Join us for our science story slam! Our community of storytellers offers a warm, supportive environment in which storytellers of all backgrounds and levels of experience can experiment (pun not intended!) with personal narrative.
If you’re interested in telling a story, you’ll have the opportunity to put your name in the virtual hat at the start of the show. Five lucky storytellers will get the opportunity to share their stories on screen. (For more guidance on telling a story at one of our slams, see our advice at the bottom of this page.) If you would prefer just to be a part of the audience, that’s fine too! The theme this month will be "Wildlife.”
Our two coaches -- representing expertise in both story performance and science communication -- will offer each storyteller advice and encouragement to help them bring out the best in their stories.
Tickets are $10 and are on sale now at the link below! Our slams are limited to only sixty spots, in order to preserve a sense of community, so reserve your spot while you can!
OUR HOST
Devon Kodzis has a degree in biological sciences and professional experience in teaching, animal training, and education outreach, and science program design. She is currently working on masters degree in biology. Her passions include reading about food, and shouting at the Antiques Roadshow with her cat.
Devon began her storytelling experience at Dallas Comedy House in the fall of 2016. Since her first showcase, she has produced and performed in storytelling shows with Gettin It Storytelling, and has performed in shows including Truth in Comedy, Backyard Story Night, Ladies Night, and has participated in the 2017 and 2018 Dallas Comedy Festivals.
OUR COACHES
Josh Silberg has researched everything from humpback whales to whale sharks to rockfish—he just couldn’t decide on one creature to study. After earning a Master’s of Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University, he joined the British Columbia-based Hakai Institute as the Science Communications Coordinator. Now, he gets to share all sorts of coastal science stories through blogs, videos, graphics, and the occasional poem. In his free time, he can be found photographing wildlife, hiking, or searching for creatures in tide pools. You can follow him on twitter @joshsilberg.
Katherine Wu is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she reports on science. Previously, she was a science reporter at The New York Times. Her work has also appeared in National Geographic, Popular Science, Undark, and Scientific American. She was previously a AAAS Mass Media Fellow and an Early Career Fellow at the Open Notebook, and the 2020 winner of the Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for Young Science Journalists. She holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunobiology from Harvard University. In her spare time, she serves as a heat-generating pillow for her cats and continues her quest to find the authentic tacos east of the Mississippi. Find her on Twitter, at katherinewu@storycollider.org, or on her website.
GUIDANCE FOR STORYTELLERS
Stories should be five to six minutes long. (You’ll see a warning flash on screen when you have one minute left.)
Stories should have a beginning, middle, and end, and should involve some kind of personal change, whether it’s big or small.
Your story must be a first-person narrative -- in other words, it must be about you!
Because this is Story Collider, your story should be connected to, or inspired by, science in some way.
TECH GUIDANCE
Try to have a pair of headphones handy, in case we experience feedback.
If you can, test out your camera and microphone ahead of time, here: https://www.crowdcast.io/setup
If possible, try to make sure you’re in a low-traffic area with minimal ambient noise.
If you’d like to be really thorough, you can find our full setup guide for storytellers here!