Tell Me What Happened

JIM KLEINMANN, he/him, co-founded PlayGround in 1994, along with playwright Brighde Mullins and director Denise Shama, and has served as Artistic Director since 1996. For PlayGround, he has provided artistic and administrative leadership for the past twenty-four seasons, developing PlayGround's unique array of new playwright and new play incubator programs, including Monday Night PlayGround, the PlayGround Festival of New Works, the full-length play Commissioning Initiative, the New Play Production Fund, Potrero Stage: PlayGround Center for New Plays, and most recently the Innovator Incubator. For PlayGround, he has directed more than one hundred short and full-length plays, including works by Garret Jon Groenveld, Aaron Loeb, Geetha Reddy, Lauren Yee, Katie May, and many others. Recent directing and dramaturgy credits include David Steele's Vignettes on Love and Ruben Grijalva's Value Over Replacement. He is a veteran arts administrator with more than thirty years of experience, including stints leading Traveling Jewish Theatre, Smuin Ballet and Berkeley Symphony, and received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Gaby is a born and bred North Carolinian currently living in Baltimore with her partner and two cats. She is a publicist at Quirk Books and the digital projects coordinator for Witch Please Productions, where she is the video editor and associate producer for Making Worlds. She is a writer, home cook, and storyteller, and she wants to make you laugh.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Music is the medium, and helping students feel seen and valued is the goal. This is the fuel behind Maize Elementary School teacher Katie Todd's music instruction to kindergarten through fourth grade students. Katie earned her Bachelors of Music Education in 2012 from Kansas State University. She continued her education by pursuing a Masters of Music Education degree at her alma mater, graduating in 2017. Todd is in her twelfth year of teaching and currently teaches in Maize USD 266, where she is admired by colleagues, parents, and students alike.Katie finds much of the inspiration for lessons from her time spent with her two young daughters, Olivia and Charlotte, and her husband.Being a mother gives her insight into what families need from their educators to help them connect and bond. Additionally, she teaches private oboe lessons, is a New Teacher Mentor, and collaborates with Kansas State University to support new and future Elementary Music Teachers. In January of 2024 Todd was recognized as a Music for All: Advocacy in Action award winner for the Elementary Excellence category. She received this for her efforts over the past three years to connect students and their families with Kindie music artists through their grade level performances. She was also selected as the 2024 Elementary Teacher of the Year Nominee for USD266. In August of 2024 Katie released her first single Chickadee under the artist name “Katie T”. Her entrance into the Kindie music world came after encouragement received from friends and family as well as members of the Children's Music Network. She was fortunate to work with Bret Turner and Ian Walters of The Tallest Kid in the Room on this release. The song can be heard on all streaming platforms. Katie loves building relationships with her students and families and is passionate about helping them connect to each other and finding a deeper understanding of themselves through music. This quote can be found on the wall of her classroom: “ This is why I teach music…not because I expect you to major in music, not because I expect you to play or sing all your life, not so you can relax, not so you can have fun, but so you will be human, so you will recognize beauty, so you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world, so you will have something to clog to, so you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more good. In short, more life.” - author unknownChickadee by Katie Todd

Martin Ross a nonprofiit leader who specializes in forming Trifectas for community transformation and continues to add to his “10,000” hours in areas of workforce development, partnerships, external affairs and community engagement. In Spanish, he likes to call himself a “puente” or bridge/bridge builder. As an appointed person in Sacramento County, he serves as a chairman, commissioner, or committee member, and is a candidate for school board for the San Juan Unified School District Area 4. For more on the good that he is doing in the neighborhood in practical, compassionate, and innovative ways please follow him on social media and/or go to his website at www.electmartinross.comTell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Alex Kingsley (they/them) is a writer, comedian, game designer, and playwright. They are a co-founder of the new media company Strong Branch Productions, where they write and direct sci-fi comedy podcast The Stench of Adventure and other shows. Their debut novel Empress of Dust will be published by Space Wizard Science Fantasy in Fall 2024. Their short fiction has appeared in Translunar Travelers Lounge, Radon Journal, The Storage Papers, and more. In 2023 they published their short story collection, The Strange Garden and Other Weird Tales. Alex's sci-fi plays have been produced in LA, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Alex's SFF-related non-fiction has appeared in Interstellar Flight Magazine and Ancillary Review of Books. Their games can be downloaded pay-what-you-will at alexyquest.itch.io.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Ken Trung Tang, the first Vietnamese refugee elected to the Alhambra Unified School District Board of Education in California uses his 27 years teaching experience to guide his new roles as a public servant.

