'Road Trip'

JOHNSON CITY (March 8, 2018) – “Road Trip” is the theme for March in East Tennessee State University’s “Re-Generation: A Johnson City Story Slam” series.

This free public Story Slam will be held Friday, March 16, at 8 p.m. at JRH Brewing, located at 458 W. Walnut St.  Donations at the door are welcome.

The “Re-Generation” series of unvarnished storytelling concerts opens the door to audience members instead of paid professional tellers. 

Storytellers in the audience may share true tales based on their interpretations of the “Road Trip” theme.  Stories should be 10 minutes or less in length and should be told and not read from a manuscript.    

Patrons who wish to tell a story may drop their names into a hat, and names will be drawn at random to compete.  Three novice judges selected from the audience will pick the winners, and the first-place winner will receive a cash prize from donations collected at the door.  Individuals whose names are not drawn to compete will have an opportunity to share their stories during an “open mic” session following the competition.

The March Story Slam will feature David Joe Miller as the master of ceremonies.  Miller has been a professional storyteller since 1989, when he began his career with the National Storytelling Association in Jonesborough.  He has told stories in performance settings all over the country in such venues as Disney, World Bank, the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, as well as for former Vice President Al Gore.

In 1994, Miller created the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild, which is now the oldest performing storytellers’ guild in the country.  He has served on the National Storytelling Network board of directors and is executive producer of Spoken Word OPEN MIC shows and WORD Storytelling shows both in his native Jonesborough and Asheville, North Carolina, where he now resides.

“Re-Generation: A Johnson City Story Slam” is sponsored by the ETSU Department of Communication and Performance and its Storytelling Program.  The date of the final story slam of the 2017-18 academic year is April 20.

This event is not suitable for children.