As we bid adieu to 2023, it’s time to reminisce about the narratives that left an indelible mark on our hearts and minds.
Read MoreThe Story Collider Welcomes New Education & Research Director
The Story Collider is thrilled to welcome Dr. Leslie Berntsen as its inaugural Director of Education and Research.
Read MoreThe Story Collider's Third Annual Proton Prom
The Story Collider celebrated its third annual Proton Prom last week on May 2nd at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York. The annual fundraiser was a great success and because of your support, we have raised over $17,000. This funding will help to support all of our Story Collider programming. We are so grateful for everyone’s support and to everyone who attended in-person as well as those who tuned in online. You all made it a night to remember.
Below is a selection of photos from the night’s festivities.
And if missed the show but you’d like to still watch it, the full show is available to our Patreon subscribers. Subscribe to our Patreon here.
Photos by: Zhen Qin
This year on the Story Collider podcast -- new hosts and episode formats!
As they say… “A New Year, A New You!” So obviously, a few changes are coming to the Story Collider podcast in 2023!
We took your podcast survey feedback to heart and are implementing some of your suggestions. As podcast host Misha Gajewski shared in our most recent episode, in addition to our well-loved two-story episodes, we will be adding episodes that delve deeper into the science behind our stories and storytelling craft.
And while Misha will still be the main host of our podcast, we’re also adding a few new hosts to our roster!
So without further ado, here are some of the new voices you can expect to hear in the coming months. Drum roll please!
Gastor Almonte
Story Collider board member and bestselling comedian Gastor Almonte will be hosting occasional episodes that feature our more humorous stories, from both comedians and scientists.
Katherine J. Wu
Story Collider senior producer and award-winning journalist Katherine J. Wu will be hosting episodes with interview segments that delve deeper into the science behind the featured story.
Eric Jankowski
Our board president, engineering professor, researcher, and experienced storyteller Eric Jankowski (who can be heard on next week’s episode!)
Erin Barker
Previous full-time host (and Story Collider executive director) Erin Barker, who will continue to host occasional “classic” Story Collider episodes that feature stories from our back catalog.
You can learn more about the podcast and our new hosts on our new podcast page here.
THE HOSTS
Best of The Story Collider 2022!
Now that we’ve reached the end of this year, The Story Collider team is reflecting on some of the stories that resonated most with them this year.
Read MoreThe Story Collider EN ESPAÑOL
Last month, The Story Collider held its very first in-person show that was entirely in the Spanish language. This very special show, produced and hosted by Story Collider’s Lily Be and Juan Carlos Martinez Jr., was held at the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and featured stories from Mark Pagán, Eduardo Placer, Ro Moran, and Ana Maria Porras. Ana Maria was, in fact, the original inspiration for our Spanish-language programming, as she sponsored our very first Spanish-language show, which was held online in December 2020, with support from the IF/THEN Initiative. We’re so grateful to Ana Maria, Lily and Juan Carlos, the Pocantico Center, and all of our storytellers for making this show possible! Two of the stories from the show are airing today in a special episode of the podcast, hosted by Lily Be, but you can watch the full show, featuring all four stories, below.
The Story Collider's Second Annual Proton Prom
The Story Collider celebrated its second annual Proton Prom last week on June 1st at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York. The annual fundraiser was a great success and because of your support, we have raised over $40,000. This funding will help to support all of our Story Collider programming. We are so grateful for everyone’s support and to everyone who attended in-person as well as those who tuned in online. You all made it a night to remember.
Below is a selection of photos from the night’s festivities.
Photos by Zhen Qin.
The Story Collider welcomes two new staff members!
This spring, The Story Collider is adding two new positions to our staff! Two of our Senior Producers, Lily Be and Misha Gajewski, will be taking on the roles of Education Director and Managing Producer, respectively, as Program Director Nisse Greenberg leaves the staff this June. Previously, Nisse has supervised both our Education Program and our Shows, but under this new structure, Lily will lead our Education Program and Misha will lead our team in show production.
An acclaimed Chicago storyteller and veteran storytelling coach, Lily Be, who joined The Story Collider’s producer team in 2019, is the first Latinx winner of a Moth GrandSLAM storytelling championship, as well as the creator and producer of Stoop Style Stories (formerly The Stoop) in Chicago. She has taught storytelling at Second City and at colleges and universities around the world.
