I just listened to some amazing storytelling. On Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviewed investigative reporter Robin Fields and Dr. Barry Straube, the director and chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare on What Dialysis Taught Us About Universal Health Care.

And then I heard Neal Conan talking with Laura Sullivan, National Public Radio’s police and prisons correspondent and Beau Hodai, freelance journalist covering private prisons about How Corporate Interests Got SB 1070 Passed on Talk of the Nation (a piece that all Arizonan’s should listen to.)

Both of these excellent radio hosts ask the kinds of questions that evoke stories from their guests. So in addition to presenting facts, they tell stories about how things work, and the listener gets more of a complete picture. It’s especially important on radio where there is no visual and everything needs to be explained.

I’m a big radio fan. In addition to listening in real time, I’ve discovered podcasts where I can download episodes of my favorite shows to my computer and ipod for free. That way I don’t have to miss anything, I can plug in on my own time schedule.

My present line up is Story Corps, This American Life, Science Friday, Fresh Air and The Moth. I change them around occasionally to keep myself amused.

More listening and less panic will help us put Islam and Muslims in perspective.

This article is from Kathy Hansen’s blog,  A Storied Career, reprinted with her permission:

I went to Lunafest (short films by, for and about women) last night at the the Loft Cinema in an audience of about 300. Lunafest’s stated mission is to “celebrate and inspire women through the art of film and community fundraising”.  All proceeds from this fundraiser benefited Women’s Studies Advisory Council (WOSAC) and The Breast Cancer Fund, both UA programs.

It reminded me of the February 20, 2005 Breast Cancer Stories at Odyssey Storytelling. That year it was a much smaller crowd.  I was working in collaboration with a now defunct grassroots women’s organization; there was little publicity for the films and the theme of the storytelling evening seem to scare people away.

The audience was sparse but the 30 or so people who where there were treated to inspiring, sad, humorous, horrifying and uplifting stories.  The brave and amazing tellers that night were Amy Weintraub, Mickey Monroe, Tom Anway, Mary Wilson, Meera and Lisa Levine.  Donations were made to Susan G. Koman & Wingspan Breast Health Project and the art that graced the program, I See Them Everywhere, was generously donated by Susanne Gillatt.

Is the difference in audience size the fact that a large and established group did a great job of organized the show or is it because talking about and raising money for breast cancer has become so much more accepted in these 5 years?  Pink bracelets and ribbons may be annoying but they do “tell a story” if we like it or not.

I believe that the courageous people who have stepped forth to share their personal experiences with breast cancer, at a time when the words could just be whispered, have been instrumental in breaking down barriers and challenging taboos.  I am convinced that the heightened level of awareness and the “human face” on the disease has been a contributing factor to increased funding and research on breast cancer.

How has stepping out and telling your story changed the world?