No, YOU Tell It!

The second half of our “Prom Queens” show marks an important No, YOU Tell It! first. Story coach, social media savant, and forthcoming Prom Queens: Celebrating Prom Poems and Stories by Queens Writers anthology editor, Tim Lindner, took on a new role as storyteller, trading tales with the fabulous Ricki Richards. Give a listen as story coach Pichchenda Bao gets to know our storytellers before they perform each other’s true prom tale. Ricki Richards and Tim Lindner. Photo credit Sachyn Mital. Stories were directed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons and performed live on September 17, 2025, at Grove 34 in Astoria. Full show program here. *** THIS IS AN OFFICIAL 2025 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL BOOKEND EVENT. This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts. This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall

Everyone has a story about going (or not going) to prom.  For this special Bookend Event for the 20th Anniversary of the Brooklyn Book Festival, four contributors to the forthcoming Prom Queens: Celebrating Prom Poems & Stories by Queens Writers anthology from Poets of Queens stepped into each other’s prom stories. Before we hear the first pair, give a listen as story director Erika Iverson gets to know the storytellers a bit better. Jane Frances and Vegas K Jarrow. Photo credit: Sachyn Mital Stories were performed live on September 17, 2025, at Grove 34 in Astoria. Full show program here. *** THIS IS AN OFFICIAL 2025 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL BOOKEND EVENT. This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts. This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall                            

This special show was inspired by the Queens Name Explorer, an interactive digital map developed by Queens Memory that illuminates the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace public spaces across the borough. Story partners Francisco Delgado and Ari Figueroa. Photo credit: Sachyn Mital. Give a listen as our second set of storytellers step into the map to explore “My Place” in Queens. Special thanks to the Greater Astoria Historical Society for their assistance in creating the generative “My Place in Queens” workshop, where these stories first began. Stories Take a Walk With Me, by Ari Figueroa, performed by Francisco Delgado, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons Ashes and Stars, by Francisco Delgado, performed by Ari Figueroa, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons Bios Francisco Delgado is a CHamoru writer of fiction, poetry, and literary scholarship on contemporary Native American and Indigenous literatures. His novella, On Remembering My Friends, My First Job, and My Second-Favorite Weezer CD, won the 2024 Clay Reynold’s Novella Prize and is published with Texas Review Press. Other recent work is featured in Mānoa and Poets of Queens, vol. 2. He teaches at BMCC (CUNY) and lives in Forest Hills with his wife and their son. Carnie, librarian, drag queen, and teacher—these are just some of the faces Ari Figueroa has worn. But throughout their life, whether growing up in Massachusetts or evolving in New York, they have always been a writer. Everything they make, including poetry, short stories, & plays, is with the intent of connection. Ari is currently working on their first fantasy-humor novel and is always looking for more opportunities to create. They’d like to thank their fiancée Aria and their bestie Jesse, who have both been incredibly supportive but also invaluable sounding boards for Ari’s work. Thank you to Kelly Jean and No, YOU Tell It!  for this new chance to share their stories. *** This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall. This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

For this show, produced in collaboration with Queens Memory and the Greater Astoria Historical Society, our “My Place” storytellers came together for a community writing workshop centered on the Queens Name Explorer. We all generated poems and personal stories on the page inspired by the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more. Story partners Wichuda “Tang” McConnell and Mary Lannon. Photo credit: Sachyn Mital Before our first set of storytellers trade the true tales they started that day, give a listen as story coach Pichchenda Bao gets to know the writer better before their story partner takes the stage. These stories were performed live on May 28, 2025, at Grove 34 in Astoria. Stories My Place or Bone China, William and Mary, and Me, by Mary Lannon, performed by Wichuda “Tang” McConnell, and directed by Erika Iverson Say My Name, by Wichuda “Tang” McConnell, performed by Mary Lannon, and directed by Erika Iverson Bios Mary Lannon’s unpublished novel, Tide Girl, was a finalist for the 2023 PEN\Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Her stories have appeared at Necessary Fiction, Story, New World Writing, and elsewhere. She teaches writing and women and gender studies at Nassau Community College in Long Island, NY, and lives in Kew Gardens, where she runs a reading series at the local cemetery. More information at MaryLannon.com. Wichuda “Tang” McConnell is a social worker, wellness coach, photographer, and storyteller. Born and raised in southern Thailand, Tang has found solace in being displaced through writing to help process the complex conflict between alienation from her native land and belonging in her adopted one—and feeling that it was taboo to feel either. Tang works as a supervisor at an agency supporting the NYC DOHMH Early Intervention Program, serving New York’s youngest with developmental delays through in-home therapies. Tang is also a wellness coach who has guided many middle-aged women to attain their best health through lifestyle modification. She presently lives in Queens, New York, with her husband and two children. *** This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall. This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

