Jessica Henkin is the co-founder of Stoop Storytelling, a Baltimore-based live show and podcast featuring "ordinary" people telling extraordinary, true tales of their lives. Stoop held its first live show back in 2006 and has since welcomed nearly 4,000 people to its stages across Baltimore. In our conversation, Jessica shares about what makes a powerful live story, how to connect with your audience, why being emotionally present is so important, and how listening to these personal stories has caused her to fall more in love with humanity.

This episode is sponsored in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

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Also mentioned in this episode:

1. "Listening Is An Act of Love" by Dave Isay
2. The Moth
3. Stoop Storytelling event at Manor Mill on Aug 16, 2024
4. Stoop Storytelling on WYPR

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If you enjoyed this episode, you also might enjoy:

• Elana Fishbein on Improv Performance, Becoming a Better Communicator, and the Importance of Psychological Safety (Ep. 6)
• Mike Drucker on Stand-Up Comedy, Sharing First Drafts, and Embracing Kindness in Comedy (Ep. 10)
• Andrew Auseon on "Spellbinders" and What Video Games Teach Us about Storytelling (Ep. 12)

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This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com

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