The theme of our Story Slam is Good Vibrations! To one generation, this recalls the Beach Boys song. To another generation, this stirs up thoughts of Marky Mark! But really, Good Vibrations is a broad theme – which means we know you have a good story to tell! Here’s some thoughts on this months’ theme.

We give off our own vibrations every day – sometimes they are good vibrations and sometimes not. Have you ever given off such good vibrations that you inspired someone to do something amazing? Perhaps your good vibes inspired someone and they fell on their face. Every interaction we have gives off some type of vibe. Have you ever met someone and knew instantly they would become a lifelong friend? Sometimes, we get a good vibe when we are interviewing for a new job. Good vibrations can most definitely be sexual, but sometimes they are more about friendship – such as a bromance.

But wait, there’s more! There are physical vibrations such as those from an earthquake, a spewing volcano, a highway overpass. Perhaps you’ve felt a tremor under your feet for any number of reasons. Music performed on a piano or guitar is in essence caused by a good vibration – as long as you play the right chords. Good Vibrations could be had on one of those beds you feed quarters into in a cheap motel, or while riding a motorcycle, a roller coaster, or some other type of amusement ride.

So think music, think love, think friendship. Think about the positive aura that you have put out and the aura you have felt from others, and plan your story to share your Good Vibrations!

Burlap and Bean is an excellent coffeehouse that sells light food – and it is also a BYO. Please remember, the Story Slam starts at 7pm. Order your tickets here. 

Here is Emily’s winning story, followed by our other stories on the night.

Our next Story Slam is scheduled for May 22nd and the theme is Good Vibrations!

First, say Love Objects as if objects is a noun. These could be real objects such as wedding rings, engagement rings, or other romantic gifts. This could be an object of your love – perhaps an infatuation you had in high school or college. Maybe this is about something revealed on that first date – or the last date. The birth of a child often redefines the understanding of love, and would definitely be considered an object born of love. A love object could be a romantic meeting place such as the Eiffel Tower. We’d love to hear a Bromance story. If you are daring, a love object could be a story about a pleasure toy.

Now, say Love Objects as if objects is a verb, as in “I object!”  We often object to a person’s plans because we love them and want to protect them. Perhaps your daughter informed you she was getting married but you weren’t convinced of the man’s intentions. Maybe your child decided to move cross-country without a job, and you tried to stop them. Tough love can be a form of Love Objects, and how does that fit in with unconditional love?

As you can see, there’s a ton of opportunities for you to jump on stage and tell your story. The Delco Story Slam takes place at Burlap and Bean on Wednesday, April 24^th at 7pm. Click here to order your tickets. We hope to see you there!

We heard many fun stories on the night, including tales about the guilty pleasures of dating, underage drinking, eating ice cream, smoking marijuana, tripping people, dumpster diving, meeting your childhood idol, and more. It was awesome to see so many first-timers take the stage, and we had a record crowd!

Our next Delco Story Slam is April 24th and the theme is Love Objects! This could be interpreted as Love Objects or Love Objects. Objects could a be a noun or a verb, giving you a wide array of stories to choose from! We’ll write up more ideas on the theme soon.

Here’s Diane’s winning story, followed by several of our other storytellers on the night.

What is your Guilty Pleasure?

We all have something we secretly enjoy when nobody is watching. Perhaps it is a bowl of ice cream or Oreo cookies late at night. Maybe you enjoy watching old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or you collect something odd. This could be a guilty pleasure you had as a kid and eventually outgrew or something you are currently obsessed with. There’s tons of directions a storyteller can take this – do your co-workers or classmates have a guilty pleasure? Perhaps your family shared a secret pleasure? Oh, we know there are stories out there and Delco has them!

Wikipedia provides a great description of the term here:

A guilty pleasure is something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. The “guilt” involved is sometimes simply fear of others discovering one’s lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes, such as campy styles of entertainment. Fashion, video games, music, films, and junk food can be examples of guilty pleasures.

Join us on March 27th at Burlap and Bean Coffeehouse for our Guilty Pleasures Story Slam, our third story slam of the season! You can tell your story, but you don’t have to tell a story to attend. We hear approximately ten stories on a night, and videos of the stories are recorded and placed on our website. We also select three stories for each month’s Delco Story Slam podcast. If you want to tell your Guilty Pleasure story but don’t want it shown on the internet, just tell us. Check out our Rules page to learn more.

Please note our new start time of 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at Burlap and Bean or by clicking here.

Storytellers took the theme and told their true stories about both physical and emotional wounds – and the power of healing. John Fitzgerald told the story of a marriage proposal gone wrong. Nancy Spanier explained how she was taken back when a stranger read her palm in a restaurant. Doug Landman told about how his plans for a cross-country bike ride almost fell apart, but his determination pulled him through. Bob Markowitz described surviving a terrible staff infection. We heard eleven stories throughout the night.

