I have a confession. I am always very weary of true life stories. I have a confession. I like good ones that have a point and make you look at yourself. I love funny ones that have a point and make you look at yourself.
I never ‘got’ personal story telling until I heard Laura Packer and Meg Gilman (many years ago before I knew them), who both made me think, wow that’s cool, but I couldn’t do that. Maybe it is part of my (hidden but there) British reserve. I have been to live events and heard some great stories but I have also heard some stories which should have been a lot shorter or never told and sure, there are some that have made me very uncomfortable.
This year I worked briefly with Megan Hicks. I had heard her name and read her comments on the Storytell listserv and was thrilled to be working with her. She blew me away with what she did and like other great storytellers left me in awe. But I have heard precious little of her work. When she offered a one of a hundred pressed CDs I took a small chance and ordered one. I picked it out of my mail box last night after returning from a day of performing and traveling for 12 hours. After a lie-in, feeding the cat and guinea pig, I made a cup of tea and sat down to listen to Megan’s origami wrapped, one story CD entitled: “The Bob Mapplethorpe Memorial Condom Wallet: A Love Story.” The story runs at a tad over 20 minutes and I wished it was longer. I wished Megan had shared more about her love story. I wanted to hear more about Jack. It is a wonderful story of a woman, who was taught by her mother to act like a flower and attract men - like bees to the flower and not call on men. This tale jumps from the teen years of Megan to later in her life, two husbands and two boyfriends later, when she finds herself single. She talks about her angst and what she really wants or needs from a partner. And how she finds that partner in Jack and the beginning of their relationship.
The story is wonderfully told with humour and completely without pity. There is no ‘poor me’. It is a life tale that describes ‘this is the way it was’ in a way that is poignant, enlightening, and funny – which was just what I needed this Sunday morning. The CD gives hope and romance to a world that sometimes lacks it. The telling brightens a world that is sometimes dark. And I cannot wait until I hear more of Megan’s life with Jack and I hope it is in front of a fire with a cup of tea sitting with Jack and Megan seeing their bright eyes and smiles.
If you want to find out about how the Bob Mapplethorpe Memorial Condom Wallet plays into the story you will have to buy the CD directly from Megan to hear the story.
The CD can be purchased directly from Megan Hicks: megan@meganhicks.com but order soon, there are really only one hundred of them for sale and when they are gone, they are gone! And at $10 including shipping it is VERY well worth it.
Megan talks a little about “The Bob Mapplethorpe Memorial Condom Wallet: A Love Story” on her blog: http://meganhicks.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/they-do-this-with-cheeses/ and you can hear an except.
Now I am off to do some errands and have another cuppa!
