts in Queens this calendar year!
On Saturday, I was proud to co-lead this unique storytelling and portrait-trading workshop for our upcoming No, YOU Tell It! “Left My Heart” show. Read more here.
Looking for a creative writing or team-building event for your school or organization? Contact me at kjfitzsimmons@gmail.com.
Want to explore writing personal essays? Interested in learning more about Queens’ history? Do both!
Join our own Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons on April 17th (6:30-8 pm) at The Astoria Bookshop for a FREE workshop inspired by our May 2023 No, YOU Tell It! “Here & Gone” show. Space is limited. Click here to reserve your spot today.
Engage with this stunning piece by Astoria-based artist Yelena Tylkina depicting history highlights – Westinghouse Time Capsule, North Beach, Astoria Pool Sentinels, and The First Photocopy – from the Greater Astoria Historical Society archives, and tell your story!
Get the Queens “Here & Gone” image and view more of Yelena’s artwork via Fine Art America.
Copies of the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology will be available at the workshop.
Last night’s Sip & Scribe at Sunnyside Arts sold out (!!!) and I am honored to be in such excellent company at the Astoria Bookshop. Visit the bookshop or grab your copy here.
Blessed to be part of the Queens Community and wish everyone headed to #AWP24 the best! Save our next Sip & Scribe date: Friday, March 1st at 7 pm.
Looking for some summer reading? Check out our 10-year anthology for story swaps from over the years and behind-the-scenes insights from the people involved.
Available to order online or in person at The Astoria Bookshop and WORD Brooklyn.
