We made itā€”the dumpster fire that was 2016 is doneā€”and the flood of new year’s resolutions seems to be running faster and deeper than usual this year. Even more so, it seems like folks are breaking free and dumping old baggage that held them back last year. That’s what today’s story is all aboutā€”the complexities embedded in all the commitments we make to ourselves and to othersā€”and how sometimes, letting them all fall apart is the most compassionate thing to do.

This story comes from one of our favorite storytellers, Janae Burris. Janae is a comedian, actor, and a member of the comedy group the Pussy Bros. This story was recorded live on 20 January, 2016 at Buntport Theater in Denver, Colorado. The theme of the evening was “Promise.”

Hereā€™s to new years and new promises. Enjoy.

Weā€™ve announced the themes for 2017, so be sure to check them out. The first theme of the new year will be ā€œDropping the Ballā€ on 10 January in San Diego and 18 January in Denver. See you there!

Todayā€™s story comes from Rachel Weeks. Rachel is a comedian, writer, actor, and member of the Denver comedy group the Pussy Bros. This story was originally recorded on 20 July 2016 at Buntport Theater in Denver, Colorado. The theme of the evening was ā€œPop!ā€

There is only one show left in 2016 and we want to see you thereā€”8pm on 21 December at Buntport Theater in Denver. The theme will be “Parent’s Just Don’t Understand.” And, speaking of themes, we’ve just announced all of our monthly themes for 2017, so check ’em out!

We here at The Narrators talk a lot about the role of empathy in the show’s success. The Narrators is, at its core, a community building enterprise, and one that is built on the premise of people wanting to connect to each other. The simple act of sharing stories allows that. It builds empathy and it erases the cultural practice of abstracting people.

Make no mistakeā€”we do live in a culture that abstracts people into binaries that behave predictably according to that which we ascribe to them. Our culture works hard to strip people of their basic humanity because fuck, man, holding a nuanced view of people is really hard.

At our most aspirational, this show works to illuminate the humanity in all of us, and so that is what we will continue to do. We plan on doubling down in the coming months, planning events with and sending our support to other organizations who work tirelessly to assert and elevate the humanity and dignity of people who are far too often kept at the margins by the ruling classes. And in this work we hope to affirm and re-affirm that, although we are fully committed to finding common ground for all of us, we are also fully committed to confronting racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, white supremacy, and ableism. In other words, there will be no high fives for bullshit.

We look forward to sharing with you in the coming year, and we have some exciting things coming down the pike, including the themes for our 2017 shows. Stay tuned here and on our Facebook page for more as it develops.Ā We have just two shows left in 2016. Our San Diego show is on the 13th at Tiger! Tiger! Tavern and our Denver show is on the 21st at Buntport Theater. The theme for both shows is “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

Now for this week’s episode: After a miserable yet hilarious cross-country car trip, Brooke Pillifant was propelled out of the world of teaching mathematics into the world of storytelling. She has performed with Speakeasy DC, Mortified, RISK!, Austin Writer Roulette, Dallasā€™ Oral Fixation, and at several backyard story nights. Currently, Brooke has founded a nonprofit, Down South Word of Mouth, dedicated to merging her love of social justice with storytelling to provide a voice for those who often go unheard in our communities. And when she isnā€™t on stage, she occupies her time with four kids, shooting pool, roadside adventures, and welding.

Brooke’s story was recorded live at Tiger!Tiger! Tavern on 11 October 2016; the theme of the show was “Tricks!”

Today’s story comes from Malkah Duprix. Malkah is a singer and guitarist with the band Paper Perfect Girls. Her story was recorded live on 17 August 2016 at Buntport Theater in Denver Colorado; the theme of the evening was “Naked.”

We just have two shows left in 2016ā€”13 December in San Diego and 21 December in Denver. The theme of those shows will be “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” Be sure to check our website or our Facebook page for more details and keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about our 2017 schedule in the coming weeks.

Today’s episode comes to you from Kirsten Imani Kasai, a novelist, poet, and essayist. She has mountains of work available through her website, and is also the fiction editor and publisher of Body Parts Magazine: The Journal of Horror & Erotica.

Our theme for November is “Overindulgence,” and it’s worth noting that we have canceled our November 8th show in San Diego at Tiger! Tiger! Tavern because that date also happens to be one of national, nay, intergalactic importance. This elections season has been interminably long and incredibly painful, and after much hand-wringing we have decided that we want to encourage people to vote, to help getting others to vote, and then to watch the fruits of that labor be tallied and announced to the world on November 8th. Even though we love the respiteĀ and warmth that a good story can provide as counterpoint to politics, we feel that this election is too important to offer distraction from. Let’s all dive headlong into the hope for a better tomorrow. Our November show in Denver is on November 16th at Buntport Theater and then both cities will resume regular programming come December.

Also, stay tuned for news of our 2017 themes as well. Your faithful hosts are whittling down the list and are excited to share them with the good people. We hope to do that in the coming days.