Misha Gajewski, who joined The Story Collider’s producer team in 2017, is a Toronto-based journalist whose work has appeared on Vice, Forbes, BlogTO, CTV News, and BBC, among others. She holds a master’s degree in science journalism from City University London and has written scripts for the award-winning YouTube channel SciShow. She is also the co-founder of the world’s first 24-hour true storytelling festival. In addition to leading our team in show production, Misha also contributes to The Story Collider podcast as an assistant producer and part-time host.
The Story Collider recognized by the Anthem Awards!
I’m thrilled to share that The Story Collider is being recognized by The Anthem Awards this year for our work fostering diversity and inclusion in STEM through storytelling!
The Anthem Awards are a new initiative of the Webby Awards that celebrates purpose and mission-driven work from people, companies, and organizations around the world. We are proud to be among this group of inaugural winners, which were selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and include the 1619 Project, the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Moth, CNN, and many more.
The Story Collider has won a Bronze award for Best Strategy in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, for our strategy of leveraging personal storytelling about science to shift perception of who can be a scientist or have a voice within science. (Read more about the philosophy behind our work in this 2020 paper published in Frontiers in Communication.) We have also won a Silver award for Best Collaboration in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for our work with The Scientist Spotlights Initiative and Boise State University’s Micron School of Material Science and Engineering.
The Scientists Spotlights Initiative is a community of students and educators that promotes diversity and inclusion in science through stories and other curriculum supplements. In a 2016 study published in Life Sciences Education, several scientists behind this initiative found that students who listened to Story Collider stories (and read other biographical stories about scientists) came away with a less stereotyped view of scientists and expressed more interest in science than students who were not assigned this work — and they even got a better grade in the class! It speaks to the incredible power that stories have to show us what’s possible and challenge our ideas of whom science belongs to. Ever since this study, we’ve been proud science education partners to The Scientist Spotlights Initiative, which is funded by the SEPA Program at the National Institutes of Health.
We have also been proud to collaborate with Boise State University’s Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering since 2017. This collaboration centers around the power of telling a story, and found that many students identified more as materials scientists after they wrote their stories. The impact was even more pronounced for those students who had been historically marginalized in this field — before writing their stories, 58% of women students identified as materials scientists, and afterward, 86% did. Dr. Eric Jankowski, Boise State Associate Professor of Engineering and the President of The Story Collider’s Board, shares more in the video below.
I’m so grateful to The Anthem Awards for this recognition, to our very deserving collaborators for their tireless work, to all of our storytellers for their transformative work, and to the whole Story Collider team, who continues to place DEI at the forefront of all that we do.
Thank you!
Erin Barker, Executive Director
Celebrating Black History Month with The Story Collider
This year, The Story Collider is celebrating Black History Month by remembering that Black history is happening every day in science. Please enjoy our playlist of stories about Black science, life, and joy!
Best of The Story Collider 2021!
This year, The Story Collider aired more than a hundred stories on its podcast, and many more at its live shows online and across the United States. As we reach the end of the year, our team is reflecting on the stories that moved us most — here are a few highlights below!
”Absolutely, Positively” by Ken Haller from Stories of COVID-19: Masks
“Finding someone with the historical context, necessary medical context, and storytelling acumen to convey his story about the parallels of the AIDS crisis and COVID-19 is incredibly rare. Ken didn't just do a good job on what would be a great story for anyone; he made it sing.”
—Zack Stovall, Producer - New York
“Roadkill Girl” by Edith Gonzalez from Human Nature: Confidence
“To me, this is the perfect science story. Edith tells it so beautifully and so vividly. She’s doing science through the entire story, but the focus is so clearly on her experience. It’s so funny but not a joke. I was so invested and immersed in this story.”
—Lindsay Cooper, Operations Manager
”My Heroes” by Jenice Matias from the Two Sides mini-series
“Working with Jenice on her two-sides story was one of the most profound experiences in my storytelling coach career. It was heartbreaking but inspiring to watch Jenice process her experiences in real time and use it for her art. I'm so honored I got the chance to meet Jenice and help her bring her powerful stories to the Story Collider podcast.”
