Join us for our August show in DC for five true, personal stories inspired by insight. From a firefighter's first fire fought to a failed mission to Saturn's moon, hear the stories that have shaped how our storytellers see the world—and themselves.
Doors open at 7:30 pm. Hosted by Shane M Hanlon and Maryam Zaringhalam.
Stories by:
Nick Baskerville has had the honor of serving in the United States Air Force for a total of 14 years. He has 18 years of fire service time, with 15 years of that being in a career department in Northern Virginia. Nick is a stated certified instructor for the fire service where he teaches classes ranging from basic fire fighter skills to Cancer awareness for Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN). He is also a member of the public speaking organization Toastmasters. He tells personal narrative stories that have been featured on shows for The Moth, Better Said Than Done, Storyfest Short Slam, and Perfect Liars Club. Nick has started a blog, Story Telling On Purpose, as a way to connect the storytelling community with the rest of the DC, MD, VA area.
Kate Furby completed an interdisciplinary PhD in marine biology, with a focus in science communication from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography last year. Her dissertation investigated coral regrowth and the limits of coral survival. As a scientist, she was lucky enough to study remote, wild places most people will never see. She started producing videos and written pieces about her research because she wanted to share these experiences. She is now a full time a science writer and producer, owner of Tiny Beaker Media, communicating research and natural history with everyone from professors to YouTubers. Her favorite things to talk about are podcasts and her dog. The best part about being a science journalist is that she gets a new science obsession every week. This week it’s salamanders.
Anicca Harriot is currently working on her PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her research focuses on mechanotransduction – the science of how mechanical stresses and physical forces, like gravity, affect cell signaling and function. Anicca plans to use her degree to explore the effects of long duration space missions on the human body and hopes to someday venture out into the final frontier for herself. Anicca is also the Social Media Coordinator & LGBTQ+ Engagement Specialist for #VanguardSTEM: Conversations for Women of Color in STEM, a non-profit dedicated to lifting the voices of women and non-binary people of color in STEM. In her free time Anicca volunteers with #Popscope, “popping up” with a telescope around Baltimore to promote public astronomy and encourage curiosity.
Bret Sparks is a NOAA legislative fellow working on environmental and marine policy. Born and raised in southeast Louisiana, he spent much of his childhood hunting and fishing in the swamps and bayous. Bret grew up a conservationist, and he learned that when it comes to our natural resources, we should always seek to give back more than we receive. As his fellowship comes to an end, he is looking for new opportunities to protect the resources he holds dearly. Bret received his B.S. in Plant Science from Louisiana State University and his M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Kentucky. He then returned to LSU for his J.D. with a focus in Environmental Law before moving to D.C. Bret has a wife, Rachael, who is a R.N. at Sibley Memorial Hospital, and a miniature border collie, Gracie, who helped him find his amazing wife.
Erik Vance is an award-winning science journalist based in Baltimore. Before becoming a writer he was, at turns, a biologist, a rock climbing guide, an environmental consultant, and an environmental educator. He graduated in 2006 from UC Santa Cruz science writing program and became a freelancer as soon as possible. His work focuses on the human element of science — the people who do it, those who benefit from it, and those who do not. He has written for The New York Times, Nature, Scientific American, Harper’s, National Geographic, and a number of other local and national outlets. His first book, Suggestible You, is about how the mind and body continually twist and shape our realities. While researching the book he was poked, prodded, burned, electrocuted, hypnotized and even cursed by a witchdoctor, all in the name of science.