Give a listen to the second half of our first-ever student matinee, performed at the beautiful Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space on March 13, 2025. Listen to Part 1 here. The fantastic Najah Imani Muhammad hosted the show for a theater full of high school juniors from Global Learning Collaborative and Talent Unlimited High School to help inspire the personal stories they want to tell in their college application essays. Story partners Carl M. Banks and Nicole Greevy embodied the low and high notes of each other’s musical true tales, captivating our student audience with both story and song. Thank you to NYSCA-A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund (A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program) for helping us make our first-ever student matinee a reality. Here’s to what we hope is the first of many! Photo credit: Russ Rowland Podcast narrated by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons. Stories “Carl’s Lucky Dollar,” by Carl M. Banks, performed by Nicole Greevy, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons. “Of Axes and Tree Surgeons,” by Nicole Greevy, performed by Carl M. Banks, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons. Bios Carl M. Banks is a troubadour and musical nomad. Born in the heartland of Saint Louis, Missouri, he found his rhythm in the bustling streets of New York City, now calling Astoria, Queens, his home.  Traversing the country as a touring singer-songwriter, his lyrics and melodies echo the highs and lows of the American landscape while his stories touch on personal and profound narratives. He has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and WFUV’s local artist spotlight, “New York Slice.” Carl is also an ultra-marathon runner and co-creator of Queens-based “Bridge and a Slice Half Marathon” and “HotDog Eater 50 kilometer.” Nicole Greevy is a playwright and actor and is thrilled to be returning to No, YOU Tell It! You can read one of her previous pieces, “Nerd: The Next Generation,” in the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology. She is a New York State Council of the Arts 2025 grant recipient for playwriting. If you love her dulcet tones today, you can hear her as Sheriff Rowland, and many others, on the award-winning fiction podcast Uncanny County, where she contributes as both performer and writer.

Our spring “Before & After” show was our second time performing at the beautiful  Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space on March 13, 2025, but it was our very first student matinee!  Our storytellers and our special guest host, Najah Imani Muhammad, who are all No, YOU Tell It! alums, illustrated the power of storytelling for a theater full of high school juniors from Global Learning Collaborative and Talent Unlimited High School to help inspire the personal stories they want to tell in their college application essays. Story siblings Calvin S. Cato and Michele Carlo. Photo credit: Russ Rowland Give a listen to part one of our show, where Calvin S. Cato and Michele Carlo become story siblings by stepping into each other’s true tales about the best-laid plans and unforeseen accidents that send our lives in new directions.  Thank you to NYSCA-A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund (A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program) for helping us make our first-ever student matinee a reality. Here’s to what we hope is the first of many! Podcast narrated by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons. Stories “Don’t Quit Your Day Job,” by Calvin S. Cato, performed by Michele Carlo, and directed by Tim Lindner “The Accident,” by Michele Carlo, performed by Calvin S. Cato, and directed by Tim Lindner. Bios Named one of Time Out New York’s LGBTQ Comics of Color to Watch Out For, Calvin S. Cato has dazzled audiences around the world. His on-air and radio appearances include Oxygen, Netflix, Sirius XM, RISK!, WIRED Magazine, and an unaired pilot for Vice Media called Emergency Black Meeting. His comedy has been featured in numerous festivals and events, including the New York Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Gotham Storytelling Festival, Brooklyn Pride, and FlameCon. In early 2021, Calvin was published in Kweendom, an anthology of essays by queer comedians and entertainers. In 2022, Calvin concluded a three-month run hosting a daily talk show on RushTix.com. Michele Carlo is a writer, storyteller, sometimes actor, and the author of the NYC-set memoir Fish Out of Agua: My Life on Neither Side of the Subway Tracks (Citadel/Kensington). She has appeared on podcasts, festivals, and stages across the U.S., on NPR, and the WGBH-PBS television series Stories from the Stage. For bookings and more info, go to: www.michelecarlo.com 