—Misha Gajewski, Program Manager
“The Dentist,” by Fabrizzio Subia, from Apprentices
“Integrating a political message into a personal story is difficult, but Fabrizzio does such an incredible job of painting the world where he developed his political ideology that it becomes impossible for you not to sympathize. I also love the way Fabrizzio consistently uses the Spanish words for the dentistry terms he learned because it undermines the English-centric view of ‘jargon.’ I love personal stories because they pull the curtain back on a life I haven't led, and Fabrizzio generously shares this experience that I hope everybody can hear and understand.”
—Nisse Greenberg, Program Director
See also: “La Dentista” — the Spanish language version of Fabrizzio’s story — from this Spanish language live show in September.
“A story about latinidad and science!”
—Lily Be, Senior Producer - Chicago
“Singing on 2 North” by Jude Treder-Wolff, from Inspiring
“I was so moved by Jude Treder-Wolff’s story of the power and joy of science and art woven together — I think because it sums up the essence of Story Collider! Also, it includes this incredible song, which I defy you not to get stuck in your head.”
—Erin Barker, Executive Director
Welcoming our first Science Advisory Fellow, and our new intern!
This week, The Story Collider welcomed Dr. Edith Gonzalez to our team as our inaugural Science Advisory Fellow!
The Story Collider’s new two-year Science Advisory Fellowship, a rare example of a science fellowship at an arts organization, is intended to complement a Fellow’s existing academic work and/or science research appointment. The Fellow will enrich The Story Collider’s capacity to maintain and expand its network of scientist and university partners, assist with the development of science communication research directions and collaborations, and help inform the continual improvement of our science communication educational initiatives.
Last spring, The Story Collider’s board conducted a two-month search before selecting Dr. Edith Gonzalez as our first Fellow in June. Edith is an archaeologist studying the global flow of ecological knowledge within the context of transatlantic slavery. Beginning this fall, she will be an Assistant Professor of Archaeology and Critical Museum Studies at the University at Buffalo SUNY. She is an Eccles Centre Fellow with the British Library and her current research is funded by the Society of Antiquaries.
Edith is also an accomplished storyteller. She’s told stories at many shows across New York City and has appeared on The Story Collider’s podcast several times. Check out her first Story Collider story here!
This week, The Story Collider also welcomes intern Jamie Banks. Jamie is a PhD student in Classics at the CUNY Graduate Center and a former middle and high school teacher of "twice-exceptional" students. Their work at Story Collider will be focused on creating a resource for educators to use our stories in the classroom, as well as enriching our new Spanish-language programming. Jamie shared a story at The Story Collider’s online Pride in STEM show last May.
The Story Collider Returns to the Stage!
The Story Collider is excited to return to the stage this month after an 18-month hiatus, with our first post-COVID show at Caveat in New York City on Aug. 24!
In March 2020, we pressed pause on in-person shows when it became clear that it was no longer safe to hold in-person gatherings. Since then, we’ve been producing online shows straight from our homes, and the homes of our storytellers, to yours. Now, we’re delighted to return to our venues and begin hosting in-person events again.
Our return to the stage will be a gradual process, and we’ll be proceeding with caution, starting slow with outdoor and hybrid shows, reduced capacities, and venues like Caveat that have invested in COVID precautions such as improved HVAC systems.
We’ll also be working with our indoor venues to ensure all attendees are fully vaccinated, or have presented a recent negative test. Whenever possible, we intend to make these hybrid shows, with livestream tickets available to those who prefer to attend virtually. In the event that the local case rate surges, we will move the show fully online.
Story Collider will also continue to offer many of its COVID-era online products, though less often. We will hold three more of our online Science Story Slams, hosted by Gastor Almonte, in 2021, as well as three introductory workshops and three advanced courses. Our Home Stage cities where it is currently not safe to reopen will also continue producing online shows for their communities as well. International cities in particular -- such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Cambridge, UK -- will be slower to relaunch.
In order to support our venues, we will unfortunately need to raise ticket prices in many locations. However, we will continue to offer coupon codes periodically to newsletter subscribers (subscribe here!), and additional discounts to our Patreon supporters (sign up here!), who also have permanent access to all of our online shows. Our podcast will remain free to all listeners.
We have appreciated feedback from our audience as we put together this plan, and still welcome your feedback here!
Welcoming new members of our team!
The Story Collider is delighted to welcome several new team members this summer! As announced in April, Story Collider cofounder and longtime artistic director Erin Barker will assume the role of Executive Director starting today. In addition to this, our Managing Director, Marketing Manager, and Science Advisory Fellow will also be stepping into their newly created roles over the summer.