Victoria Oltarsh is a native New Yorker who grew up playing in Central Park while visiting her grandparents living across the street. Now a mother and grandmother herself, she feels most comfortable in the delightful company of children. Victoria has spent her thirty-five-year career directing original and classical plays, teaching rapid-fire-Improv, and story theater, She is a published lyricist on the song, “Lucky Charm,” produced by Grover Washington Jr. on Atlantic Records. Victoria also received an individual artist grant from The Arts Council of Rockland. Her adaptations of classical fairy tales have been performed for students by an adult touring company at school assembly programs. Whether as a teaching artist working for Arts in Ed agencies in underserved NYC public schools, or teaching in private schools, summer programs, and art centers, she loves encouraging children to find their inner voice by expressing themselves through the creative arts. Inspired by the universal wonder of the mystery of looking up at the stars as a child, she is so excited to be a debut author and share her middle-grade space fantasy adventure chapter book, The Boy and the Secret of the Stars, with all.The Boy and the Secret of the Stars by Victoria OltarshTell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's Book More Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Lisa's 38-year career in finance has gone from investment banking to microfinance to shareholder activism and corporate accountability. Most recently Lisa was the Director of Investor Engagement at Majority Action, where she led a team supporting institutional investors in addressing racial inequity and climate change in their portfolio companies and service providers. She has lived in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico and holds an MBA from NYU and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor. More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Jill Hopkins is the Director of Civic Events and New Media for Metro Chicago and Gman Tavern in Chicago. She's served as the host of several podcasts, including Making Beyonce for WBEZ and The Opus for the Consequence Podcast Network, and was a radio personality for CHIRP and Vocalo Radio for over ten years.`Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Eric is driven by a single, fundamental question: how do we transform how power and resources are shared in our economy, while centering those who have been systematically excluded?Eric mobilizes resources for underserved communities as both an investor and an educator. He is Vice President for Community-engaged Investing at Earlystone Management, a family office. He also leads an initiative at Harvard Law School focused on supporting labor pension fund trustees advocate for more responsible investing at their Funds.Previously, Eric served as the Director of Impact Investments at Common Future, where he led the organization's impact-first investments by-for-and-with communities of color. Before, he was at Transform Finance, where he led educational initiatives for activists and organizers exploring paths for their communities to better engage with capital. He's also worked at the Woodcock Foundation, where he supported the organization's grantmaking and impact investments.Eric serves on multiple boards and investment committees (New York Foundation, UUCEF, Invest Appalachia) and teaches “Capital for Good: Finance, Investment and Social Justice” to graduate students at CUNY.A former Fulbright Grantee, Eric earned his MPA from Syracuse University and his MBA from NYU. He calls Brooklyn home.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor. More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.com

Robert (Bob) Bossie, SCJ is a 56 year member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, a religious congregation located in over 40 countries. He worked at Chicago's 8th Day Center for Justice for over 32 years. The Center (which closed in 2018) was a faith-based collective of 30+ religious congregations committed to created a world of justice, peace and integrity of creation.Bob focused his efforts on nonviolent resistance to nuclear weapons, war, as well as economic and environmental oppression. Though retired now, "he doesn't know how he found time to work before he was retired."Bob was born in 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts, the middle child of seven. He spent four years in the US Air Force and five years in the military industrial complex maintaining and building various weapon systems including nuclear weapons systems. He often reflects that throughout those nine years with the military, no one in church, school, at work or among his friends ever asked if what he was doing was moral or not. He notes that he is not trying to cast guilt but to acknowledge how immersed is the military and violence in our culture and life. After all, we call it "military service" and say, "thanks for your service" don't we.As part of his work, Bob has travelled to 30 countries and an equal number of US states. In his travels he met hundreds, if not thousands, of wonderful and inspirational persons. He has always been inspired by the song:In the struggle, rewards are few.In fact, I know of only two.Loving friends and living dreams.Such rewards are not so few it seems.

Mullissa Willette is serving her first term on the CalPERS Board of Administration.She's an estate administrator with the County of Santa Clara, president of Service Employees International Union 521, and has served on multiple committees and commissions.Mullissa has a Bachelor of Management, Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She also holds certifications in public pension investment management from UC Berkeley, and advanced assessment analysis at the California State Board of Equalization.

As a 6th grader, Tammy Fisher was bussed across town in Austin, Texas, to help desegregate the school system. On the first day of class, she is encircled by children who claim to have heard that she was racist. Young Tammy holds her ground, but spends the year in self-reflection.Years later, Tammy connects that primary school experience to her interest in psychology and becoming a therapist.Tammy is a Masters Level Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist-Supervisor and Sex Therapist in with extensive training in couples work and sexual issues. She provides clinical supervision for new clinicians as well as coaching and consults for fully licensed clinicians. Tammy has also presented at workshops and conferences on relationship enhancement, sexual pleasure, trauma and parenting. A licensed therapist, more about Tammy Fisher and The Pleasure Principles can be found on her website.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

John Chisum is a veteran songwriter, recording artist, and coach, as well as founder and President of Nashville Christian Songwriters. He's also host of the popular podcast "Song Revolution with John Chisum."John recalls dating an African-American classmate while they were both in grade school and the racism they both encountered.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

