Welcome to Nutshell’s Storyteller Spotlight, where we give you a chance to get to know this month’s storytellers a little more. We asked our four storytellers to answer a few questions about stories and storytelling. August 28’s theme is “EPIC Fails.” It’s true, it’s personal, it’s LIVE, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun.
Meet Kari Kiernan
What kind of storyteller are you? What is your storytelling “style”? What kind do you tell?
I think someone else would have to tell me what my style is. I tell funny stories about events that, when they happened, were not funny. Like, at all.
How long have you been telling?
My first onstage story was about 20 years ago. Which means unfunny things have kept happening to me for two decades. Harsh.
What do you do when you’re not storytelling?
My day job is at a high school on the admin side of things. This is where Bay Area custom demands that I say I also enjoy hiking with my dog, but I’m not much of a hiker and I don’t have a dog. I do see a lot of plays.
Does the story you’re telling have a name?
I call it Mud Slinging.
Tell us a little bit about this story. Why did you choose it for “Epic Fails”?
I went into an experience to indulge in some oft-touted “self-care” and learned that the best way to care for yourself is to stay home. It counts as an epic fail because it went so very, very wrong. Not only was my experience at odds with what was advertised, but also with who I was trying to be.
Any thoughts on failure?
We’re told that if you’re not failing, you’re not growing. Do we believe that, though? That works for the scientist who persevered through years of failed experiments and then cured polio, but less so if you went on a hike and came home in traction. Again, beware of hiking. Unless you’re a genius iterating toward greatness, failure is only good if you’re a storyteller.
What makes a fail “Epic”?
Fail is: I baked a cake for my best friend’s birthday, and it was so dry that no one ate it. Epic fail is: I baked a cake for my best friend’s birthday and burned down the house. It’s a question of scale.
Who is your storytelling idol and why?
Mike Birbiglia. I think he’s a master of long-form storytelling. He is funny about hard things (and about himself), and he meanders delightfully, but still brings a story home.
What’s your best piece of advice for someone who is a beginner and wants to learn how to tell a story?
The way I was taught as a beginner is to start with something that is already a story in your mind. What’s the one you and your wife still tell each other? Or the one that gets repeated every Thanksgiving? Or that one you and your high school friends can’t believe you got away with? Everyone has a story. Start with that one.
Why should people come see “Epic Fails” on August 28?
What’s more entertaining than a failure that’s not your own?
Thanks, Kari! If you want to see Kari tell her EPIC Fail story, she’ll be at our show on August 28!
Kari Kiernan
is a writer, storyteller, and Bay Area native. She has worked in both nonprofit theatre and high school administration and holds a Masters Degree she did not need and does not use. Over the past 20 years, she’s been onstage at Porchlight, the Throckmorton, The Vent!, and Literary Death Match, among others. She is a returning performer at Naked Truth and Redwood Nights. You can see some of her past work at Kari Kiernan.
Kari says unfunny things have been happening to her for twenty years, and she's been turning them into funny stories the whole time. That alchemy is what we're all showing up for, and paid subscriptions are how we make sure our storytellers get paid for it, and how we keep The Nutshell True Story Hour podcast free for everyone. If these spotlights are your thing, consider joining us. It really does help. xoxo, Amy
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