“Story Night matters to me because I think it might be one of the last places on Earth where people listen for understanding. It’s that simple, but it is also this profound: strangers gather, someone gets up on stage with something to share, and tiny glimmers or huge lightning bolts of connection are made. Then, we aren’t such strangers anymore.” - Kim in Poulsbo
First Thursday of every month
Storytelling begins at 7 p.m. (Come early to order dinner.
Cloverleaf Sports Bar & Grill
1240 Hollis Street, Bremerton, WA 98310
cloverleafsbg.com
Why Storytelling?
Storytelling is probably one of the earliest forms of entertainment in the history of humans.
Storytelling connects us to people we don’t know. Consequently, our beliefs about broader issues, identities, lifestyles and life’s triumphs and mistakes go from abstract to human. If we’re not careful, storytelling makes us empathetic.
If the doomsayers are correct and one day all the power shuts down, then much of our entertainment will be what we can do in person, like sing or dance around the campfire. And telling stories.
Why wait until then?
If nothing else, it’s fun. It’s more fun than you might imagine. Come see for yourself.
How Story Night Began
For years, through personal essay writing and listening to killer podcasts, I became enamored with personal storytelling heard on shows like This American Life, The Tobolowsky Files, Snap Judgment, to some degree The Vinyl Cafe and finally The Moth. It’s that last show I probably enjoyed the most, because of the live storytelling.
I wasn’t alone. Coworkers at the Kitsap Sun, a newspaper of some heft at the time, and I discussed the shows and wondered aloud how to create a storytelling event in Bremerton.
We started planning, but then a group on Bainbridge Island hosted a couple of events and we stalled.
It took coworker and Kitsap legend Josh Farley to ask, “What can I do to help you get this started?” to make it happen. He connected us with the owners of the Manette Saloon. We held three events there, beginning in October 2014. The Manette got us in touch with Sarah Jaffa at Kitsap Regional Library and a partnership was formed. We then moved to The Cloverleaf Sports Bar and Grill, where we’ve been (pandemic months excluded) ever since.