Managing Director Ann Marie Lonsdale comes to Story Collider from a deep background in nonprofit management and fundraising. She began her career as a performer, stage manager, and producer in theater and dance in Chicago and New York before her passion turned to supporting artists and arts organizations. Since then, she has worked as an administrator at Creative Capital, Center for Performance Research, and Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, among others. Ann Marie has also worked in the performing arts community as an educator, facilitator, grant panelist, and speaker, and is the founder of Partake Arts, a consulting practice focused on individual artists and artist-led projects. As Managing Director, Ann Marie will report to Executive Director, and will oversee The Story Collider’s finance, operations, and fundraising administration.
As Ann Marie begins her work at Story Collider this week, Deputy Director Nisse Greenberg’s title will become Program Director in order to better distinguish between their two roles.
Nakeysha Roberts Washington, who has been a Story Collider producer since 2019, joined the staff as our part-time marketing manager last month. In this role, Nakeysha manages Story Collider’s social media accounts as well as other marketing and outreach efforts. In her other work, Nakeysha is an educator, as well as the founder and creative director of Genre: Urban Arts, an inclusive, multimedia platform for artists.
Finally, our board has selected our inaugural Science Advisory Fellow! The Story Collider’s board created the two-year Story Collider Science Advisory Fellowship to bring a dedicated science seat back to the executive team of the organization for the first time since Barker’s co-founders, physicists Ben Lillie and Brian Wecht, stepped away from day-to-day management in 2015. Archaeologist Edith Gonzalez will assume this role in September. Edith is an Eccles Centre Fellow with the British Library and her current research is funded by the Society of Antiquaries. (A more detailed announcement on the fellowship will follow.)
The Story Collider also wishes to thank Interim Executive Director Leslie Griesbach Schultz for her guidance and mentorship over the past eight months. Her support has been invaluable, and we wish her well on her next adventure!
Announcing Our New Executive Director & Pathbreaking Science Communication Fellowship
The Story Collider, the acclaimed science storytelling organization, announces today that its Board of Directors has appointed longtime Artistic Director Erin Barker as Executive Director, effective July 1, 2021. Barker’s portfolio will continue to include artistic leadership of the organization, and the team will expand to include its first Managing Director. In addition, the Board has created the new position of Story Collider Science Advisory Fellow to bring a dedicated science seat back to the executive team of the organization for the first time since Barker’s Story Collider co-founders, physicists Ben Lillie and Brian Wecht, stepped away from day-to-day management in 2015.
Erin Barker, currently Story Collider’s Artistic Director, has been appointed as its new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2021.
The Board developed this new structure following the August departure of renowned science communicator Liz Neeley, who co-led the organization with Barker from 2015 until August 2020. During Neeley’s tenure, The Story Collider experienced an exponential growth of its partnerships, geographic footprint, and global impact, and secured significant multi-year grants to support its work from funders such as The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Since November 2020, The Story Collider has been led by Barker and Interim Executive Director Leslie Griesbach Schultz.
The Story Collider is a rare example of an organization that successfully bridges science, the performing arts, and media, and reaches a broad general audience worldwide. As the only enterprise of its kind in the ever-more-relevant field of science communication, The Story Collider finds, develops, and shares true personal stories about science, with the goal of revealing that it’s a vibrant part of our lives. Since The Story Collider’s founding in 2010, more than 1,800 scientists, journalists, comedians, actors, and others have used its stages and platforms to share stories, including Aparna Nancherla, Wyatt Cenac, Alan Guth, Sean Carroll, Esther Perel, Amy Harmon, Sara Seager, Carl Hart, Jon Ronson, and Frances Colón. As of March 2020, The Story Collider had a regular presence in 14 cities on three continents, in addition to its renowned weekly podcast series and science communication trainings offered throughout the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Story Collider has continued to offer live shows online and launched its first public storytelling workshops.
In addition to enhancing public connections to science and scientists, The Story Collider is dedicated to amplifying the voices of peoples who have historically been underrepresented or shut out of science and its institutions. In the past year, 68% of The Story Collider’s storytellers have been women or gender-nonconforming people, and more than 50% have been Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. The Story Collider offers a program specifically for emerging science writers of color, supported by the National Association of Science Writers.
