Podcast – Spokespeople

It’s not always black and white when sex, race, and history collide — the indomitable Luna Malbroux shares the story of some of her passions ending up in bed together at Spokespeople’s birthday party! About Luna Malbroux: With a master’s from Columbia University in clinical social work and the crushing debt to prove it, Luna fell back … Continue reading →

A fortuitous concert and an inconvenient illness led a man and some diapers to live nappily ever after. This story was told live at our April 2015 show, "Smoke & Mirrors." Continue reading →

Today we bring you this charming tale of California Pizza Kitchen and the kindness of strangers. This story was told live at our June 2015 show, “Birthdays & Birthday Suits.” About the Storyteller Hailey Gilmore is a global health get-shit-donner. Hailey enjoys books, books, yoga, more books, and cooking too. Homepage photo courtesy of Will Clayton … Continue reading →

Santa Claus brings presents. The Easter Bunny hides eggs. The Tooth Fairy steals big wheels, right? Today’s storyteller recounts the Tooth Fairy’s dark side in this story told live at our April 2015 show, “Smoke and Mirrors.” About the storyteller Danny Nolan has lived in the Bay Area his whole life and currently lives in West Oakland. He … Continue reading →

Today’s storyteller loves to travel abroad, but her digestive system would prefer to stay closer to home. To learn how to handle tummy troubles with grace, listen to this story, told live at our March 2015 show, “There’s No Place Like Home.” Continue reading →

A trip to Buenos Aires becomes a crash course in speaking high-school Spanish with Japanese flair and fending off latin lovers. Our tango-loving storyteller told this tale live at our March 2015 show, There's "No Place Like Home." Continue reading →

Today's storyteller loves summer camp, but not so much the other campers. Discover how this polar-bear-documentary-loving, magic-card-playing, California native learned to open up to others on the last day of summer camp. This story comes from our April 2015 show, Smoke & Mirrors. Continue reading →

Today's storyteller goes the extra mile. Actually he goes an extra 62 miles, guided by the legacy of former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and the hip-swiveling tunes of Miley Cyrus. This story was told live at our July 2014 show, "Slippery When Wet." Continue reading →

Cupid’s arrow strikes again and again and again! Three Spokespeople stories in one podcast, you ask? Yes! This week, we bring you tales of dating a man with a Roger Rabbit room, a movie date gone awry, and one love-inspiring poster. All stories are true (or so we’re told!) and shared live at our February 2015 … Continue reading →

What do grandmothers, porn, and New York State have in common? This moving coming-of-age story told live at our June 2014 show, “Internet Explorer: Stories From Cyberspace.” About the storyteller Keegan Olton is Keegan! (That’s all we know, folks.) Homepage photo courtesy of Bob Jenkin via Flickr.  061314_Agape_Keegan (mp3) Continue reading →

Ah, wilderness! Our intrepid storyteller heeds the call of the wild in Denali National Park only to find comfort in a climate-controlled school bus. This riveting tale was told live at our December 2014 show, “Frozen.” About the storyteller Gene Goldstein-Plesser likes potlucks, accordions, stories, and sweet chili sauce. He recently returned from Alaska, where he saw … Continue reading →

Sleepovers are for fighting and laughing and carefully managing intake of fluids. This story of one moist night in Massachusetts was told live at our December 2014 show, "Frozen." Continue reading →

It was the best of parking spaces, it was the worst of parking spaces. To obtain quick BART access, this storyteller got both a citation from the City of Oakland and an address for her holiday card list. Wisdom or foolishness? You be the judge: listen to this story told live at our June 2014 show, “Internet … Continue reading →

Kid logic meets the mother of necessity. One budding inventor builds a machine to channel his own hot air into a means to blow away his elementary school enemies. This story was told live at our Oct. 2014 show, "Search and Research." Continue reading →

Having instant access to the full biography of every prospective object of your affection: blessing or curse? Today's storyteller remembers her days wielding the double-edged sword of the internet search engine through the battlefield of love in this story, told live at our June 2014 show, "Internet Explorer: Stories from Cyberspace." Continue reading →

An evening watching the L Word turns into a night of celebrity courtship in the former hottest corner of Manhattan. This story was told live at our March 2014 show, "Starstruck." Continue reading →

One man's pain is another man's delicious, cheap lunch. Today's storyteller reflects on his glory days on Montréal's competitive eating circuit in this story told live at our April 2014 show, "Eat Me." Continue reading →

A hearty breakfast or broken by the fast? Today's storyteller appreciates the elements of a good meal after his day of atonement in the land of culinary underachievement. This story comes from our April 2014 show, "Eat Me." Continue reading →

One starry night in the french countryside, one world traveler finds love where she most wanted it, but least expected it. Enjoy this story of her ethereal love affair that was told live at our March 2014 show, Starstruck. About the storyteller Depending on who she’s talking to, Maria Stevens identifies either as a personal trainer, corrective exercise … Continue reading →

One girl’s brush with stardom is another’s volunteer sex ed class. This storyteller reflects on her 5th-grade role model, who discussed tampons and the menstrual cycle without making her students “scandalized.” Today’s story comes from our March 2014 show, “Starstruck.” About the storyteller In her day job as a therapist, Elizabeth Simone gets to listen to other people’s … Continue reading →

