Back in January, writer Marie Javins and I met up on the Lower East Side to attend a monthly travel event at Bluestockings, a radical bookstore and activist hangout on Allen St. We were treated to live storytelling from three travelers, who shared tales about clowns in Africa, artists in Amsterdam and tall bikes in Thailand, which seemed to be the crowd favorite that night (because of the monkeys…but I digress…)
Where Have You Been? is a monthly storytelling event that was started last year by Jeff Stark, interviewer extraordinaire and “dork” behind the Nonsense NYC newsletter (pictured above in the hat). He created this monthly venue for travelers to share personal stories of adventure and activism with other globally-minded folks, as well as those who may just not get the chance (or have the desire) to go very far. Stark’s style definitely reminded me of Ira Glass, and I liked the way he introduced each guest, moderated the Q & A, and connected the three unique stories around a common theme. (Which I can’t quite remember now, but it was clever…)
No matter, the important news to share is that the next Where Have You Been? is coming up this Wednesday, and one of the three featured guests will be the one and only Marie Javins, just back from Cairo, with a huge arsenal of personal travel tales to choose from. Maybe she’ll share something from her African adventures? Or her epic 2001 World Tour? She’s currently pondering this exact question. Feel free to weigh in and help her decide. And be sure to stop by Bluestockings on April 18th at 7 pm to hear Marie and the other storytellers. A parting tip: arrive early if you want a seat, the place was packed when we attended in January.