Erin Barker has served as The Story Collider’s artistic director since 2016, overseeing curation of the organization’s popular podcast and live events. Under her leadership, The Story Collider’s programming has grown dramatically, with the number of live events held each year tripling from 2016 to 2019, as the organization expanded to support regular shows in communities that range from Chicago to Vancouver to Wellington, New Zealand. As a storyteller, Barker was the first woman to win The Moth’s GrandSLAM storytelling competition twice, and her work has appeared on public radio numerous times, as well as in The Moth’s New York Times-bestselling anthology The Moth: 50 True Stories. Trained as a journalist, Erin served as Copy Chief at United Business Media prior to making The Story Collider her full-time focus in 2013.
“I’m honored by the board’s decision to appoint me as the new Executive Director of an organization I love so dearly, and with a mission that is so close to my heart,” said Erin Barker. “When my cofounder Ben Lillie and I wrote its mission statement a decade ago, we felt strongly that true, personal stories had the power to transform our perceptions of science and who it belongs to. Since then, it’s been a privilege to witness the many ways in which this has borne out, through our shows, our podcast, our workshops, and research. I’m so excited to continue to explore these possibilities with our new Science Advisory Fellow and the rest of our team.”
The Story Collider’s new two-year Science Advisory Fellowship, a rare example of a science fellowship at an arts organization, is intended to complement a Fellow’s existing academic work and/or science research appointment. The Fellow will enrich The Story Collider’s capacity to maintain and expand its network of scientist and university partners, assist with the development of science communications research directions and collaborations, and help inform the continual improvement of The Story Collider’s science communication educational initiatives. The Fellow will also help the Story Collider team facilitate additional inquiry into science topics featured in podcast stories. A nationwide search for this Fellowship has been launched as of today. More information can be found at storycollider.org/jobs
“The Story Collider is delighted to welcome Erin Barker in her new capacity as Executive Director. Erin is a visionary leader with deep passion for both the organization and our core values,” said Louie Rivers III, Board Chair of The Story Collider. “After extensive consideration at the Board level of the various leadership models we might adopt for our multifaceted arts and science organization, it became clear that Erin’s many gifts as a leader and a curator present the optimal combination for our future. We are also excited to establish the unique Science Advisory Fellowship, which will renew and strengthen our commitment to science and science communication at The Story Collider. We thank Liz Neeley for her remarkable work to take The Story Collider to a new level during her tenure, and Leslie Griesbach Schultz for her guidance and counsel as Interim Executive Director.”
Press Contact: Blake Zidell at Blake Zidell & Associates: blake@blakezidell.com or 917-572-2493.
Announcing our new interim executive director!
The Story Collider is delighted to welcome Leslie Griesbach Schultz as our new Interim Executive Director!
Louie Rivers III, Story Collider’s Board Chair, said, “Leslie Griesbach Schultz brings deep experience in nonprofit leadership to her role at Story Collider, and we’re thrilled to be working with her during this pivotal time for our organization as we navigate both this transition and the impacts of COVID-19.”
Our new interim executive director, Leslie Griesbach Schultz
Leslie has been working with non-profit organizations and their senior management teams for more than 30 years, including 13 of those years as the president of BRIC, a leading New York City cultural organization. While at BRIC, Leslie led a successful effort to develop and fund BRIC Arts | Media House, a major new arts and media venue in the Brooklyn Cultural District; to raise the profile and heighten the impact of BRIC’s work; and to meaningfully support and amplify the voices of Brooklyn artists and media-makers. Under Leslie’s leadership, BRIC’s media programs in particular grew exponentially.
Since her departure from BRIC, Leslie has served as interim CEO of Inspirica: From Homeless to Home, a Stamford, CT, organization dedicated to ending the cycle of homelessness; and interim executive director of the Design Trust for Public Space, an incubator of projects designed to unlock the potential of NYC’s shared spaces.
Leslie will work closely with Erin Barker, Story Collider's Artistic Director, to lead Story Collider during this transition period, which is expected to last 6-8 months. The Board of Directors will launch a search for the new Executive Director in the new year.
Endings and Beginnings
Today, we’re announcing that Executive Director Liz Neeley will depart The Story Collider August 31, 2020. We’re so grateful to Liz for everything she has brought to Story Collider, and wish her the very best in her future endeavors. Please find statements from our Board of Directors, and from Liz, below.
