Description Jim Brulé – yes, yours truly! – shares a traditional story from the Hasidic tradition about how to best open the gates of heaven. Storyteller Jim Brulé is a Maggid – an ordained transformational storyteller. His school to train spiritual storytellers is accredited by the NSN; he also works with organizations and communities to … Continue reading "Not with Keys"

Description In this episode, we share a memorable encounter with Sangitaa Sehgal, may her memory be a blessing, who offers a retelling of part of the epic Hindu poem Mahabharata: the moment in the epic two days before the beginning of the battle of Kurukshetra. Her passing in early 2021 was felt by storytellers around … Continue reading "Mahabharata"

Introduction This episode, we hear from yet another distinctive voice in storytelling: Eric Wolf, known in the storytelling world as Brother Wolf. He’s a prolific storyteller, and amongst his many achievements, he produced a series of interviews with over 120 storytellers about a decade ago. We’ll hear from him about some of the twists and … Continue reading "Narrative Power"

Some of the more observant among you may have noticed that this episode, number 11, has been delayed. There is a story, of course, and it is a challenging one. Without getting too deep into the details, earlier this month my father died. While his passing wasn’t a real surprise to us in one sense … Continue reading "A Pause"

What are our obligations to a story when we tell it? What happens to a story when we write it down? How can stories change our world? Our guest this episode is Leah Lamb, a writer, producer, and transformational storyteller. She’s worked in and produced plays off-Broadway and around the country, been a wilderness leader, … Continue reading "Keeping Stories Alive"

This episode, we explore the boundaries of belief: what happens when we discover we can believe something that we never expected, when things we believe turn out not to be true, and when we decide to believe something unbelievable. Our guest this episode is Bob Kanegis, a New Mexico storyteller and coach who helps people … Continue reading "The Power of Belief"

In this episode, we hear about the power of stories to affect our lives, especially when we learn to tell the story that’s been pursuing us. For many, that story is our own story, seen through a different lens. Our guest this week is Jenifer Strauss, a narrative consultant and storyteller. We’ll hear about how … Continue reading "The Power of Stories"

In this episode, we learn about myth and magic, which carry some of the deeper themes within stories – and how they affect our modern lives. Our guest this week is Doctor Leonia Kurgan, a Psychoanalyst and a Psychodramatist from Poland and South Africa – late of Los Angeles – who uses stories professionally, as … Continue reading "Myth and Magic"

 In this episode, we visit the world of the hidden – and how it can be revealed. Storytelling has a lot to do with things that are hidden, that can be hidden in many different ways. The most obvious form of hiding is in plot elements that are deliberately hidden, such as in a … Continue reading "Revealing the Hidden"

In this podcast, we visit the topic of turning and returning: how one turns away from darker points in our lives.

The Hebrew word for “repentance” is t’shuvah­, which literally means to turn (around). It implies an act of will, and also the notion of not simply turning, but REturning to a better state.

In this episode, we hear stories that open some of those darker spaces, and the ways that people might respond to that darkness. Philip Rose, our guest, will share a personal story that he uses in his transformational work; Titi Ogunnaike will share a cautionary children’s tale from the Yoruba that might remind some of us of the Brothers Grimm; and I will share a story of a very dark place from the canon of the Baal Shem Tov.

We’ll also enjoy a surprise personal snippet from Phil about being audacious.

In this podcast, we visit the world of humorous stories – and how they can be transformational.

Many times, when we imagine a transformational story, we think of something deep, with layers of meaning that are soul-stirring, full of emotional moments and archetypic characters, plot, and setting. However, light-hearted stories can be full of healing in unexpected ways; and healing, after all, is an important kind of transformation.

In this episode, we hear stories that lift our souls with joy and a little mischief. One, a story from the canon of Hershel of Ostropol, is told by our guest, Hanita Blair, who also shares her more serious thoughts on how a storyteller must connect with their audience. I share a short collection of the tales of the city of Chelm, a place more fictional than real (although it is found in modern Poland).

We also discuss the ways in which humor can actually be an important source of transformation.

 In this podcast, we visit an enticing but controversial topic – telling stories from cultures other than our own. Stories have cultural values buried deep within them. Sometimes those values are explicit, but more often than not, they can be simply assumed and never specifically taught. We are under a special obligation to take … Continue reading "Stories from Other Cultures"

In this podcast we visit Folktales – stories passed on in a tradition in an oral fashion: they shift a little from teller to teller and audience to audience, but without significant changes. However, the shifts are critical – they’re what help keep the story alive. Folktales may have an embedded value – just part … Continue reading "Folktales"

Welcome to the inaugural episode of “Storytelling Matters.” In this episode, you’ll hear a story from me, Maggid Jim Brulé, and two stories from Kohenet Rinah Rachel Galper. In these stories – and my interviews with Rinah Rachel – we’ll explore what a transformational story is, as well as how who we are presents us … Continue reading "Introducing “Storytelling Matters”"