Rabbit Box

Eight storytellers made the trek “Into the Wild” in April.  This one took a break from our usual Melting Point haunts.  Instead, “Into the Wild” happened in front of a fire at Sandy Creek Park just north of Athens on hwy 441.  About 190 sat in front of a toasty fire, roasted s’mores, and listened to storytelling done just like in olden times, before our species started “writing things down” or “checking Netflix suggestions.”  The following is the first half of the program.  The second half, through some mysterious technological glitch, must remain “in the wild.”

Sadly, due to a technical glitch, we were not able to record all the stories that night.  Someone did happen to record the final story of the evening, by the wonderful Russell Cutts.  Watch for the fire at the end.  It comes out of thin air.

Something from the archives, originally uploaded in 2013.

The magic of Rabbit Box does not happen in a vacuum. It takes the help of the Melting Point, you our supporting audience, our media supporters, Nina Kelly preparing food for the storytellers, Kristen preparing our wonderful poster design, David capturing the magic by camera, Mary and Pat’s coaching, Matthew’s outreach, Roger’s MC’ing, and our director Marci’s tireless communication and organization – not to mention so many helping hands (and mouths) pitching in small ways to bring it all together. Join us April 10th as we go “Into the Wild” at Sandy Creek Park.  Also, consider telling your tale for one of our upcoming months including “Silver Box: Living History,” “Guns: A True Story from My Life,” “Down the Rabbit Hole” and “On Tour with the Band” by dropping a note to Marci here. Until then!

Thanks to all the storytellers who made March 13th’s show “Saved!” so funny, charming, hair-raising, and beautiful.

Rebecca McCarthy’s large, loving extended family originated in Alabama but now spreads across the country from Alaska to Maine. All of them liked to tell jokes and stories. Her mother loved to read and write poetry and tell stories, and so does she. Rebecca grew up in South Carolina and Montana, where she was friends with Norman Maclean, who was a beautiful storyteller.

Matt Shedd is a writer. He works as a reporter and Morning Edition anchor for WUGA-FM. He also writes, voices, and produces radio stories on literary, music, and arts events for the station. He started the arts and culture website A MISSING AMERICA. He is also a featured contributor to No Depression: The Roots Music Authority. He is happily married to Carissa Balderas and owns a scrappy little dog named Emma. He’s writing a book about his ancestors who lived varied lives as American pioneers, Civil War soldiers, South American missionaries, explorers, linguists, theologians, and heavy drinkers.

Ira Roth spent more than 20 years as a ‘country veterinarian’ in Albany, Georgia before he moved to the big city (Athens) 3 years ago to teach at the veterinary school. He took a big pay cut, works twice as many hours, and volunteered for the job, so that should tell you how brilliant he is.  He now gets to teach students how to avoid the mistakes he made in practice. Ira’s saving grace is his wonderful wife Julie and two incredible daughters, Anna and Claire.

Ansley Hayes was raised in a bunch of places not very far from each other in Flowery Branch, GA. She moved to Athens in 2009, did not die in the streets, and now calls this place home. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2012 with a BA in English and Creative Writing and aspires to be a sexuality educator and researcher. For now she can be found talking too loud while working in the Main Library on campus by day and attending to the whims of two former dumpster cats by night. Peace and blessin’s.

Jan Turner is a newcomer to Athens. A freelance writer, she has had a longtime interest in human culture, especially intercultural communication. She says that she approaches other cultures “as a student, with humility and respect.” This is her first time telling a story in public (thank you, Pat Priest, for the coaching!).

Alex White is a native of St. Petersburg, FL: birthplace of scheduled aviation and deathplace of Jack Kerouac. Vocationally speaking he has worn many hats, including those of cook (toque), farmer (brim), bike messenger (helmet), and, most recently, nurse (cap).  He enjoys physical and mental exercise of various forms. He enjoys being in the mountains or by the sea. Mostly, though, he enjoys being with his wife, Marci (the founder of Rabbit Box) and six-year-old daughter, Harper.

Elizabeth Alder is a 30-year veteran of Hatha yoga, massage, and the healing arts. In 1977 she received her first certification in Healing Arts from the Metaphysical Research and Education Foundation in St. Petersburg, FL. In that same year she received her yoga instructor’s certification. Since that time she has studied and practiced Therapeutic Massage, Yoga Therapy and Healing Touch as well as Color Light Healing with neurologist Dr. Robert Hasinger in Italy, England, and Switzerland.  She lives in Athens and is owned by 3 cats.

Robert Alan Black has been traveling the world since he took his first trip around his 5-year-old world in 1949 by daring to travel completely around his block one day in Detroit, venturing to places he had only seen from the backseat of his father’s car. He has used the nickname or sign-on “WanderingAlan” since he first joined the Internet in 1990. He has wandered the United States (49 states out of 50) and the world (86 countries so far) – and wandered in other ways as well, starting nine degrees and finishing five and working 49 jobs (and 9 professions) in the past 52 years.