From our Board of Directors
The past five years have been a period of extraordinary growth and evolution for The Story Collider, and it is impossible to imagine that success without the guidance and other contributions of Liz Neeley as Executive Director. We could sing her praises for finding ways to expand the reach of the organization into multiple cities during a time that has been immensely challenging for so much of the arts community, and for managing so tirelessly the administrative headaches that go with it.
But what we value most about Liz — and what we will miss most with her departure — is the passion she feels for the mission of The Story Collider, for its celebration of science in everyone’s lives through the art of storytelling. No one has been a more eloquent advocate for that mission. We know firsthand how much her ability to spark that passion in others has done, not just for our organization but for individuals who have suddenly seen their relation to science and its connections to the rest of the human experience in a new light.
We are grateful to Liz for the half decade she has spent being a boon to The Story Collider. We are sorry to see her go, but we know she will continue to be a boon to the science community in whatever she brings her considerable talents to next.
From Liz
Dear friends,
One of the first things I learned from The Story Collider is that when you come to the end of your story, stop. We encourage our tellers to trust the audience, and to fight the impulse to say more. If we’ve told our story well, we don’t need to explain what it all meant, or wrap it up with a grand flourish: the narrative stands on its own. And so, I hope, does my leadership of The Story Collider.
I have resigned as Executive Director and will end my time here on August 31. The past five years have been a profound pleasure and have presented me with tremendous challenges. I will never stop believing in the power of combining art and science, theory and practice. I will continue exploring this terrain for the rest of my life.
I believe this moment in history calls for each of us to search our hearts, and to throw ourselves into work we believe in wholeheartedly. I certainly plan to do so.
Against all the odds, The Story Collider is stronger and more secure than it has ever been. Our team is too large for me to personally recount what each one of them means to me here. May it suffice to say that I count our board, staff, producers, and storytellers among my closest colleagues, friends, and confidants. I will cheer for their future successes, and I am certain there will be many.
It has meant the world to me to be a part of this story.
Thank you.
Black stories -- and Black lives -- matter
The police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and countless others have sparked widespread protests against racism and police brutality. Tonight, most of our Story Collider Home Stage cities are under curfew. We mourn these losses, we are angry, and we are afraid of what might happen next.
Our specific mission is to tell stories about science. This week, we will be highlighting stories from our archives about Black people’s experiences with police violence and institutional racism - but also stories of Black science, joy, and life - here and on our social media pages. Over the past ten years, it has been our honor to bear witness to, and share, these stories, and we are so grateful to the storytellers who have trusted us with them.
Black stories matter. Black lives matter.
—The Story Collider team
Our Response to Coronavirus
This past week, The Story Collider has canceled or postponed many of our shows in March, April, and May, including our 10-year anniversary celebration in Brooklyn on May 12.
We think it’s important to share our reasoning and plans. We began carefully monitoring the coronavirus outbreak weeks ago, and as the scope and stakes of the crisis began to emerge, we struggled with the question of whether to cancel our programming. As an arts organization centered around live events, these next few months will be difficult for us, and they will be even more difficult for some of the venues, event staff, and performers in our networks who rely on live events for income. We are worried for our friends and colleagues and want to support them.
However, we are also an organization that is grounded in science, and what we know at this point is that this virus is highly transmissible and dangerous. It is deadlier than the flu, and it is a particular threat to many vulnerable members of our communities: the immunocompromised, the aged, and people who are incarcerated or in group living facilities. That would be bad enough, but there are spillover effects too. The respiratory failure caused by this coronavirus requires extended hospitalization: people need to be on ventilators and in intensive care for a long time. That means there are no spare beds, supplies are used up, and staff are exhausted/exposed themselves. This touches off a cascade of disasters, and it means that all health services start to buckle. We’re thinking about the impact on disabled people, emergency rooms, labor & delivery wards, organ transplant recipients, and more.
As a society, the best thing we can do to help our health care system and supply chains weather the storm is to spread the total case-load out over time. This is called "flattening the curve" and you might have seen headlines or comics about it. Event cancellations and school closures are forms of "social distancing measures" -- they are designed to slow the transmission of disease. This is where Story Collider can help -- and so can you. We are minimizing our contribution to this pandemic by cancelling our travel and postponing our shows in addition to the things we already do, like working from home and washing our hands, for crying out loud.