At the age of 6, Jay is sitting alone watching a horror movie that frightens him. When he runs to his father and tells him why he is scared, his father tells Jay, "Son, just change the channel." Jay does this and is immediately relieved. Now, as an adult, when his mind races to all of the potential horrors that might happen in real life, he calls to mind his father's sage adviceTell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

Allie currently works in Democratic politics but has had a string of odd jobs along the way including camp counselor, olive picker, ice cream scooper, tour guide, and editor. She enjoys drinking coffee (always iced) and baking, playing and watching tennis, and spending all her nomadic time near the beach. One day she will get around to writing all the stories about her mom she wants to remember here: https://griefbabe.substack.com/.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

Woody Rini (they/them) is a nonbinary author and speaker who teaches "anti-self-help" methods. After a decade of failed "self help" attempts, Woody hit bottom and turned to support communities and therapists to heal. What started as a must for survival in mid-2021 has turned into multiple years of thriving growth, all as a result of asking for help instead of doing it alone. Woody now runs their own social support community, The Help Collective. Woody also offers coaching on executive functions like scheduling, task planning, and budgeting to creatives, queer folks, neurodiverse people, and anyone who is struggling to fit into the workaholic westernized culture we live in.You can find Woody's book here: https://bit.ly/helpimoverwhelmedYou can find Woody's free support group and other services on their website here: https://www.thehelpcollective.com/Woody and their spouse Preetha own an art business called Prints by Preetha where they sell empowering artwork that makes a difference. You can find their artwork here: https://www.printsbypreetha.com/Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

Vonda leads the Global Capital Strategies initiative, at the Center for Labor & a Just Economy at Harvard Law School, focusing on financial strategies in service of labor and human rights, and a just transition to a low carbon economy. She also supports the Capital Strategies for a Common Good initiative, researching ties between movements for workers' rights, environmental justice, and racial justice. Prior to joining CLJE, she led the Just Transition project and co-founded the Trustee Leadership Forum for Retirement Security (TLF) at the Initiative for Responsible Investment at the Harvard Kennedy School. Before her work at Harvard, Vonda was the Director of the Capital Stewardship Program at Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which was created to engage the capital markets and financial institutions in innovative ways. Prior to her time with SEIU, Vonda worked as a community organizer in Chicago, New York, and Boston with the Industrial Areas Foundation. She earned her B.A. from Calvin College and A.M. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Hannah Rehak is a comedian, essayist, podcaster and filmmaker. She is the Communications Manager at Not Sorry Productions, an understudy at The Second City, the producer of Material Girls and Gender Playground, and the co-host of Nina, Hannah, and Emily in Paris. Hannah is a proud Chicago Public Schools and Macalester College alum with a background in critical race theory and media and cultural studies. She has spent time in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Morocco, New York and Chicago working in the performing arts and new media. You can learn more about her and see her work at hannahrehak.com.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

Ben Joravsky Staff Writer, Chicago Reader Investigative Reporter, Author and Host of the Ben Joravsky Show Podcast. Ben Joravsky is a prize winning journalist whose piece about Chicago's Roosevelt High School was chosen as one of 1992's outstanding sports articles.Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day's stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky or on the Reader's YouTube channel—or wherever you podcast. Don't miss Oh, What a Week!--the Friday feature in which Ben & special guests review the week's top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.Ben in his own word's:I moved to Chicago in 1981 and have been writing about local politics ever since. I started freelancing for the Reader in the early 1980s and became a full-time staff writer in 1990.Since 2003, I've zeroed in on larger citywide matters, with a special interest in exposing municipal financing scams, most notably tax increment financing and the the city's proposal to bring the Olympics to Chicago. I've also written dozens of profiles and features, including my year with the Roosevelt High School boys basketball team, which was included in the Best American Sports Writing Anthology.I've written five books, including Hoop Dreams and The Greens, which I cowrote with Rick Stone. I've won many journalism prizes, including the 2010 Chicago Journalist of the Year Award from the Chicago Journalists Association and the 2010 Illinois Journalist of the Year Award from Northern Illinois University. Last but not least, I also write for The Third City, a daily humor blog that “rarely lies to the American people.”Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

Caleb Frankel, recalls the pain he experienced and the resilience he developed as a result of his parent's divorce. Caleb was seven at the time, and he became the protector of his younger brother while his parents frequently changed homes subsequent to their break up. Caleb recalls the sustaining love of his extended family and family friends that has helped him develop an "eternal optimism."Caleb Frankel is co-founder and COO at EarlyBird, a financial technology company and investing platform that empowers parents, family, and friends to collectively invest in the children they love, starting at the earliest age. Caleb was born and raised in Chicago, went to University of Illinois, and has spent over a decade as an operator and builder at multiple startups in his hometown.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

