Good Stories + Live in Berkeley + Online
Songs can be life lines
Hello wonderful human,
I've been immersed in inspiring stories lately.
Did you know the oak trees of Louisiana stood strong through Hurricane Katrina, unbroken by the storm? Leah Song and her sister Chloe Smith
of Rising Appalachia are singing about them. “Songs can be lifelines,” Leah shared, reflecting on the process of creating and singing after witnessing powerful storms.
There’s a particular kind of story that I love—stories about everyday people simply living their lives until they see something they care about deeply. Something that seems too big to take on. And yet, a portal of possibility opens. They see one thing they can do—and they do it.
I can’t stop thinking about the guy who owned a burger joint in New Jersey and became a self-appointed ambassador to North Korea.
In Eating with the Enemy: How I Waged Peace with North Korea from My BBQ Shack in Hackensack, authors Kurt Pitzer and Robert Egan tell a wild and unexpected story.
In the early 1990s, Robert Egan, a restless restaurant owner slinging hamburgers in New Jersey, decided to insert himself into the high-stakes diplomatic battles between the United States and North Korea. That’s right—he made himself an ambassador, not because it was his job, but because he saw a need and had the passion to take action. When he learned what was truly needed in North Korea, he created a dentist ambassadors program to help build positive relations between the two countries.
Not because anyone asked him to.
Not because he was an expert.
But because he had the imagination—and the guts—to make it possible.
This book is wildly entertaining, and Egan is a true character. If you're looking for something to lift your spirits and drop your jaw, this is a great read.
2 Live Events:
Online + in Berkeley, CA
ONLINE: 1 Day Creative Intensive:
MYTH, MAGIC & MEDICINE:
STORYTELLING
AS A TOOL FOR PERSONAL & GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION:
A reintroduction to how sacred storytelling can open hearts, heal the world, and change the story.
This creative intensive offers the skills and tools to navigate changing times by activating your creativity, expanding your imagination, engaging your personal power, and being witnessed in community.
Live Storytelling Event in Berkeley this Sunday:
People of The Whale: An Evening of Storytelling
Berkeley, Private Residence
Sunday March 30th, 6pm-8pm
“To survive, you must tell stories.”
― Umberto Eco
Thanks for the Osk Tree story 🩵🪶