As this situation progresses, we will continue to monitor it and, in communication with our partners and venues, make decisions about our remaining scheduled shows. In the meantime, our podcast will continue normal operations, as we’re fortunate to have a sizeable backlog of stories to share. We’re also looking into how we can continue some of our other programming online, and hope to have more to share with you soon. Please feel free to reach out with your thoughts, questions, and suggestions.
We are grateful to have the resources we do. We will be working hard to try to ensure Story Collider emerges from this period intact, and that we support as many of our colleagues as we can, for as long as we can. As always, we appreciate the love and support we receive from our listeners and friends. If you’re able to give during this time, please consider supporting us at patreon.com/thestorycollider
Thank you for your understanding and kindness as this situation develops.
Erin and Liz
Best of Story Collider 2019
As we come to the end of 2019, the Story Collider team is reflecting on the stories that have run on our podcast this year. This year, we produced 77 live shows, with more than 370 different stories. Out of those, 108 stories have made their way onto the podcast, in 54 episodes. Below, we’ve highlighted the stories that made us laugh, made us cry, and changed our lives in 2019!
The three stories that made us laugh the most in 2019
Devon Kodzis: “Freaky Little Frog Ears”
Devon shares her story with a full house at our debut show in Dallas this year.
In this story from our Nov. 1 episode, “Crush,” zoology student Devon Kodzis's strategy of attracting boys with fun animal facts proves difficult.
“I love this story because it’s just so relatable. Devon’s battle between being her true self and finding a partner isn’t just funny but poignant. Even while she’s regaling him with frog facts at the end, I’m present to just how wonderful it is to find someone who loves you just as you are.”
—Paula Croxson, New York senior producer
“This story genuinely made me laugh so hard and cry too. I felt like I was right there with her watching it all unfold. Its so honest and hilarious and moving.”
—Lindsay Cooper, operations manager
“This story made me both laugh and cry, but left me feeling nothing but joy!! I very much related to Devon’s animal facts. Sometimes it’s actually worked for me as a pick-up!”
—Kayla Glynn, Vancouver producer
Jenn Montooth: “House Baby?”
In this story from our Sept. 13 episode, “Secrets,” Jenn Montooth is accepted to graduate school just as she discovers she's pregnant.
“There's something incredibly powerful about being able to laugh and find joy in a story that is so often treated as an experience to be ashamed of. Jenn's ability to tell the story of her abortion in a way that had me laughing out loud so perfectly captured that power.”
—Maryam Zaringhalam, DC senior producer
“I still sometimes see a baby and think: ‘House baby!’”
—Nisse Greenberg, deputy director
“After listening to this story, I want to be Jenn's friend.”
—Skylar Bayer, roving producer
Chris Wade: “It Takes a Village”
In this story from our Aug. 30 episode, “Labor Day,” Chris Wade and his wife are determined to have a baby -- even if it means following some unconventional advice.
“Chris made me laugh, and also completely fall in love with his family during his story.”
—Skylar Bayer, roving producer
“Chris’s wife is the hero we need in this story.”
—Erin Barker, artistic director
Honorable mentions
The three stories that made us cry the most in 2019
Bhuvanesh Singh: “It’s Okay”
Bhuvanesh Singh shares his story at our show in partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering.
In this story from our Aug. 23 episode, “Surgery,” surgeon Bhuvanesh Singh sees his patient back in the hospital months after what he thought was a successful surgery.
“As soon as he saw her again, re-admitted, I knew what was going to happen, and I just cried from then through the end of the story.”
—Liz Neeley, executive director
“The genuine care and emotion that Bhuvanesh feels for his patient, Alice, is inspiring to me.”
—Erin Barker, artistic director
Sarah Kaplan: “The Most Interesting Stories in the Universe”
In this story from ourSept. 27 episode, “On the Scene,” journalist Sarah Kaplan , who normally covers the science beat, takes on an assignment unlike any she's had before when tragedy strikes in Las Vegas,
“Sarah pours every piece of herself into her story. She embodies everything a journalist should be: skeptical, yet compassionate; perceptive, yet open-minded. Sarah's story reminds us that stories—and their tellings—are relationships, and they don't end.”
—Katherine J. Wu, Boston senior producer
“I cry every single time Sarah gets to the part of her story where the scientist explains: ‘The neutrino isn't the lucky one. We are.’ She so beautifully captures the power of bearing witness to the stories and experiences of others.”