We had a marvelous pre-Valentine’s Day February 13 at The Melting Point.  The theme was “Duets.”  Two storytellers took the stage at once!  Couples, best friends, nemeses, and other strange and wondrous combinations.  Certain truths came to light as we witnessed two waltz, juggle, and grapple their way through a story together.

Thanks to all the storytelling teams: Wick Prichard & Andie Bisceglia, Jenifer Strickland & Katelyn Binder, Doug Job & Angela Pfile, Beth Kozinsky & Laurie Norris, Katherine Edmonds & Marcia Snyder, Charlie & Nancy Hartness, Amy & Linda Watts. Also thanks to Kate Morrissey who joined Roger Stahl on MC duty.  Our Crackerjack storytelling duo, whose name was drawn from a box of submissions, was “Tobin and Daniel.”

Emcee duo Kate Morrissey and Roger Stahl are decade-long Athenians from the plains of the Midwest. Kate is a mind-body therapist, yoga teacher, musician, and general soother of souls. Roger is a university prof who mostly follows Kate around.

*Andie Bisceglia* and *Wick Prichard* met telling stories to students at Ferry Beach Ecology School in Maine, where the mission was to engage students through ecological narratives. These ‘narratives’ included performing skits on themes such as soil formation. Imagine Andie with a lab jacket, wig, glasses, and a thick German accent playing Doc Rock. Imagine Wick with a thick accent, gnarly goblin hand, fake eye, and a thick accent of some origin playing faithful sidekick Igor. Throw in some nighttime get-to-bed stories for the overnight students, and you have a kid-friendly storytelling dynamic duo. Andie continues to tell ecological tales at the State Botanical Garden while Wick can’t figure out heads or tails about getting adults to plan ecologically.

*Linda Watts* was born in the Midwest, grew up in Southern California, and moved to the South when she married a sailor from Tennessee. She is retired from a career in the brokerage industry. Linda and her husband Larry currently reside in South Carolina, where her hobbies include quilting, sewing, and box wine. She wants grandchildren. *Amy Watts* is her mother’s daughter in some ways but not in others. After growing up in Tennessee, she now lives in Athens and works as a librarian with the University of Georgia. Her hobbies include tweeting, quilting, cursing creatively, and cocktails. She has cats.

*Doug Job* spent much of his childhood riding a heavily accessorized Sears single-speed coaster-brake bicycle around Bartholomew County, Indiana. But, sadly, he forgot his bike after he got his driver’s license. *Angela Pfile* rode a Schwinn with a front basket in Indianapolis, mostly to the library, as she was and remains a voracious reader. With the help of friends and our excellent local bike shops, Doug began to recover from motor vehicle addiction and embraced cycling again eight years ago. His happiest accomplishment as a cyclist is cajoling Angela to start riding again as well. They currently log over 1000 miles a year together on their vintage Cannondale tandem, including the occasional bike commute to Evergreen Christian Church, “a faith space for earthy people,” the green congregation they’re helping to start.

*Marcía Snyder* and *Katherine Edmonds* are two whimsical spirits who met on a cold North Georgia day. They were brought together by an adorable and mischievous three-colored dog. When they are not busy staring into each other’s eyes, Marcía is a shrimpologist who studies bees, and Katherine saves the rivers of America from treachery and trouble. Among their achievements, Marcía has swum two underwater laps of the Legion pool without taking a breath, Katherine makes tofu almost as good as the Grit’s, and they have been voted cutest lesbian couple in Athens by a person who only knows one lesbian couple.

*Beth Kozinsky* and *Laurie Norris* are two very upright and respectable members of the Athens “Townie” community. When not found laughing themselves sick at their own jokes, they haunt the halls of UGA’s English Department as teachers and students and loiterers. This is their first time performing in front of a live studio audience. *Jenifer Strickland* is a recent UGA grad caught in that awkward time between school and a career. Between work and the occasional need to sleep for an hour or two, Jenifer has no time to call herself a writer, but she has something to say with the help of her good friend Katelyn. Katelyn Binder is an English major enjoying her super senior year and indulging her enthusiasm for language at UGA. Katelyn loves laughing and telling stories, so she’s hoping to get a little of both in tonight.

*Nancy and Charlie Hartness* met in 1996 at a fiddle festival in Washington state. They got married in 2006 on her father’s birthday and moved from Portland, Oregon to Athens later that year. They are musicians and writers. Their musical duo was originally called Little Fice Dog, but no one knew what that meant. Now they play together as
Hawk Proof Rooster.