It is fitting that this heartfelt story swap, inspired by the life and music of Astoria legend Tony Bennett, includes our first live musical performance. Give a listen as story coach Tim Lindner gets to know a little bit more about our two storytellers before they step into each other true tales in the second half of our “Left My Heart” show performed at Grove 34 on June 5, 2024. Full program here. Content notice: These stories are true, traded with open hearts, and this half of the show contains a depiction of suicide. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can learn more about suicide from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at afsp.org. Carl M. Banks and Zach Rothman-Hicks Read about how engaging with Tony Bennet’s music and history from the Greater Astoria Historical Society archives inspired the storyteller’s modern-day true tales. The ART HEART portraits will be on display during the show, along with other surprises. Stories HEAD, HEART, and SAN FRAN, by Zach Rothman-Hicks, performed by Carl M. Banks THE HOUSE WHERE NOBODY LIVES, by Carl M. Banks, performed by Zach Rothman-Hicks Storyteller Bios Zach Rothman-Hicks is an educator and multimedia conceptual artist who creates interactive performances and projects intended to spark reflection, dialogue, and action. He has been a New York City Public School teacher since September 2009 and an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College since 2012 and Queens College since 2022. In April 2020, while a student in the PIMA MFA Program at Brooklyn College, he initiated Gabbing with Gays, a project that explored Emotional Intimacy in the LGBTQIA+ community. This project inspired future interactive art pieces, which were presented at the Staten Island Museum, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the Newhouse Center, Alice Austen House, Easton Mountain, Queens Public Library, Hunters Point Park Conservancy, Chashama, Culture Lab, and the 14th Street Y. Carl M. Banks is a troubadour and musical nomad. Born in the heartland of Saint Louis, Missouri, he found his rhythm in the bustling streets of New York City, now calling Astoria, Queens, his home.  Traversing the country as a touring singer-songwriter, his lyrics and melodies echo the highs and lows of the American landscape while his stories touch on personal and profound narratives. He has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and on WFUV’s local artist spotlight, “New York Slice.” Carl is also an ultra-marathon runner and co-creator of Queens-based “Bridge and a Slice Half Marathon” and “HotDog Eater 50 kilometer.”

For the first time, our four storytellers participated in a Queens community “Art Heart” event about a month before the show, where all the participants generated and shared personal stories inspired by the life and music of Astoria legend Tony Bennett from the Greater Astoria Historical Society archives. What started that day grew into this heartfelt story swap about the intricacies of mothers, daughters, language, music, and the immigrant experience. Give a listen to the first half of our “Left My Heart” show performed at Grove 34 on June 5, 2024. Full program here. Story partners Catherine Kapphahn and January Yoon Cho Read this imaginary interview with Tony Bennett published in the Queens Gazette by Bob Singleton, Executive Director of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Stories MOTHER’S DREAM, by January Yoon Cho, performed by Catherine Kapphahn LOPSIDED STAR, by Catherine Kapphahn, performed by January Yoon Cho Storyteller Bios January Yoon Cho, an interdisciplinary visual artist, works with video, photography, and drawing, intertwining themes of social conformity, feminism, and environmentalism. She has exhibited across the US and Europe. Notably, Cho’s The Walk Project received fiscal sponsorship from the NY Foundation for the Arts and grants from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund and Puffin Grant for Feminist and Environmental Art. Cho has taught at Parsons School of Design, New School University, and Hanyang University (Seoul). Originally from Seoul, Korea, she moved to the US in 1990 for her art education, earning a BFA from RISD and an MFA from Parsons. Catherine Kapphahn is a writer, educator, storyteller, and speaker. Her memoir Immigrant Daughter: Stories You Never Told Mereceived The Center for Fiction’s Christopher Doheny Award and was published by Audible. Her manuscript Miseducation of a Dyslexic Girl: a Memoir in Poems and Classrooms was recently long-listed for the Steel Toe Books Poetry Award. Catherine received grants from the Queens Council on the Arts and City Artist Corps. Her writing has appeared in Queensbound, Motherwell Magazine, Croatia Week, Newtown Literary, the Feminist Press Anthology This is the Way We Say Goodbye, Astoria Life, and CURE Magazine. Catherine is an adjunct lecturer at City University of New York at Lehman College in the Bronx, where her students’ stories inspire her. Catherine is also a yoga teacher. She grew up near the mountains in Colorado and now lives between two bridges in Queens, New York, with her husband and two sons.

