Episode 27: Closure

Annette John Hall, Christopher Wink, Michaela Winberg and Juliana Reyes at the fifth annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival.

Today we close out the final episode of the weekly Story Shuffle podcast, a special one-hour, live-recording at the fifth annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival. Fittingly enough, we’re going out with the theme of Closure, featuring two of our favorite storytellers: reporter and columnist Annette John-Hall, fresh off her ‘Cosby Unraveled’ podcast, and writer and journalist Juliana Reyes. Joined by hosts Christopher Wink and Michaela Winberg, all share their stories in front of a live studio audience.

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Hear the story behind the Story Shuffle podcast theme song

For the last six months, you’ve been hearing the Story Shuffle theme song, as produced by Tony Abraham, credited in each episode’s close. Now hear the full song, which was first produced in 2011, and hear the story behind the song.

First hear the full song:

Download here.

Then hear Tony explain the story behind the song:

Download here.

Episode 26: Becoming You

For the final regular episode of Story Shuffle, we share some stories about becoming the real you. First, El Sawyer tells a story about growing up in what he calls the hood. Then Patrick McNeil shares a fictional story about a girl who could swallow scars. Come back next week, when we’ll release our live recording of Story Shuffle at the 5th annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival.

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Episode 25: Love is Like

Sometimes, love feels a lot like some of our favorite things. In this episode of Story Shuffle, two storytellers will share the parallels they’ve drawn between love and other objects. First, Christopher Wink will compare love with Philly’s favorite summertime dessert: water ice. Then Adam Teterus will explain why the song he shared with his first love might not have been quite appropriate.

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Hear the final live recording of the Story Shuffle podcast: July 23, 4-5pm

For those of you in Philadelphia on Sunday, July 23 (4-5pm), you can join us to hear the final recording of the weekly Story Shuffle podcast. We’ll be part of the fifth annual Philly Podcast Festival.

We’ll be at Kitchen Table Gallery in Kensington, 1853 North Howard Street. RSVP on Facebook here.

You’ll hear stories from journalists Annette John-Hall, fresh off hosting the Cosby Unraveled podcast, and Juliana Reyes, in addition to tales from podcast host Christopher Wink and production assistant Michaela Winberg. Our theme will be CLOSURE.

Episode 24: Strange Paradise

If you look hard enough, you can find joy in some strange places. This week on Story Shuffle, hear about some less common places that felt like paradise for our storytellers. First, Kim Quick will tell us about when she spent some time in a place that sorta felt like a cult. Then Patrick McNeil will share an experience he had while couch-surfing.

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Episode 23: Grades

Even in the middle of the summer, you can’t escape grades! This week on Story Shuffle, hear about a couple times our storytellers either received or gave grades. First, Malik — a friend of a storyteller who visited from Senegal — will tell us about the time he pranked a teacher. Then Jared Levy will share a fiction story about dishing out grades for a living.

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Episode 22: Family Lessons

Episode 25 is about family. Many of our first and most important lessons come from family members — and it seems those are the lessons we rarely forget. This week on Story Shuffle, you’ll hear two lessons our storytellers learned from their family members. First, Eric Smith will tell us about a childhood lesson that helped him realize the value of his family. Then Shannon Wink shares a story about what she’s learned from her niece.

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Episode 21: Intimacy

Intimacy is an important step in connecting with new people — but it’s impossible to fake. We’re going to hear all about intimacy, and the times people tried to force it, in Episode 21 of Story Shuffle. First, Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela will explain how she thinks mix tapes express intimacy. Then, Isaiah Thompson will tell a story about searching for intimacy in Cuba.

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Episode 20: Washed Up

Sometimes, you just outgrow your surroundings. When we try to come back to a familiar place that we’ve already outgrown, we feel washed up. In Episode 20, two storytellers share the times they experienced just that. First, Kathryn Bezella will tell us what it felt like to star in a children’s musical. Then, Christopher Illuminati will share a story about the time he visited his alma mater with his infant son.

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