GRIEF HOUSE
SPRING 2026
Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you all. I enjoyed having the chance to talk about how storytelling can serve your personal development and ongoing healing, as well as the mission of Grief House.
I love this quote (—–>) from Modern Love about how our stories connect us all, bringing us out of our isolated, individual experiences, and connecting us to the universal.
Below is a list, in no short or specific order, of places to keep leveling in story work.
Specific to this workshop:
This is a quote I read at some of our evenings as we went into our life maps section. It is actually two quotes combined; they came from Good Reads.
“It is our inward journey that leads us through time – forward or back, seldom in a straight line, most often spiraling. Each of us is moving, changing, with respect to others. As we discover, we remember; remembering, we discover; and most intensely do we experience this when our separate journeys converge. The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order, a timetable not necessarily–perhaps not possibly–chronological. The time as we know it subjectively is often the chronology that stories and novels follow: it is the continuous thread of revelation.”
~Eudora Welty, One Writer’s Beginnings
Also, I mentioned that if you’d like to level up by watching folx telling stories on stage, my YouTube channel is a place to start. You can watch shows I’ve produced like Spoiler Alert, Truth & Consequences, etc. If you want to see more professional, traveling storytelling shows, this is one of the best stories I’ve ever seen. Gets me every time!
WORKSHOP SLIDES HERE
WORKSHOP EVALUATION HERE
STAY IN TOUCH!
I would be delighted to continue our new connection.
Let’s connect further on Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Website | Newsletter
As I mentioned, I also produce a monthly storytelling event called Carapace. It’s a great place for you to come out and practice / hone your skills as a storyteller or just listen to some great stories. It takes place on the second Tuesdays of the month at Manuel’s Tavern. Facebook | Instagram | Website & Newsletter.
In community,
Shannon
LISTEN / WATCH
If you are a podcast junkie like I am, you’re always looking for recommendations. Here are a few of mine!
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Brené Brown’s TED Talks on Vulnerability and Shame, as well as her Netflix special, which is a great summary of her writings and talks.
- Other TED Talks & Videos
ARTICLES
- How Storytelling Style Shapes the Way the Brain Forms Memories
- Why Storytelling Works
- How Storytelling Affects the Brain
- Why Storytelling Will Be the Biggest Business Skill in the Next 5 Years
- Vulnerability as Strength
- Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds
- The Two Kinds of Stories We Tell Ourselves
- Appropriate Vulnerability
- Is Storytelling a “Soft Skill”?
BOOKS
These are my favorite books that have to do with the art & brain science of storytelling or related topics.
- Emotional Agility by Susan David
- Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose by Martha Beck
- Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Vivek Murthy
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If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face? by Alan Alda
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Long Story Short by Margot Leitman
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Jo Carson’s Spider Speculations
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The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall
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The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough? by Alex Evans
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The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness by Kelli Harding
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Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
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The Assertiveness Guide for Women: How to Communicate Your Needs, Set Healthy Boundaries, and Transform Your Relationships by Julie de Azevedo Hanks
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Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle
- Finding Meaning by David Kessler
- The Storytelling Edge by Shane Snow & Joe Lazauskas