After the main arch was completed, a writer for the New York Tribune said: Perhaps never in human history has a mechanical triumph of such magnitude been launched with so little fanfare. In the second half of our Hell Gate show, founding member and story director Erika Iverson interviews the authors before their story partners take the stage so that we can learn more about them and the inspiration for their true tales, the history of the Hell Gate Bridge from the Greater Astoria Historical Society archives. Listen to Part 1 here. Story Partners Alicia Lieu and A. King McCarty Featured Stories THE BRIDGE TO THE BRIDGE, by Alicia Lieu, performed by A. King McCarty, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons UNDER THE HELL GATE, by A. King McCarty, performed by Alicia Lieu, and directed by Erika Iverson Bios Alicia Lieu, Jackson Heights/Elmhurst based composer/conductor hails from San Jose, California. As a composer, she has been awarded grants from QCA and City Artist Corps. She is the creator of Dance-it-Yourself Nutcracker and co-founder of nonprofits Composers Collective, Pitches Brew, and New York Conducting Institute. She spent two years living abroad in Shanghai, China, before moving to NYC and conducting has taken her to Russia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic. She earned her B.A. in Music Composition from UC Santa Barbara, M.M. in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from UT El Paso. A. King McCarty (Ashley King) is an artist, writer, actor, musician and founder of Artstoria New York with her husband and fellow creator, Graham McCarty. She is a two-time recipient of the Queens Community Art Grant and an Art Hotel resident artist. She lives near the Hell Gate Bridge with her husband, son and lots of plants and comic books. Visit her on Instagram at @artstoriany and @akingmccarty *** THIS IS AN OFFICIAL 2024 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL BOOKEND EVENT The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org. This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall. No, YOU Tell It! “Hell Gate” is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

“With a regular coat of paint that bridge can last as long as the pyramids.” – Bob Singleton, Executive Director, Greater Astoria Historical Society from Hell Gate Bridge, an Astoria icon, turns 100 years old in AMNY, March 27, 2017 Our September Hell Gate show at Grove 34 in Astoria was a Queens-based Bookend Event for the 2024 Brooklyn Book Festival. Four Queens storytellers traded true tales inspired by the history of the Hell Gate Bridge from the archives of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Before their story partner takes the stage, story coach Pichchenda Bao asks the authors a Hell Gate-themed question to learn a bit more about the iconic bridge and the writer. The full program is here. Story partners Jackie Sherbow and Mia Arias Tsang. Photo credit Yui Kitamura. Featured Stories CROSSING THE BRIDGE by Jackie Sherbow, performed by Mia Arias Tsang, directed by Erika Iverson REAWAKENING by Mia Arias Tsang, performed by Jackie Sherbow, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons Bios Jackie Sherbow is the Woodside, Queens-based author of Harbinger (Finishing Line Press, 2019), publisher at THRASH Press, and senior managing editor of Ellery Queen’s and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazines. Their poems and stories have appeared in places like The Sierra Nevada Review, Luna Luna, Mystery Magazine, and Asimov’s Science Fiction. They are the former editor-in-chief and currently serve on the board of directors of Newtown Literary, the journal and organization dedicated to the writers of Queens. Mia Arias Tsang is a writer and freelance editor based in New York City. Her work explores themes of queer desire, intimacy, and disconnect. A Tin House Summer Workshop alum, her work has appeared in Copy, Autostraddle, Half Mystic Press, Fatal Flaw Magazine, and Broad Recognition Magazine, among others. She is a copy editor for the literary magazine Identity Theory and program coordinator at the literary nonprofit House of SpeakEasy, and writes a newsletter called Overripe Peach. She lives in Queens with her cat, Peanut, and is currently working on a novel. *** THIS IS AN OFFICIAL 2024 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL BOOKEND EVENT The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org. This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall. No, YOU Tell It! “Hell Gate” is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