Gayle Petrillo recalls being a toddler, and experiencing a horrific accident that scarred her for life. While she and her mother were visiting a neighbor Gayle accidentally spilled an urn of scalding hot coffee on herself, causing burns over 40% of her body. After months in the hospital, Gayle spent her formative years with scars both internal and external.Born & raised in Albany, New York, Gayle has called Tucson home for 24 years. She has been married to her best friend and most avid supporter, Al, for 43 years.With over 35 years in healthcare leadership roles In 2017 Gayle launched First Impressions, an image consulting and career coaching firm because “We never get a second opportunity to make that all important first impression, on paper, in our virtual world, or in person.”Gayle enhances her clients' first impressions. From resumes, to presentation skills including eye contact, listening skills and body language to mock interviews, networking strategies, negotiation skills and business etiquette. She works with her clients' wardrobes ensuring their confidence shines no matter the occasion. Additionally, Gayle works with entrepreneurs to ensure they present the best they have to offer on their website, business card and other collateral.Gayle believes in mentoring our next generation of leaders and giving back to her community. Gayle donates time to local chambers of commerce and a variety of non-profit organizations including the Red Cross of Southern Arizona, Arizona Burn Foundation, Junior Achievement, Southern Arizona Diaper Bank and National Organization of Women Business Owners.Gayle's first book, The Accident and its Spanish counterpart, El Accidente was released in 2021. As a burn survivor from an accident as a toddler, she shares her story of being fearful of everyone and everything to becoming fearless. She has turned obstacles into positive outcomes and tackled many phobias in an attempt to gain and retain self-confidence.The Accident contains very personal stories told for the first time in the hopes that it will both encourage and support others with physical and emotional scars, to share their stories to help the healing process.You can contact Gayle Petrillo, MBA directly at: 6855 W. Ina RoadTucson AZ 85743 TEL: 602-621-0042 Email: gaylepetrillo@centurylink.netTell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.

Ellie Moller believes words are "Like magic spells." That is, what we say to one another often has the capacity to impact us in very powerful ways.As an 18 year old, Ellie returns from two months in Denmark and, while at a family gathering, her Aunt comments on the weight she has gained since being abroad.. Taking it to heart, Ellie immediately begins working out. She joins a gym, and unbeknownst to her boyfriend, family members and close acquaintances, she becomes bulimic. Two years later, Ellie meets a life coach and is able to help her understand the "stories she has told herself" and develop successful strategies to appreciate all aspects of a healthy body and lifestyle.Ellie is the Publishing Priestess at Majik Kids, a creative writer and designer of Dark Woods upcycled clothing. She lives in paradise on Salt Spring Island.Follow Ellie on instagram @collidesaltspringTell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her websiteGet Susan Salidor's One Little Act of Kindness Children's BookGet Susan Salidor's I've Got Peace in My Fingers Children's BookMore Information about other quality publications from our sponsor can be found on Sidelineinkpublishing.comThose interested in recording and saving your laughter for free and forever go to Laughsaver.com

Jon Taber recalls being ten and the tragedy of losing his thirteen year old brother, Luis Filipe to a drowning accident. Jon expresses his grief through a poem he wrote, and discovers that his school won't allow him to include it as part of a science fair presentation.Jon Taber is an Internal Audit professional and host of the AUDIT 15 FUN podcast. The podcast assists Internal Audit professionals across the globe, having reached 140 countries as of March 2023.In his reflection,Jon makes reference to the book, The Rabbit Listened.Tell Me What Happened features the music of Susan Salidor.More information about Susan Salidor can be found at her website

Raised by a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Hope Rehak shares her powerful perspective on the impact religious fundamentalism can have on friendships and relationships. In this childhood memory, Hope recalls being recruited for a religious summer camp by a third grade classmate, who is worried Hope may wind up in hell if she doesn't convert.Hope Rehak is a comic and writer whose work has appeared online, in print, and on stages in Chicago, New York, LA, Glasgow, Malmo, and Copenhagen. She sometimes appears onstage as well. Hope has been honored to teach on occasion and hopes to do it again soon.Tell Me What Happened features the musical talents of Susan SalidorMore information about Susan Salidor can be found at her website

While on a childhood vacation on Mackinac Island, Michigan, eight year old Harker Jones and his younger sister are drawn by a caricature artist. The caricaturist draws and labels his little sister "cute," while drawing and labelling Harker as a "clown." For years, and until only very recently, those two images haunted him for as they hung on the wall of his family's home.Harker Jones grew up on a dirt road in Michigan in a town so small it doesn't to this day have a traffic light. He has written an Amazon #1 best-selling love story, “Until September,” and nine screenplays, revealing truths through humor and horror. His short thrillers “Cole & Colette” and “One-Hit Wonder” have been accepted into more than 60 film festivals combined, garnering several awards. He was managing editor of “Out” magazine for seven years, spent two in gay porn, and worked at Disney Publishing. He's a member of both the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Mensa, loves cats and carbs and would like to be a one-hit wonder but would settle for being killed in a slasher movie.

