Fables were found, ghost stories unraveled, and personal experiences
related in often side-splitting, but always lyrical prose for the
delight of the 150 people who ventured out to the second annual Stow
Story Slam. Coordinated by the Stow Community Chest as a fundraiser,
the evening centered on former Stow resident and National Book Award
author M.T. Anderson, who served as guest storyteller and helped to
introduce the local yarn weaving talent.
Pulling details from his Stow childhood (“the
Purity Supreme had a disembodied voice talking to you about finding
joy”), Anderson related his journey out of Stow to become an exotic
travel writer, but, said Anderson, “I realized this is where my
material is.” He remarked on how experiences such as working at the
Maynard McDonald’s (“where they are as ritualistic as a Tibetan
Monastery”) provided fodder for his books, as seen in “Burger Wuss.”
Ten local residents then participated in the
story-off, each relating a five minute tale judged by ten volunteer
audience members. The stories were judged by how well the story was
told, how well it was constructed, and how it kept to the time limit.
Winners were awarded gift certificates from Willow Books in Acton and
all the participants received t-shirts commemorating the event.
First prize went to Brian Schimpf, a Harvard
resident, who has emceed Story Slams in Acton and Harvard and knew the
benefit of preparation. “With a time limit, I planned ahead. The story
is much more interesting with flow,” he said.
Schimpf’s tale was a recollection of a schoolyard
baseball game told in a style reminiscent of the narrator Ralphie in
The Christmas Story where a childhood event rises to epic proportions.
After cutting into the amount of time “the good kids” could play by
monopolizing his at-bat, Schimpf, who was always picked last, was
determined to redeem himself. He did it by hitting his first double.
The judges also looked kindly on another childhood memory, awarding
second place to Stow resident Jack Zettler. As an eight-year
old, Zettler was bored playing at a house owned by friends of
his parents, so he decided to go exploring. Upstairs in the house,
Zettler found a gun and trouble. When he couldn’t remove the cartridge
he loaded, he escaped the precarious situation with a hilarious
solution only an eight-year old would dream up.
Third place went to Acton resident Peter Senghas who tapped
into details from his childhood when his family of nine rode in their
wood paneled station wagon to the beach. Senghas related the
glee of
tormenting his younger sister’s imaginary friend as only an older
brother can do. After grabbing “Funny” by her imaginary neck, Senghas
tossed her out the tailgate window to the shrieking dismay of his five-year old sister. Young
Senghas was admonished by his father to “never, ever think your sense
of reality is anymore valid than anyone else’s.”
The storytellers came from surrounding communities
and spanned generations from 17-year-old Nashoba student
Linnea Kennison to several older people weaving wonderful
tales. Kennison’s tale of battling her GPS on flooded and closed
roads in Wayland on Easter afternoon had the audience roaring with
empathy, as one grows to hate that mechanical voice directing you to
“turn right” when you can’t.
Also relating tales Friday evening were Ralph Deflorio, Felicia
Reynolds, Paula Tosti, Barb Sipler, Willem Ledeboer, and Tom Shepherd.
Intermixed with the storytellers were tales and
Slammin’ Stow Facts (provided by Ralph Fuller) presented by organizers
Skye Gibson and Donna Woelki, as well as selections from Anderson.
Anderson’s literary contributions were recognized with citations from
the Stow Board of Selectman (presented by Laura Spear) and
Massachusetts House of Representatives and Governor Deval Patrick (both
presented by Kate Hogan).
“When more than 150 people are willing to brave
another icy night and curbside mountains of snow to hear each tell
stories, we are on to something,” said Gibson, happy the event raised
$1000 for the Stow Community Chest. “The desire for communal gathering,
the live entertainment created on the spot by none other than each
other, the pride we can share as a town in a gifted and famous son of
Stow, all to support a community organization chartered to care for
those among us who need us, is a testament to the intangible good that can
so readily be made real if only we show up.”
resident and National Book Award
author M.T. Anderson, who served as guest storyteller and helped to
introduce the local yarn weaving talent. 
dent Peter Senghas who tapped
into details from his childhood when his family of nine rode in their
wood paneled station wagon to the beach. Senghas related the
glee of
tormenting his younger sister’s imaginary friend as only an older
brother can do. After grabbing “Funny” by her imaginary neck, Senghas
tossed her out the tailgate window to the shrieking dismay of his five-year old sister. Young
Senghas was admonished by his father to “never, ever think your sense
of reality is anymore valid than anyone else’s.”