Kicking off part 2 of our “Fly By” show, host Ellie Dvorkin Dunn shares some fun facts about teenage pilot Elinor Smith before we hear the second set of true tales inspired by the story of “The Flying Flapper” from the archives of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. No, YOU Tell It! “Fly By” was on September 28, 2023, at Grove 34 in Astoria. Podcast introduction by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons and features: Like Me or Not by Ben Katzner, performed by Briana McDonald, directed by Erika Iverson Macarons by Briana McDonald, performed by Ben Katzner, directed by Erika Iverson Story partners Ben Katzner and Briana McDonald at Grove 34 in Astoria. Want a copy of Ben or Briana’s middle-grade books? Grab your copy and share it with the young readers in your life. The Secrets of Stone Creek and more by Briana McDonald Hello My Name is Poop by Ben Katzner Donate here to support No, YOU Tell It!, and we’ll send you an electronic copy of Annie Shi’s zine, “The Flying Flapper,” that we gave out to the audience at the show so you can learn more about Elinor Smith and her historic 1928 flight under not one but four East River bridges – Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg … and Queensboro!   SPECIAL THANKS No, YOU Tell It! “Fly By” was an OFFICIAL 2023 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL BOOKEND EVENT. The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org. This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.  This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.  

Have you ever heard of Elinor Smith? Our fall “Fly By” show was a fantastic way to learn about this teenage pilot who beat out Amelia Earhart for “Best Woman Pilot in America” in 1930. For this special show hosted by Ellie Dvorkin Dunn and produced in partnership with the Greater Astoria Historical Society, we provided our storytellers with a visual prompt depicting Elinor Smith’s legendary 1928 flight under four East River bridges—Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg … and Queensboro! The animated image created by Queens artist Annie Shi inspired a modern-day story swap of a very different kind of airplane dare and a gutt-wrenching attempt to bridge the divide between father and son. WATCH the full show here on our YouTube page. Lowell Stephens performs Robin Gelfenbien’s story Donate here to support No, YOU Tell It!, and we’ll send you an electronic copy of Annie’s zine, “The Flying Flapper,” that we gave out to the audience at the show so you can learn more about Elinor Smith and her historic flight. No, YOU Tell It! “Fly By” was on September 28, 2023, at Grove 34 in Astoria. Podcast introduction by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons and features: Connecting Flights by Robin Gelfenbien, performed by Lowell Stephens, directed by Erika Iverson Liquid Mercury by Lowell Stephens, performed by Robin Gelfenbien, directed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons   SPECIAL THANKS No, YOU Tell It! “Fly By” was an OFFICIAL 2023 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL BOOKEND EVENT. The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org. This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.  This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

Did you know that two 16-foot-tall stainless-steel statues once stood atop the Astoria Pool locker rooms? Or that thousands of visitors to the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens signed a book that was included in the Westinghouse Time Capsule designed to endure for 5,000 years? Learn more about the storytellers and the Queens history from the archives of The Greater Astoria Historical Society that inspired this story swap from the second half of our “Here & Gone” show hosted by Ellie Dvorkin Dunn. My Book About Water by Olena Jennings, performed by Rosalie Chandler *Peace Through Understanding by Rosalie Chandler, performed by Olena Jennings *As Ellie noted during the show, we want to let you know that the latter story contains themes related to sexual assault. Left to right: Story partners Olena Jennings, Rosalie Chander, and host Ellie Dvorkin Dunn. Photo: Sachyn Mital Stories directed by Erika Iverson. Plus, a special shoutout to Broadway Silk in Astoria! Congratulations to Olena for receiving a Pushcart Prize for her translation with Oksana Lutsyshyna of Kateryna Kalytko’s collection Nobody Knows Us Here, and We Don’t Know Anyone from Lost Horse Press. Learn more about the Queens history highlights below. The narratives were written by storyteller Rosalie Chandler with special insights from Bob Singleton of The Greater Astoria Historical Society. Westinghouse Time Capsule North Beach Astoria Pool Sentinels The First Photocopy These four highlights also inspired the Queens “Here & Gone” artwork by Yelena Tylkina. ** Special thanks to Rosalie Chandler, Bob Singleton, and Ava Vitali for helping us create these Queens “Here & Gone” highlights. The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org. This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall. This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

