I will forever miss my mother, Elaine Beth Levine. May softness embolden me. When I’m with beloved family and friends, I feel so fortunate. As a native Northeasterner, I have equally come to appreciate the arts, culture, nature, and flavors u

Seed Of Truth: Kathy Gillis

Nov 13th, 2019 13m 49s

Kathy Gillis lives in Portland, OR. She enjoys golf and playing board games with friends. Kathy is a regular listener to NPR (even during pledge drives), and loves consuming podcasts hosted by smart and compassionate people. As a primary goal i

Unseen: Sally Berg

Nov 10th, 2019 10m 58s

Using public storytelling for the first time to find and share her voice, this is a tale of duality and the cycle of life. It’s the story of creating meaning out of chaos and finding the courage to connect and build deep relationships.URBAN

I'm Here: Debz Briske

Nov 7th, 2019 14m 46s

A trip to Brazil leads to the question 'where is home?' Debz is a Pacific Northwest writer and storyteller.URBAN TELLERS November 2, 2019BE HERE NOWDebz Briske live at Nordia House in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, hosted by Lawrence

Chop Wood, Carry Water: Roland Jarka

Nov 4th, 2019 13m 57s

How does a former university professor handle living alone in a hunting cabin? Roland spent three years in that cabin in Marlboro, Vermont, 45 years ago. He now lives in Portland, plays tennis, writing a book and does public speaking.URBAN TE

Sink Or Swim: Warren McPherson

Jun 27th, 2019 13m 45s

It's a way of learning, it's a way of living, it's a way of drowning. Tonight, Warren would like to thank Gigi, the lady down the street who allowed him and all the other neighborhood kids to swim in her backyard pool. Marco....Polo!URBAN TEL

Nothing To Prove: Lynne Duddy

Jun 27th, 2019 10m 32s

Oh that nagging feeling of not being enough can drive you mad until you simply let go and be...Lynne is curious about all branches of human learning. She has an inexhaustible amount of creative energy that she channels into evangelizing about

Uncle Rick: Penny Walter

Jun 27th, 2019 14m 51s

Uncle Rick was a very special person who changed Penny’s life for the better. She feels like the support and love of her family growing up made her the person she is today.Penny is a professional puppeteer and has been since 2002. Visit her on

The Picasso Gorilla: Lynn Fitch

Jun 27th, 2019 14m 53s

Sometimes, it is a single event that forever changes your life. This will be Lynn’s last story with Portland Story Theater. She is leaving Portland and heading to parts unknown. Being a part of Urban Tellers and sharing a dozen stories with all

When I'm 64: Lawrence Howard

Jun 27th, 2019 12m 57s

A gentleman of a certain age wonders about the unknown and unknowable future as he enters the third act of his three- act play.Lawrence Howard has been a hippie woodworker, a legal researcher, an Armchair Adventurer, a lover of limericks, and

So This Is How The World Works: Frank Engel

Jun 27th, 2019 13m 36s

Is karma immutable? Can we change our perspective, our outlook on life and the meaning of past experiences? Frank explores the possibility of a life that isn't "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short," but rather rich and kind, forgiving and

Reclaiming Home: Amanda Starr

May 29th, 2019 12m 7s

This is the story of growing up in a beautiful and isolated place in the country, and a series of childhood encounters that obstructed that beauty for many years. But new experiences of love and connection helped me find my way back home. A psy

Proof Of Kinship: Niani Dünner

May 26th, 2019 14m 12s

Niani has called Oregon home for more than half her life. She enjoys putzing around her garden, biking around town, and hiking with anyone who is willing to pick up and go. If, heaven forbid, anything should happen to her, Niani hopes this stor

Be Yourself. Be Courageous. Be Happy. : Oksana Davletshina

May 23rd, 2019 7m 34s

Oksana grew up in Russia and moved to Portland with her husband and three children in 2016. It was a big change in every aspect of their lives. In Russia she was a lawyer. Here, in America, she started her career again. She joined Russian Orego

Privilege & Place: Matt Coburn

May 20th, 2019 13m 8s

Matt's bi-coastal, mono-cultural journey to Portland was a meandering path, which led to a personal reckoning concerning his place in the world, and ultimately his past, present, and future self. He is a New York native, whose happy accident of

My Origin Story: Duncan Wyndham

May 17th, 2019 12m 41s

Duncan shares a story of love, pain, and discovery that helped him to find the life he was meant to lead. Duncan is a poet, educational consultant, faculty in the Portland State College of Education. He is also a longtime member of ECKANKAR, Pa

Good Enough: Bill Stenson

May 14th, 2019 15m 14s

Bill has been living in two countries for the last 40 years. He says, “It’s like having one foot on the dock and the other on the boat.” As he approaches retirement and prepares for this next stage of life, he has chosen to embrace his ‘inner a

The Most Important Lesson: Oksana Davletshina

Apr 25th, 2019 9m 23s

This personal story of a Russian immigrant is about how hard work and persistence can bring personal and professional success. Oksana Davletshina came to America with her husband and 3 children in November 2016 seeking asylum. It was a big chan

The Great Escape: Luzi Moreno Gilson

Apr 22nd, 2019 8m 58s

This is a story of a little girl who becomes the grand hero by saving the day. Luzi Moreno Gilson was brought to the US at age 16. She has lived in Oregon since then traveling the world at any chance she gets, usually in the summer. She teaches

How To Make A Website And Not Die: Katerina Ingraham Perfilova

Apr 16th, 2019 7m 33s

Katerina Perfilova is a web-developer from Russia, who moved to America only three years ago. She tells the story of one of her unusual projects that occurred 10 years ago in Moscow. This story involves Russian gangsters, precious treasure, dif

Kissing The Crown: Leigh Hancock (Replay)

Apr 15th, 2019 12m 48s

Due to the unfortunate events at the Notre Dame Cathedral today we felt a replay of this story from two years ago was appropriate.To be fifteen, in Paris, with the man you love: what could be better? Or worse? Leigh Hancock’s wanderlust began

What Separates Us: Alejandro Vilches

Apr 13th, 2019 17m 20s

Alejandro Vilches’ story is about what it takes to make connections and wake up to the world around us. He was born in Bryan, Texas, but grew up in Honduras where his family is from. At the age of 28 Alejandro decided to come to the US for grad

The Challenge: Angela Zagarella

Apr 10th, 2019 14m 34s

Born and raised in Siracusa, Sicily, Angela Zagarella has been calling Oregon home since 1988. She has been teaching Italian for 26 years which has lessened the longing and separation from her beloved island. Not a technological wizard, she onl

Puppeteer Plus: Penny Walter

Apr 4th, 2019 13m 55s

Penny has been a professional puppeteer and the owner of Penny's Puppet Productions since 2002. She truly believes in the power of puppets. In her precious downtime Penny loves to take long walks with her dog Tater, drink coffee, and bake thing

Becoming The Dancing Lady: Karen Lasher

Apr 1st, 2019 10m 51s

Karen tells about breaking free of destructive paradigms, getting in touch with her inner truth and learning to let her light shine in the world. As a public speaker, writer and hospitality mystic, Karen works to spread light and love in the wo