Tina El Gamal is an artist, educator, and arts administrator in Chicago. She believes in the power of a good story, and a good cup of coffee.Tina El Gamal (she/they) is a Chicago-based actor, director, educator, and arts administrator. They hold a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago.Recent acting credits include: Measure for Measure (u/s) (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); the U.S. premiere of Light Falls (u/s, perf.) (Steep Theatre); Passage (u/s, perf.) (Remy Bumppo); Young Playwrights Festival (Pegasus Theater); Twice, Thrice, Frice... u/s (Silk Road Rising); Much Ado About Nothing (Oak Park Festival Theatre); the Chicago premiere of I Call My Brothers (Interrobang Theatre Project), and the world premiere of Through the Elevated Line (u/s) (Silk Road Rising). Tina was featured in Newcity Mag's Players 50 2022. When she isn't performing and directing for stages across Chicago, Tina serves as the Managing Director of Jackalope Theatre Company. She is represented by Big Mouth Talent. You can find her on insta @streetlightcleopatra."

Dr. Kaci is an intuitive thought provoking leader, licensed as a Mediator, Life & Sex Coach with over 7 disciplines, Earned a Bachelors in Applied Management & Psychology before being honored with a Doctorate Degree for her work & book introducing a new area of psychology: Spiritual Human Behavior. Dr. Kaci has been working as a Life Coach for 10+ years; she's an Author of 16 books and workbooks. But her favorite accomplishment is being a mom & community leader, taking pride in growing and shifting the world into Healing & Wholeness with Love. Her podcast, Speaking Freedom TV has Reached over 650k viewers during the 12 Seasons and counting that it has aired,

Russ Klettke grew up in a small town in upstate New York. From an early age, Russ realized creative thinking was one key to success. An award winning writer, Russ learned a lesson in 6th grade by choosing to write an original essay over a conventional one. Russ tells the story and explains how it has made all the difference in his life.Russ Klettke is a freelance journalist based in Chicago covering energy and the environment, as well as a business writer for hire by companies and not-for-profit organizations. His book on nutrition, 'A Guy's Gotta Eat,' was published in 2004 and was endorsed by the American Library Association.

John Lee Dumas, known to his millions of listeners as "JLD," tells the story of being eight years old on a Colorado ski trip with his father and a number of older men. Young JLD, who's been admonished not to slow down the group, winds up assisting one of the older skiers. His reflection on the memory ends with what Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast listeners have come to know as one of John's "value bombs."John Lee Dumas is the founder and host of the award winning podcast, Entrepreneurs On Fire. With over 100 million listens of his 3000+ episodes, JLD has turned Entrepreneurs On Fire into a media empire that generates over a million listens every month and 7-figures of NET annual revenue 8-years in a row. His first traditionally published book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success is the modern day version of Think and Grow Rich with a revolutionary 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment. Learn more at UncommonSuccessBook.com

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Alanna Bennett was Initially unaware of the difficult economic circumstances she and her mother faced each day. Over time, however, Alanna understood that most of her grade school classmates didn't participate in the free lunch program, nor did they avail themselves to the second hand shoes and clothing that school administrators offered her. Only after breaking her arm in a skateboard accident as a ten year old, did the living circumstances of Alanna's life slowly begin to change.Alanna Bennett is a screenwriter and culture writer living in Los Angeles. She's written movies and been in writers rooms, and her journalistic work can be found in BuzzFeed News, the New York Times, The Cut, Vulture, Teen Vogue, Eater, and more.

To the chagrin of her seemingly devout Catholic grandmother, Molly Dunn's parents decided not to baptize their children. Family discord and many uncomfortable moments followed. Years later, while Molly was a teenager, her grandmother reveals that she (the grandmother) has not been to confession in 35 years. Molly is shocked to learn that her grandmother wasn't quite as Catholic as Molly had assumed.Molly Dunn is a disabled writer and former student of mine. She has worked in the US Senate, earned a graduate degree from Oxford, and spent time in a Chicago psych ward. Her weekly podcast, Ketamine Insights, explores mental illness and psychedelic medicine from a patient's perspective.Molly Dunn's sestina dedicated to her grandmotherUs, TogetherThe two of us were alone togetherTwice in our lives, sick,We each took a turn, we caredFor the other, we lovedActively. To me, she was more than GrandmaAnd in death, I find that she is not gone.Tomorrow they say she'll be 12 years goneAnd only today I realized that we were togetherWhen I had scarlet fever, that it was GrandmaWho sat by my side. Confident, competent with the sick.It was happenstance, my parents worked, but her loveWould mean the world for decades. Her careWould be a hope, a prize, I caredSo much about her judgements, still ringing years after she's gone.She was so mean. But I knew. I knew about her love.Because she'd nod at me, quickly, in approval. Because we'd been togetherWhen I was sick.I didn't see until today that it had been Grandma.When, after years, I came home and hugged my Grandma,Felt how frail she had become, it took my breath. I caredAnd I stayed with her then. I held her, sick,Until, only months later, she was gone.I would dream for years of us - back togetherHealthy or sick, confident and competent in our love.My memories of her taught me the thing about love.How it travels not just distance but time. Grandma,Who surely baptized me in secret, who, togetherWith so many of us, hid - through drink - our caring,Our pain, our loneliness for each other. In a way, she was often gone.In a way, we were both so sickAll along. The kind of sickOne lives with, despite love, because of love.We thought she'd never die. Now, 12 years “gone,”When I love, when I turn my Claudagh inward, I think of Grandma.Me and her, we do nothing more than care.That's not an easy way to be. Thank God we're in this together.Molly DunnNovember 12, 2021