In the first half of our show, story partners Lakshmi Gandhi and Dan Jessup swap stories about the culture of mutual agitation that bonds Mets fans and a mid-life move to Astoria blocks away from where inventor, Chester Carlson, created the world’s first photocopy. Two Continents and a Whole New Ballgame by Lakshmi Gandhi, performed by Dan Jessup The Certainty of Here by Dan Jessup, performed by Lakshmi Gandhi These stories were directed by show host, Ellie Dvorkin Dunn. Lakshmi Gandhi and Dan Jessup, photo credit: Sachyn Mital For the first time, our “Here & Gone” storytellers’ modern-day true tales were inspired by Queens history from the archives of The Greater Astoria Historical Society. Learn more about how the word “ASTORIA was on the First Page of the Information Age,” and the other Queens history highlights Westinghouse Time Capsule North Beach Astoria Pool Sentinels The First Photocopy Inspired the Queens “Here & Gone” artwork by Yelena Tylkina and the night’s stories. ** Special thanks to Rosalie Chandler, Bob Singleton, and Ava Vitali for helping us create these Queens “Here & Gone” highlights. The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org. This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall. This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

Celebrating 10 years of No, YOU Tell It!, the second half of our “Punch Up” show starts with the story of a waitress getting a visit from a former co-worker who looks happier and healthier than seems possible. Trying to match her glow-up, she seeks out the same Shaman but finds the visit … less than inspiring. Enjoy “Shaman Says,” Written by Jenn Wehrung and performed by Aida Zilelian. You can also WATCH the full show live-streamed from Culture Lab, LIC. Or, watch “Punch Up,” and other past shows on the NYTI YouTube channel. Switching it up, our final story also starts in a bar, where an old frenemy creeps back into every corner of the narrator’s life, causing her to reflect on why some friends are better left in the past. “One Final Lesson” was written by Aida Zilelian and performed by Jenn Wehrung. Top left: Jenn Wehrung; Top right: Story partners Aida Zilelian and Jenn Wehrung; Bottom left: Ellie Dvorkin Dunn and Jenn Wehrun; Bottom right: Aida Zilelian This story swap was directed by our wonderful guest host for the evening, Ellie Dvorkin Dunn. Returning as a Bookend Event for the Brooklyn Book Festival, our “Punch Up” show also celebrated the release of the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology from Palm Circle Press. Here’s how to check out ALL THE THINGS: Click here for the full “Punch Up” Program. Follow @noyoutellit on Insta for upcoming fun. Don’t forget to check out Ellie’s fabulous podcast Circling the Drain, to have fun learning about all things perimenopause. (Who knew?)

Lose yourself in school-age nostalgia in our first story, “Confection Resolution,” written by Matt Storrs and performed by Maria Rubio, which finds our hero fighting the same childhood foe … three times. Switching it up, “The Great Unknowns,” written by Maria Rubio and performed by Matt Storrs, follows an exhausted nurse in the middle of the global pandemic who carves out time for herself with a surfing lesson. Returning as a Bookend Event for the Brooklyn Book Festival, our “Punch Up” show also celebrated the release of the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology from Palm Circle Press. You can also WATCH the full show live-streamed from Culture Lab, LIC. Or, watch “Punch Up,” and other past shows on the NYTI YouTube channel. Top left: Matt Storrs; Top right: Maria Rubio; Bottom left: Ellie Dvorkin Dunn interviews storyteller Matt Storrs Huge thank you to alum and guest host Ellie Dvorkin Dunn! Give a listen as she punches up the evening with her warmth and humor. Here’s how to check out ALL THE THINGS that Ellie mentions in the show: Click here for the full “Punch Up” Program. Follow @noyoutellit on Insta for upcoming fun. Don’t forget to check out Ellie’s fabulous podcast Circling the Drain, to have fun learning about all things perimenopause. (Who knew?)