—Maryam Zaringhalam, DC senior producer
Audrey Kearns: “Fighting a Dragon”
In this story from the second installment of our Mental Health series, Audrey Kearns' big opportunity to appear as a panelist at a "nerd-convention" turns disastrous when she has an unexpected reaction to a new antidepressant.
“Hearing the pain in Audrey's voice as she finds out what happened when she had a bad reaction to anti-depressants makes me cry every time. That shame breaks my heart.”
—Misha Gajewski, Toronto senior producer
“Audrey's story taps into a fear I think most of us have -- of not having any control over our own body. I also think one of the things that touched me most in this story is Audrey's ability to show her husband's love of her through Audrey's own eyes. Absolutely beautiful and also I required a lot of tissues during this story.”
—Skylar Bayer, roving producer
“Audrey’s bravery in telling this story takes my breath away.”
—Paula Croxson, New York senior producer
Honorable mentions
The three stories that changed our lives in 2019
C. Brandon Ogbunu: “Friends and Enemies”
Brandon Ogbunu shares his story at our show at the 2019 Evolution Meeting.
In this story from our Dec. 6 episode, “Justice,” geneticist C. Brandon Ogbunu contemplates the role race has played in his academic career after he is confronted by the police.
“This story didn't make me cry the most (that one goes to Bhuvanesh), but made me weird-cry...that's the feeling of "OMG THIS STORY IS SO DEEP, WELL-TOLD, BEAUTIFUL, UGLY, COMPLICATED, SATISFACTORY THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO BUT TO CRY".
—Reyhaneh Maktoufi, Chicago producer
“Brandon's story is one that will stick with me for years—probably decades—to come. It's a powerful lesson on the ways identities intersect, and how inclusiveness in science still has such a long way to go.”
—Katherine J. Wu, Boston senior producer
Latasha Wright: “Strong as a Horse”
In this story from our Feb. 22 episode, “Inspiration,” Latasha Wright gets a fateful call just before she leaves for her dream opportunity to teach marine science on the Red Sea.
“There is one specific moment in Latasha's story that comes to my mind all the time — when she says she didn't want comfort after her dad died, she wanted it to go back to normal. That always hits me.”
—Nisse Greenberg, deputy director
“It was such a gift Latasha gave to share this part of her life.”
—Lindsay Cooper, operations manager
Tricia Hersey: “A Tool for Liberation”
In this story from our April 5 episode, “Peace,” Tricia Hersey, who’s overwhelmed by setbacks as she pursues her academic ambitions, discovers an unexpected solution to her stress.
“Not only was it a delight to produce this story and witness her journey, but I feel moved by her mission and message: rest as resistance.”
—Kellie Vinal, Atlanta producer
“I'm someone who feels like I should be in constant motion, always hustling. Listening to Tricia's story made me feel like I actually had permission to slow down, listen to my body, and, yes, take a nap when I need it!”
—Maryam Zaringhalam, DC senior producer
Honorable mentions
Other favorites
Meltem Alemdar: “The Most American of Stories”
In this story, from our March 29 episode, “New Places,” social scientist Meltem Alemdar leaves her home in Turkey to pursue her education in the US and struggles to find her identity.
“Not only was it great to work with Meltem on this story, I think it captures so much of the immigrant experience in the US — the challenge of walking the line between holding on to cultural identity and wanting to assimilate into your new home…It's made me much more sensitive about what she's experienced, what my husband and parents have experienced, and so many other immigrants that I encounter day to day.”
—Meisa Salaita, Atlanta producer
Skylar Bayer: “My Friend Andy”
In this story from our April 12 episode, “Limelight,” marine biologist Skylar Bayer finds an unexpected collaborator and friend in the fisherman helping her get scallops.
“This is one of my favorite Story Collider stories of all time — the way it speaks to the cultural divide between scientists and some of the folks they end up working with, and the fact that that divide can be bridged by the power of friendship. Plus, The Colbert Report makes an appearance!”
—Erin Barker, artistic director
Emily Yarrison: “No Ward for Sad Ladies”
In this story, from the May 17 installment of our Mental Health series, Emily Yarrison survives her suicide attempt and has to ask herself a whole new set of questions.
“I loved our entire Mental Health series, but Emily’s story stands out to me because she somehow manages to be incredibly funny and charming in a story about surviving suicide. Thank you, Emily!”
—Erin Barker, artistic director