Jeff Salidor recalls moving out of his parent's home at a young age, shortly after his mother has been diagnosed with cancer. Deciding to move back in with his parents four months later, Jeff has a short conversation with his father that he carries with him to this day.Jeff Salidor is a Day Trader, Pattern Technician and former Restauranteur & Beverage Industry Importer. He is also a CBD Distributor and Wholesaler.

At the age of 19, Timothy (aka Tim) has an experience that he's convinced is his personal rom-com 'meet cute' event. His humorous attempt to ask out a college classmate that he believes fate has chosen for him is both poignant and instructive.Timothy Bernard Felton is a comedian, improviser, actor, husband and dad. In his work, Tim likes to explore the entire range of emotions as a way of highlighting the humor contained in each. If he can't laugh today about the thing he was crying about yesterday … then life may be just too dang hard. If you want to catch him live around Chicago, you can find and follow him @timothyfeltoncomedy on instagram.

Keyante Aytch, co-founder and President of Sunbend Solar, recalls a childhood shaped by the Power Rangers superhero television show. Together with grade school friends, Keyante studies and replicates the action heroes throughout his childood. Later, he comes to believe that "Some of the best technology is indistinguishable from magic."Keyante Aytch is motivated by his passion for environmental stewardship and is effortful in providing education on sustainable living practices in urban areas. Keyante has a background as a certified solar installation technician and has pioneered solar power stations in urban agricultural landscapes.

Mark Renz is lifelong educator, with 51 years of formal teaching and learning, both in Chicago's Catholic and Public schools. He is married with a wonderful wife and daughter. In this episode of "Tell Me What Happened, Mark recalls how his journey to become a history teacher began back in a Catholic elementary school as a consequence of a very influential lay teacher. Shout out to Marian Hesek, wherever she may be.

Thom Clark, peace activist and media specialist, recalls being motivated by his friend, Roland Radford, a military veteran, to try and stop the Vietnam War.Thom Clark is a volunteer with the Investigative Project on Race and Equity. A former co-host of the weekly Live from the Heartland radio show on Loyola's WLUW 88.7 FM, he's also lectured on media and American Culture in UIC ‘s Corporate MBA program, working with cohorts of Chinese health professionals. He served on the steering committee of Network 49, an independent political organization of the 49th Ward in Chicago's Far North Side Rogers Park neighborhood, where he and his family have resided for over 30 years.For over 25 years, Thom was president & co-founder of the Community Media Workshop (now Public Narrative) where he helped journalists and hundreds of NGOs annually improve media coverage of Chicago's neighborhoods. He also taught in the graduate journalism program at Columbia College Chicago.Thom hosted a weekly Community Media & You CAN TV cable show for eight years and co-hosted the weekly WNUA radio show City Voices for 15 years. In addition to a comprehensive annual media guide to hundreds of outlets and thousands of journalists, under his direction the Workshop orchestrated major media campaigns around the 1996 Democratic Convention, Local School Councils, the 2013 NATO Summit and ethnic media. He co-authored three seminal reports for the Chicago Community Trust on The NEWnews: Journalism We Want & Need.During his 40 years as an editor, photojournalist and social enterprise entrepreneur in Chicago's nonprofit sector, Thom developed affordable housing for Voice of the People in Uptown; co-founded and directed the Chicago Rehab Network; served as editor of award-winning monthly, The Neighborhood Works published by the Center for Neighborhood Technology; co-authored a weekly photo column for The Chicago Reader; and worked as a newsletter editor and photojournalist, before co-founding the Workshop in 1989.Thom was one of Business and Professional People's “40 Who've Made a Difference;” he's received the Chicago Headline Club's Peter Lisagor Award; and he gained a Studs Terkel Community Media Award from the Workshop for his journalistic leadership.On April 29, 1971, Thom & three colleagues poured blood on 500 draft board records in Evanston, Illinois, used in recruiting soldiers to fight in Vietnam. Later, The Four of Us, successfully defended themselves in federal court, gaining acquittals from a jury on three counts and later winning the fourth conspiracy count on appeal.