You scream, I scream, this storyteller screams for some help! She was just floored to discover part of a Halloween haunted house that left her and her band of third graders in the in-between of an elevator shaft. This story was told live at our Oct. 2013 show, "Parents or Guardians." Continue reading →

A brash young climber meets his match up Shakespeare Glacier. Today's story revisits a key moment of reflection -- and its consequences -- in this tale from our January 2014 show, "Scars." Continue reading →

Moving to Brooklyn is harder than it seems. In Yonkers, three lesbians trek from Uhaul to Uhaul in search of a truck and a joke. They're still searching for the joke, so listen to the story and let us know if you think of one! This story comes from our December 2013 show, “What Could Go Wrong?” Continue reading →

Pantsless, in a Ninja Turtles t-shirt, our storyteller frolicked freely in the verdant hills of suburban Maryland until an ill-timed encounter with an ax. Our storyteller, with all her limbs and wits intact, recounted this tale at our January 2014 show, “Scars.” Continue reading →

Warning: this story contains explicit content. A couple of divas bond over an evening of unexpected events. The story of this intimate night on the town was told live at our February 2014 show, “Exes and Ohhhhs.” Continue reading →

A boat trip up the Connecticut River leaves today's storyteller in violation of an international treaty. Find out how in this eggcellent story from our December 2013 show, "What Could Go Wrong?" Continue reading →

Some people are born to hike in in the great wilderness of New Hampshire. Others are born to drink magic juice next to the campfire. Our storyteller figures out what kind of hiker she is in this story from our January 2014 show, "Scars." Continue reading →

Middle school love. Need we say more? Our story’s hero plans a romantic beachside brunch to avoid conversation only to find his lips otherwise sealed. This story of a kiss inspired by the funny pages comes from our February 2014 show, “Exes and Ohhhhs.” About the storyteller Sam spends his days showing kids how to misuse power tools … Continue reading →

Flirting via text with objects of his affection, dancing the nights away in a pink shirt, writing gendered critiques of the welfare state, this storyteller made the most of his year abroad in England ... or did he? Today's story comes to us over the pond from our February 2014 show, "Exes and Ohhhhs." Continue reading →

A Berkeley girl goes to Camp Winnarainbow to develop her appreciation for sleepovers and circus arts only to find herself at odds with her gloomy camp counselor. Even an appreciation for Cherry Garcia ice cream gets her nowhere with this less than merry prankster. This story was told live at our September 2013 show, “Camp.” About the … Continue reading →

Rules are rules -- except when they're meant to be broken. Today's story of one mom's flexible interpretation of state law (and other rules) comes to us from our October 2013 show, "Parents or Guardians." Continue reading →

Bible camp. Need we say more? Tonight's storyteller reflects on his teenage summer days spent going to church every night and casting sins into the fire. This story of praise, worship, and synthesizers comes from our September 2013 show, "Camp." Continue reading →

Raised carving the slopes of Nebraski, this snowboard-loving, world-saving, Chicago transplant seeks to make a difference by introducing at-risk youth to the snowboard parks of New Hampshire. Yet one bad jump in his dad’s old wool coat twists that relationship all out of shape. This story of guardianship in action comes from our October 2013 show, “Parents or Guardians.” Continue reading →

Under the luminous super moon in the wilds of South Lake Tahoe, our storyteller protects his love armed with nothing but a pen knife and the audacity to applaud. Nothing brings a couple together like a challenge to face together -- or so we're told. This story was performed live at our September 2013 show, "Camp." Continue reading →

For just one night, this storyteller earned frenemy status with her best friend for her birthday surprise gone awry. This cringeworthy gem was told live at our July 2013 show, "Frenemies." Continue reading →

The teenagers went in two by two, into the Ark to play hackey sack. What do you do in the middle of the night with a group of red-eyed new best friends? Find out in this story from our April 2013 show, "Sleepovers." Continue reading →

Today's storyteller wrestles with mixed feelings about her preschool nemesis. This story of friendship that starts with a bang comes from our July 2013 show, "Frenemies." Continue reading →

From a premier rowing regatta to a getaway vehicle to a note from the chief of police, this rental van has seen more than its fair share of adventure. Advice from the storyteller: buy fewer draw-on-the-car markers and all the insurance. Continue reading →

To catch a thief, follow the glitter. This story of a lucky three-year-old and a convenient act of nature comes from our March 2013 show, “Perfect Timing.” Continue reading →

In a rock band the bass player and the drummer keep the time. Ideally they always have good timing, but sometimes they need to be perfect. This story of the rhythm section paying homage to the home of rhythm and blues in just the nick of time comes from our March 2013 show, “Perfect Timing.” … Continue reading →

An unplanned lesbian pregnancy and a romantic getaway to Mormon country? Our storyteller ponders the nature of truly "Perfect Timing" in our show at the Actual Cafe in March 2013. Continue reading →

“For the first six months, do nothing.” That was the advice that Quintin Mecke got as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa in the early 1990s. This is the story of how his not heeding that advice landed him an invitation to the annual regional gathering of witch doctors, staring into a fire … Continue reading →

Ladies, if you want to stop your yeast infections, cut out sugar, chocolate, caffeine, and bread. Or don't, and you too may find yourself up late one night with a tray of ice cubes and a strategically placed mini fan. Continue reading →