In anticipation of our forthcoming ten-year anthology from Palm Circle Press, we are flashing back to 2014 when we participated in The Brick’s Comic Book Theater Festival in Brooklyn. For this show, we tried something new. Usually, we give our storytellers a theme to inspire their true tales. This time, we only provided the theme “Legacy” to comic artist Sha-Née Williams and asked her to interpret it into a visual prompt. Then we gave this image to our storytellers without the word “Legacy” or any further context. After they completed their first drafts, Sha-Née joined our story meetings and drew unique illustrations for each of their true tales. In spite of the fact that we didn’t share the theme, our storytellers ended up thinking about the personal legacies we leave behind. Give a listen to the results and don’t forget to follow us on Insta @noyoutellit to check out more of Sha-Née’s “Legacy” artwork Top left: Sha-Née Williams and Nicole Greevy with “Nerd: The Next Generation” artwork. Bottom left: Sha-Née’s “Legacy” image. Bottom right: E. James Ford with “League of Absence” artwork by Sha-Née Williams.   Stories were performed live on June 8th, 2014 at The Brick: “League of Absence” written by E. James Ford and performed by Nicole Greevy. “Nerd: The Next Generation”  written by Nicole Greevy and performed by E. James Ford.  

As we’re readying the release of our ten-year anthology this fall from Palm Circle Press, we’re rebooting some of the podcasts with improved audio so you can listen while you read. Here’s our first ever tri-flip at Fairleigh Dickinson’s MFA in Creative Writing summer residency, featuring stories by Letisia Cruz, Tazio Ruffilo, and Heather Lang-Cassera. Original artwork by Letisia Cruz inspired by her performance of Tazio Ruffilo’s story, “In Spite of Ourselves” Keep an eye out for these No Regrets stories in the anthology, along with a special introduction from series creator, Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, describing how this FDU show represents one of the core values of our series: Cooperation over Competition.   NO REGRETS performed on August 14th, 2016 Fairleigh Dickinson University | New Jersey “The First Tattoo” written by Letisia Cruz and performed by Heather Lang-Cassera “In Spite of Ourselves” written by Tazio Ruffilo and performed by Letisia Cruz “A Midwestern Purgatory” written by Heather Lang-Cassera and performed by Tazio Ruffilo      

Our first story reminds us that a two-week middle school love is the equivalent of several lifetimes of adoration, and when our hero’s girlfriend slips him a break-up note, they all come crashing in. In celebration of 10 Years of No, YOU Tell It! enjoy this 2013 throwback swap of “You’ve Been Noted,” written by Justin Klose and performed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons. Click here to listen to the other half of the evening in Episode 30. Original Artwork by Allison Gazdik Our second story takes us on the road with Shakespeare & Company’s spring tour of Hamlet, where, backstage, Ophelia befriends the infamous skull prop to vent her frustrations, share her loneliness, and reveal her secret escapades. Switching it up here’s “Alas, Poor Bob!” written by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons and performed by Justin Klose. You can also give “Alas, Poor Bob!” a read in Hypertext Magazine! Artist Allison Gazdik designed the original artwork for our “Noted” show, which was performed live at Jimmy’s No 43 on June 3rd, 2013, and here is what she had to say about the theme and how she devised this fantastic image: The idea behind this piece for the “noted” theme was one of lessons learned. The first image that came into my head was of someone in the rain, as some of our most valuable lessons come from painful experiences. The well-known quote people usually think of is “that which does not kill us makes us stronger” by Friedrich Nietzsche. I wanted to take a colorful and slightly humorous approach to the idea by depicting a gray Nietzsche under a rain of colors, a fitting blend of optimism and pessimism towards life’s lessons. 

Breakups can be confusing at times, especially when your heart parts ways with a city. Our first story takes us over the Hudson from New York City to New Jersey as our narrator reflects on what it means to move on from the place that she’s always loved. In celebration of our 10 Year Anniversary here is a throwback swap. Part of our first alumni storyteller show at The Astoria Bookshop. “A Breakup Story” was written by Julia Granacki and is performed here by Molly Touger. Top left: Julia Granacki; Bottom left: Molly Touger Prompted by a social media challenge to replace your profile picture with your celebrity look-a-like, our next storyteller leans into her own definitions of beauty and identity as she starts to appreciate her likeness to Cher. Switching it up, here’s “On Becoming Cher” written by Molly Touger and performed by Julia Granacki. These stories were performed live on July 17th, 2014. Give a listen to the first half of the evening in Episode 5 of our podcast. Thank you to The Astoria Bookshop! Visit them at astoriabookshop.com.