Jeff’s a real heavyweight and it was an honor to have him on. He’s “a storyteller, standup, and the guy behind “‘And I Am Not Lying,‘ a variety show that combines stand-up, storytelling, burlesque, sideshow and music on the second Friday of every month at UCB East.”
He’s won a bunch of Moth StorySLAMS, And you may recognize him from stories on This American Life, The Moth, and some things he’s written for The Paris Review Daily.
He also teaches a storytelling class that’s a “six-week workshop for experienced comics and storytellers, to teach the structure and technique of comedic storytelling.” If you’re interested go to his site and contact him here.
Oh and at the end of the show I play one of the stories he told on the moth. With thanks and attribution to The Moth. That’s from their show on the week of August 5th, 2015.
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SN1:EP1 “Living out Loud”
The inaugural episode of this podcast. (Originally “What’s Your Yarn Worth? w/ Andy Farnsworth.”) An honest, unvarnished conversation with James Greco: painter, inner monologue coach, and person I respect and love a whole lot.
There’s literally zero production on this first episode. Just a straight, conversational document. Pretty much every instinct I had at the time told me not to put this out there, but my friend Tasha listened to it and told me not to trust my instincts. It’s advice that served as a guide for all the episodes that have followed. Anti-instincts.I’d say this episode is intense but what’s intense you know? I probably wouldn’t listen to it in front of kids, but maybe you’re running some kind of experiment. Here you go.
You can check out James Greco’s work here
[Correction: Just FYI I got a little carried away in this one when I was talking about the baby-smuggling grade school teacher. I actually didn’t have her as a teacher. It was my sister that had her. Also, the teacher in high school I was talking about was actually “Mrs. Mishler” not Mueller. Don’t know why I said those things.]
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SN5:EP9 “But You White”
First, a fiercely compassionate and steely listener letter from Kisha Baskin–Andy’s Junior High School friend who, maybe on accident, changed the direction of his life by telling him he was funny. And meant it. Next, (you’ll notice this episode is still rated “explicit.”) You’d think a clergy member would shy away from Andy’s earthy lexicon and subject matter. Not so with the Reverend James Dollins. This conversation will surprise the Hell out of you. (No pun.) Dollins is a socially-progressive; insightful; startingly “non-shamey”; compassionate, and super quick-witted Methodist minister in Anaheim, CA. A city which is 55% Hispanic or Latino, 24% White Alone, 15% Asian Alone, and only 3% African American or Black. (The remaining 3% being a diverse mix of Native, Two or More Race, and a bunch of folks that identify as “Other”.) Full disclosure: I consider myself extremely lucky to call this man my cousin. @wanderingaisles. Consider supporting the show on Patreon! (or just tell a friend).
