Once a month, at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, ten regular folks get a chance to tell a five-minute, true story on a theme determined in advance: Sweat. Fight or flight. First impressions. Books. This happens in cities all over the United States and around the world.

 

I've tossed my name in the hat (well, canvas tote bag) a bunch of times. Sometimes I get lucky. A few times, I've won and gone on to take the stage with nine exceptional storytellers in an annual Moth GrandSlam. I was a winner (tied for first place with Ryan Roe) of the December 2022 GrandSlam at Union Transfer in Philadelphia; the theme was "tipping points." 

 

You can't reproduce the electric, kinetic buzz of a live slam: the ting of forks and glasses, the held-breath pause and the pop of laughter, the back-and-forth ballet between teller and listeners. But you can try. Grab a snack, pour yourself a cuppa something, sit back and enjoy. Each one's just five minutes.