Thanks to everyone for coming out – those who told stories and those who volunteered to be audience judges. Our next Delco Story Slam is scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th and the theme is Guilty Pleasures.

Here’s Luanne’s winning story, followed by nine other stories from the night.

What type of stories fit under the theme “Open Wound?”

Stories could be about physical wounds or emotional wounds. Injuries and healing. Scars and mental toughness. Perhaps this Valentines’ Day revealed an open wound in your past? Maybe you broke a leg playing basketball in high school or your first boyfriend left you scarred, and only time healed your wound. Did you fall off a cliff while skiing? Or maybe you fell in love with a married woman? Perhaps you were working to adopt a child that you’d fallen in love with and the adoption was abruptly halted. The death of a loved one often leaves wounds, especially if certain things had gone unsaid, or your last remembrance was of an argument or disagreement.

Our themes are meant to be broad so we know you have a story to tell. Remember, stories should be under five minutes in length, and no notes, music, or props are to be used. Here’s video of the winning story from our January Story Slam, which was themed Good Intentions.

And here’s an added bonus. We had a tie at our West Chester Story Slam. Click here to watch the two winning stories.

Remember, order your tickets here for Wednesday, February 27. The show begins at 8 p.m. Parking is free. Burlap and Bean serves excellent coffee, lattes and food. Burlap and Bean is also a BYOB.

Watch Luke’s winning story here:

The crowd also heard stories about inadvertently stealing an automobile, the struggle to track down a woman who had dropped her glasses, negotiating with a funeral director, and visiting the South Pole with a pornographic sock monkey. Yes, that is a real story! Check back for more videos, which will be uploaded over the next few days.

Our next Delco Story Slam is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27th and the theme is “Open Wound.” This could be a story about a physical wound or a psychological wound such as a broken heart. Use your imagination and prepare to tell your story live on stage! Tickets for our February Slam can be ordered here. 

Also – check out our upcoming West Chester Story Slam, scheduled for Tuesday, February 12th with the theme “Warning Signs.”

We hope to see you soon – either in the audience or up on-stage!

What happens at a Story Slam? Anyone can get on stage and tell a story based on the theme of the night. On a typical night, we hear eight to ten stories – each story told by someone in the audience! The story should be true as you remember it, and be no longer than five minutes. Our theme for the night is “Good Intentions!” Here’s some thoughts on the theme to get you thinking about your story.

Perhaps you had good intentions when you set out to help someone in need, and found yourself suddenly in over your head. Maybe the decision to live your life with good intentions has led to a profound change in your relationships. We all act with good intentions, but the results are not always what was intended. Mistakes happen. Sometimes when we set out to help others, we find there are unexpected repercussions. Good intentions can indeed ripple in strange unseen ways.

We’ve all heard the proverb, “The path to hell is paved with good intentions,” and the saying that “the end does not justify the means.”

Maybe you stopped to help a stranger who had broken down on the side of the road, or picked someone up after they stumbled on the sidewalk. Maybe your good intentions led to saving a person’s life. Your story might be about expressing good intentions and being unexpectedly rewarded with good karma.

Ideally, we will hear excellent stories about good intentions that had all types of surprising endings.

Our Story Slam begins promptly at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30. If you are interested in telling your story (and we hope you are!) stop by and sign in once you secure your seat. We record all the stories and place most of them on our website, though if you have a story you want to keep “in the room only” we will honor that.

You can reserve your seats for the January 23^rd show at Burlap and Bean by clicking here.

PS: If you want to see what a winning story sounds like, watch Luanne Sims tell the winning story at the West Chester Story Slam. The theme of the night was Social Media!

We are happy to announce the Delco Story Slam! Our storytelling nights will take place on the fourth Wednesday each month at Burlap and Bean. Tickets can be purchased on Burlap and Bean’s events page, and we want you to take the stage! Story Slams are not stuffy authors reading their work. Story Slams consists of engaging people telling real life stories live on stage – no notes, no props and no music. You have to experience it at least once!

While the Delco Story Slam is a competition, please be assured we don’t take the competitive part too seriously. Our goal is to provide a fun night of stories for the audience, and we are always thrilled to see new participants hop on-stage. If you’ve been thinking about telling a story, the Delco Story Slam (or our sister event, the West Chester Story Slam) is a great venue to get on stage for the first time!

The best advice we’ve heard is this: Know the first sentence of your story and know the last sentence of your story. If you know where you are starting and have your destination in sight, you’ll do just fine!

Official Rules for the Delco Story Slam are as follows:

Storytellers register upon arrival. Names are usually drawn out of a hat to decide order of presentation.

Stories should fit into the theme of the night! (Check Schedule!)
Stories should be true as you remember it!
Stories should be under five minutes in length!
No Notes, No Props, No Music!

Three judges are selected from the audience. Each storyteller is given a score on a scale of 1-10 for two different criteria: content and presentation. The storyteller with the highest score wins, and is given a spot in November’s Grand Slam!