Story Slam event by Fairhope Storytellers and Hope Community, The Book Cellar at Page & Palette in downtown Fairhope, Alabama. (Video: Kevin Zhou, Chromatic Creative LLC.)
My favorite newish feel-good Fairhope event is Story Slam: The quarterly collaboration of Fairhope Storytellers and Hope Community at The Book Cellar at Page and Palette has been drawing standing room only crowds for the past two years.
This is Fairhope, Alabama. Mayberry on the Bay. A colony built by and for artists, writers and other ne’er do-wells. You can’t swing a feral cat in this town without hitting a storyteller.
Pretty simple idea. Bring people together – all people. Young, old, black, white, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet – the community. Give ‘em a theme and a few rules: Tell a true personal story inspired by the theme. 6-minute time limit. No notes or props, but music is OK. No -isms are tolerated. This is an inclusive, safe, and supportive community event.
It’s a cozy, peaceful hour, and a half respite from the worries of the world at The Book Cellar bar – Fairhope’s version of Cheers – in the heart of downtown. Fellowship, laughter and the scent of books and bourbon fill the room.
How did this popular event come to life? It kinda started with a funeral.
“In February, 2023, my Uncle John died,” said John Fitzgerald, board member of Hope Community. “I was truly humbled to be asked to deliver the eulogy on behalf of the family. I had heard him deliver so many sermons. He was a very polished speaker who was always prepared.”
John rose to the occasion. An avid listener of The Moth, he had already been honing his skills in hopes of telling his own story on the popular podcast. He prepared a deeply personal message about his “arm’s length relationship” to his uncle that grew into a bond. He told the compelling story of how, at 22, his own dad’s death by suicide had “changed all of their lives.”
John’s powerful eulogy resonated. “I realized that I loved the challenge of crafting a story, but it is the human connections with the listeners that is the best part of storytelling.”
At lunch one day, John and his wife, Andolyn, discussed their idea for a local storytelling event with legendary entertainment, voiceover and radio guy, Barry Silverman. He was immediately smitten. They brought their idea to Hope Community founder, Shawn Graham.
“John Fitzgerald, channeling the whimsical wisdom of Barry Silverman and Fairhope Storytellers – whispered a wild idea into my ear: why not spin personal tales from life’s glorious chaos into a woven quilt?” Said Graham.
Hope Community members Vickie Graham and Irene Wegner – who has taught storytelling classes – were quickly on board. With natural storyteller Silverman as emcee, Story Slam was born.
“The events sort of run themselves, with Barry’s velvet voice keeping things moving along,” said Fitzgerald. “There are always surprises and occasional rule breakers. That is part of the fun of the open-mike experience.”
“I’m always amazed at the diversity of the stories,” said Silverman. “Some poignant, some really funny. And I’m always impressed with the audience. They’re so supportive of the storytellers.”
In early 2023, a mysterious illness was turning me into a zombie. After several months of stumbling around between doctors and hospitals as a sleep-deprived skeleton, I was diagnosed and in treatment for an autoimmune disease. By mid-November I was recovered enough to make my first public outing at the first Story Slam at The Book Cellar. It felt like a miracle coming-out party. The theme was Gratitude. I was the last speaker of the night. I gratefully told my “I am not dead” story.
Been hooked on Story Slam ever since.
Scared to speak in public? Our friend Catherine Dorrough was, too. She wrote a perfect account of how it feels to be on that lit up Story Slam stage for the first time. Theme that night was Fear. I hope you’ll read her essay: Fear and Follies: I have an irrational fear of public speaking. So naturally, I decided to talk about it in front of an audience. (You can subscribe to her Substack for free.)
Here’s a video from the most recent November Slam. The theme was Forgiveness. So of course, I told my Robert Plant head-butt story.
We have now held 10 Story Slams in Fairhope. The next event is in February. The theme is Love. Come on out and feel the love, y’all.
JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group andAL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial
As 2025 comes to a close, AL.com is bringing you the stories that make us smile and warm our hearts. In the series 31 Days of Good News, you’ll hear about the helpers, community leaders and organizations making Alabama better. If you have an idea for a story, email us at [email protected].