Michelle L. Holleman has spent a great deal of her life deeply involved in her community. Currently a Highland Park City Councilwoman, Michelle traces her activism back to an experience she had as a first grader, when she became interested in the Girl Scouts and pleaded with her mother to form a Brownie troop. Despite limited time and means, as well as a lack of experience as a troop leader, Michelle's mother honored her daughter's request, and as a consequence, instilled in young Michelle a commitment to civic mindedness and the importance of volunteerism.Michelle L. Holleman is a grassroots community organizer and volunteer currently serving her second term as an elected Councilman for the City of Highland Park. She has 30 years of experience in marketing communications, with a focus on storytelling, editing, and project management. She currently serves as the Director of Communications for the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund and previously worked as the associate director of marketing at Lake Forest College and began her career as a publications editor at the Graduate School at Northwestern University. Michelle earned her MSEd from Northwestern and has a BA in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Married for 30 years to the love of her life, Tom Holleman, together they have three adult children who are their greatest source of pride and joy.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Tom Avitabile was intrigued by the power of computers at a young age. One day, while skipping school at the ripe age of 14, Tom visited a Manhattan office high rise in search of customers for a computer program he had designed. As he exited the elevator on the 5th floor of the building, Tom saw famed crooner Dean Martin, hunched over a monitor, editing a video with the actor Frank Gorshin. Before being asked to leave, Tom stumbled into the NBC news studio where he was inadvertently put to work running ticker tape news copy to the radio and tv anchors. What followed was a career in news, advertising, writing, and directing that has spanned five decades.TOM AVITABILE, former Senior V.P./Creative Director at a New York advertising firm, is a writer, director, and producer with numerous film and television credits. He has an extensive background in engineering and computers, including work on projects for the House Committee on Science and Technology, which helped lay the foundation for “The Eighth Day,” his first novel. The subsequent series had two #1 best sellers including his latest number one, “Give Us This Day” which hit #1 twice, is being released in audio by Podium. And the 5th installment featuring his kick ass, female agent, Brooke Burrell, “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” is ready for fall 2021 release by The Story Plant. His dark psycho-sexual thriller, “The Devil's Quota,” also achieved # 1. His current 2022 release, “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” has already garnered critical acclaim and many 5-star ratings Tom recently became 2021 SOVAS finalist best “Voice Over – Thriller” as the narrator and producer of the audio book, “Ultimate Betrayal” by Joe Badal, released through Blackstone Audio. Tom is the Founder of the Academy of Creative Skills • Instructor of the on-line course: From Writer to Author. In his spare time, Tom is a professional musician and an amateur woodworker.

When Dr. Neely was two years old, his father was locked away in prison and his mother passed away. Raised by his grandmother who was raising a dozen children of her own, young Philip spent his childhood surrounded by the devastating impact of drugs and alcohol on a family.After numerous run-ins with the police, as well as poor school attendance and brushes with juvenile detention, young Philip's life begins to change after Winfred Jordan, his childhood friend, encourages him to join the high school track team, At that point, things begin to change. Earning a scholarship to a Division III school, Neely spends three years winning numerous track awards before leaving school to study law enforcement. A life long learner, Neely returns to school in subsequent years and builds a stellar career in law enforcement he could hardly have imagined as a boy.Dr. Phillip R. Neely, Jr., is a 22-year career law enforcement officer having served in progressively responsible leadership and field positions in local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, Dr. Neely is currently working in education, instructing, advising, and mentoring adult learners.

From his earliest days growing up on the West Side of Chicago in the 1950's, Marty Pick had an interest in politics. At the age of 12, Marty and his 13 year old friend Howard volunteer for various Presidential Candidates during the 1952 Democratic National Convention held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago. The two middle schoolers spend a week of their summer marching, shouting and singing around Michigan Avenue for all four of the potential nominees: Adlai Stevenson from Illinois, Estes Kefauver from Tennessee, Richard Russell from Georgia, and W. Averell Harriman from New York. In return for their efforts, the boys are given all of the pop and food they can eat and a bit of a political education.Marty Pick, who retired in 2004, had a succession of jobs at Hull House, including program director for kids and teens, day care social worker, and day care director. He finished up as a social worker for the Chicago Department of Aging.

By the time Travis Koury was 14, his hard working single mother and his 10 year old sister had lived in countless apartments and living conditions. Because his mother worked as a bartender in the evenings to make ends meet, the two children had become, in Travis's words, 'feral', enjoying an independence from rules and obligations. When the family moves in with his mother's boyfriend, a small town construction contractor, things change. Rules are established and Travis and his sister are given daily chores. On an early Saturday morning, the mother's boyfriend wakes the children and demands they spend the day distributing flyers for his contracting business. Distraught, Travis and his sibling make short work of the long day's assignment.Travis Koury is a ceramics teacher and student at Lillstreet Art Street Center. He creates small-batch, functional ceramics for LuckyDuck Pottery.

