Coming from Texas, the current weather in Maine is my equivalent to the depth of winter, so you can imagine how cold I was as I hurried, bundled in a coat and beanie, from the Bobcat Express. But as I entered L/A Arts around 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, the sight of pizza and the sound of laughter told me my night was soon to be improved.
Last Thursday marked the beginning of the new season of The Corner, a recurring event on the second Thursday of every month where community members gather to share food and stories. Each month a new theme guides storytellers, with October’s theme being “Let’s Eat!” Everybody, experienced or not, is encouraged to share a story. The rules are rather simple: your story must be a personal narrative that is no longer than five minutes, and told without notes.
As I meandered to a seat, I oriented myself in the long room; a small stage lit with large lanterns filled the front of the room, and café tables, each accented by a vase of red flowers, contributed to the quaint and intimate atmosphere within the audience. Karl Schatz, co-founder of the nonprofit Community Plate which organized the event, kicked off the evening with a lot of laughs by recalling a semester abroad in Russia, detailing the time a ‘friend’ tried to steal his girlfriend by tricking them into drinking from the same crystal horn. He also invoked audience participation, requesting a volunteer to track the time limit, and I enjoyed meeting community members in a ten-minute brainstorming session that gave more storytellers the confidence to share. As a naturally more reserved person, I even found myself opening up and sharing an anecdote about the mischief that can happen with a single corn kernel. Following the workshop, a whirlwind of anecdotes ranging from troubles with shrimp tails to a snack remembered as “biscuits and snot,” captured the audience and it suffices to say, by the end of the night, my cheeks were sore from so many fits of laughter.
While I enjoyed laughing, I was also touched by the way each story revealed an intimate influence in the teller’s life. One in particular followed a more serious note: an homage to a father remembered for the positivity he inspired in those around him and for his mission to stop childhood hunger. The vulnerability of the speaker and the simplicity of the message made this narrative especially poignant and, as I felt the weight of the narrative reflected in the stillness of the audience around me, I was comforted by the reminder of how deeply people care for one another.
The idea of community was reemphasized at the end of the night when Mr. Schatz explained to me in an interview, his goal to foster, “that type of human connection where we begin to really…see each other as…human beings.” Having recently taken on the responsibility of organizing The Corner, Mr. Schatz called it a natural progression from his previous profession as a photojournalist and his current job running an agrotourism business with his wife and co-founder of Community Plate, Margaret Hathaway. He says, “People come to the farm because they want to hear stories about the farm, so…storytelling has always been…part of what we do for people.”
As I stood outside L/A Arts, waiting for the Bobcat Express to pick me up again, I was left with a revitalized sense of my own humanity and belonging in the world. If you want a digital taste of The Corner, I highly recommend videos of past storytellers which can be seen at The Corner’s website here. But if you want the sense of community offered by the in-person version, I hope to see you next month at The Corner on November 14th.
