Short story: Ancient craft a hot new trend

Keep it tight. Five minutes; tops. No notes. No props. No music. Just words.

Judge Patrick Carmody of West Chester delivers his blood and guts tale at a story slam at Side Bar and Restaurant. Themed storytelling competitions are gaining popularity.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

by Mari A. Schaefer, Inquirer Staff Writer

Published Oct. 19, 2015, 3:01 a.m. ET

Keep it tight. Five minutes; tops. No notes. No props. No music. Just words.

Make it poignant, or funny, or outrageous; preferably all three. Above all, make it true.

Those are the rules for "story slams," a burgeoning phenomenon in the region - and in other areas of the country - that mines one of humanity's most ancient traditions: storytelling.

Locally, it was six years ago that West Chester resident Jim Breslin tweeted out a question: Did anyone know of those open-mike storytelling competitions known as story slams? By listening to podcasts by a New York-based group called the Moth, whose popular public-radio show consists of short narratives, Breslin had become hooked on the story form.

"No," came one Twitter reply. "You should start one, and I'll come."

Breslin became the founder of the West Chester Story Slam, and since has expanded the monthly events to include venues in Delaware, Lancaster, and Lehigh Counties.

"It really has branched out," said Breslin, 50, of West Chester, who spent 17 years at QVC as a television producer.

First Person Arts in Philadelphia has been doing slams since 2007. Others have popped up in Baltimore; Chicago; and Boulder, Colo.

The stories told at Breslin's events - more than 550 total so far - have ranged from hilarious to heartbreaking, he said.

Contestants have to stay to the theme of a given event; for example, "Awkward Pause," "On the Road," "Delco stories," "First Love," and "Family Feud."

"Some nights I leave exhausted; I've been laughing and crying," he said.

At last week's event in West Chester, where the night's theme was "Blood and Guts," host Mikey Gleason welcomed a sold-out crowd of about 60 at Side Bar and Restaurant on Gay Street.

Three judges, picked randomly from the audience, rated the contestants on a scale of 1 to 10 for content and presentation. At stake was a spot in November's Grand Slam - and a limited-edition beer stein.

"I have a friend who says I should write a book, How Not to Parent," said Patrick Carmody as he started his tale about the time during a trip to the Shore that he inadvertently let his children and their impressionable 8-year-old friend hear an audio version of a book. It wasn't exactly Goodnight Moon; rather, it was Stephen King's horror novel Pet Sematary.

Carmody, a Chester County Court judge, is a semi-regular at the West Chester Slam both as an observer and a participant. His stories revolve around his family.

"My kids crack me up, and I want to preserve those memories," he said. "A parent's job is to embarrass their children."

Cindy Heffron, 61, a nurse from Ardmore, launched into a story from her days in labor and delivery.

"The blood will come later but the guts in this story refers to an internal organ you may not think about too often and that organ is the uterus," said Heffron.

"This is my fifth time," said Heffron, who tied for first place for the night. The audiences "like the sad stories, but they like it better when you make them laugh."

The contestants, even those who are not particularly inspiring, finish to cheers, high-fives, and rounds of applause from the audience.

"I feel like I relate to a lot of the stories," said Matt Cassidy, 23, of West Chester, who has been attending the slams since 2012 to both listen and participate. "It is always good to come out for a good laugh."

"I was hooked, immediately," said Carla Wilson, 47, of Lancaster County. Wilson met Breslin at a professional business event and after hearing about the story slam, decided to attend. She and Breslin now cosponsor the Lancaster County Story Slam, which drew 250 people to the downtown venue Tellus360 on its inaugural night in January.

In Delaware County, slams are held one Tuesday night a month at Maggie O'Neill's Irish Pub in Drexel Hill.

"I don't know what it is about the slams that are so magical," said Megan Hicks, a professional storyteller from Rose Valley, Delaware County. Hicks got into the business as a librarian and then at school assemblies. She turned pro about 13 years ago and is currently in China for a month working as an English-speaking storyteller at international and bilingual schools.

Hicks said although professional events are staged in more formal settings such as theaters, slams can be held in restaurants, bars or living rooms, places where attendees actually can talk to each other.

"The more informal slam scene helps scratch that itch," she said.

Social media such as Twitter and Instagram have helped fuel the popularity of slam, said Becca Jennings, marketing and communications manager at First Person Arts.

"I think these trends in technology indicate people are interested in connecting with each other and interested in sharing lives," Jennings said.

Breslin posts the short video of each slam's winners on the events' websites and YouTube channels. On Oct. 29, he will cohost the first StartUp Story Slam at Benjamin's Desk, at 1701 Walnut St., which is aimed at area business entrepreneurs.

Breslin said he is careful to play down the competitive aspects.

Said Breslin: "It's about sharing stories."

mschaefer@phillynews.com

610-313-8111

@MariSchaefer