Thomas Liebert a voracious childhood reader, searches for ancient artifacts and makes historic connections in his backyard in Albany, New York and while on a family vacation to the Scottish island where Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned.

In an effort to soften the blow of divorce on her two young children, Randy's mother invites the duo to each to pick out a toy at.a local store. Randy's eight year old sister picks out a doll while Randy picks out a hockey helmet. Randy recalls wearing the helmet home, although he had never played hockey nor had an interest in the sport.An attorney and award-winning journalist, Randy Richardson is a founding member and first president of the nonprofit Chicago Writers Association. He is the first male recipient of the National Federation of Press Women's Communicator of Achievement Award and was named to NewCity's 2019 “Lit 50: Who Really Books in Chicago” list. His essays have been published in the anthologies Chicken Soup for the Father and Son Soul, Humor for a Boomer's Heart, The Big Book of Christmas Joy, Storytellers' True Stories About Love, and Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year, as well as in numerous print and online journals. He is the author of two novels, Cheeseland and Lost in the Ivy, and coauthor of Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago's North Side Baseball Team, all from Eckhartz Press. His website is randyrichardson.co

Bill Ayers, renowned peace activist and social justice advocate, grew up during the idyllic '50's America, immediately after the end of World War II. A lover of movies, Bill spent his childhood weekends at the local cinema, admiring the characters portrayed by John Wayne and other American war "heroes." One day, while playing "war" in the streets with his friends, the police and firefighters of his town arrive in front of his house. Initially intrigued and excited by the commotion, Bill is transformed when "Jimmy," his eighteen year old neighbor, is brought out into the street on a stretcher, dead of a self-inflicted gun shot wound. Subsequently, Bill learns that Jimmy's distress was in part the result of being called into military service to fight in the Korean conflict.From that moment on, Bill no longer looked at war as a game to be played, but rather, as a tragedy with profound consequences.Bill Ayers, Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago (retired) has written extensively about social justice, democracy, and teaching as an essentially intellectual, ethical, and political enterprise. His books include About Becoming a Teacher; Teaching toward Freedom; and To Teach. He writes the podcast "Under the Tree: A Seminar on Freedom."

Kennedy Baldwin is a writer, improviser and actor based in Chicago Illinois.. In this episode of TMWH, Kennedy recalls being 14 years old and having two of her Black friends tell her she isn't Black. (She is - Her father is Black and her mother is Afro-Latina.) The experience has led Kennedy to a continuing quest of self-identity. (e.g., She's hellbent to learn Spanish.)

Anna Munson - Carpenter's childhood included a great deal of hard earned success. Highly disciplined and well practiced, Anna grew up as an accomplished athlete, academic, public speaker and musician. A four year starter on her high school softball team, a top student with the ability to speak with ease in front of thousands of people, as well as a first chair violist as a freshman, Anna was confident in her ability to succeed in all that she attempted. In this podcast, Anna tells the story of the first time she experienced uncharacteristic uncertainty and hesitation. While at a music competition, in front of friends and family, Anna freezes, bursts into tears and is unable to play a single note. This momentary lapse leads Anna to the ultimate insight that has helped her as in ICU nurse: it's perfectly all right to share responsibilities with others who may have talents equal or greater to her own.

Bree Lind is an actor and writer from Seguin, TX. She appears in Jordan Peele's Candyman, Showtime's Work In Progress, and on improvisational stages in Chicago. With her parents and older brother steeped in the joys of rodeo, Bree recalls her disastrous first ride on a horse as a five year old. As her father accompanies her on a Texas horse trail, Bree keeps asking him to make the horse go faster. The rest of the story is reason enough the saddle that her parents bought for her on eBay was only used once.

Ed Dziedzic taught history in the Chicago Public Schools and worked on the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. He is a great believer in the power of music and serendipity to change lives. In this childhood memory, Ed recalls discovering the blues through old record albums and two blues harmonicas that his older brother left behind when he moved out of the family house. Ed takes us through his teenage days visiting Chicago's infamous Maxwell Street open street market. He explains how the music he heard at that outdoor trading post impacted his life in ways he could not have imagined. In the end, Ed's story is a personal love story told with one of Chicago's most famous historic neighborhoods as a backdrop.

Ed Dziedzic taught history in the Chicago Public Schools and worked on the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. He is a great believer in the power of music and serendipity to change lives.

Michelle Gunderson, an early childhood educator and expert in the field, recalls having had a place to play when she was young and the importance of having such a place is for all children. Linking her own childhood to her teaching, Michelle reminds parents and educators not to suffer from "Childhood Amnesia." Ms. Gunderson notes that on her tombstone, she'd like it to read, "She Let Them Play."