Written by Nick Smelser
Stories are one of the oldest forms of entertainment. An individual in front of peers telling a tale from his or her life, laying it out for all to hear and digest. Stories were told by firelight to tribes and conveyed the unique experiences of the tellers.
A packed coffeehouse is the new venue for this entertainment, and the storytellers are students and faculty from Harding. This is Anthology, a free form of storytelling from multiple perspectives. The location and audience may have changed, but the premise behind the stories has not.
The Anthology is the brainchild of senior Nick Michael and Harding Graduate Zachary Crow. They got the idea from a podcast named “The Moth,” containing recordings from live storytelling events held in New York City. The two Harding students held the first Anthology in early March, and they are holding the second on April 27 to continue the series of true experiences and to life lessons.
“What’s cooler than stories in a coffee house?” Crow said. “There is a lot of beauty behind the simplicity of someone behind a microphone talking.”
The atmosphere at the Underground is very relaxed, with a mixture of students and faculty rotating through 15-minute sets of firsthand accounts told. Michael and Crow estimated attendance at 150.
“People really responded to it last time, and it was amazing,” Crow said.
Though Michael is graduating in May, Crow said he wants to keep the meetings going next semester. He wants to keep the same formula and the same venue; the only real change is the inclusion of voices from the Searcy community. The idea is to make the meetings happen twice a semester and to feature different speakers each time.
The last Anthology was met with great approval. Many people enjoyed the evening, both students and citizens of Searcy.
“The whole event was just so sincere,” Keith Symanowitz said. “The atmosphere and the speakers made for an amazing experience.”
The next meeting will be April 27 at the Underground at 7:30 p.m. Some speakers include Dr. Julie Harris, Tyler Jones, Alex Ritchie, Dr. Stephanie Eddleman, Jonathan McRay and Dr. Patrick Garner. All are invited to a night of live story telling and coffee.
“Anthology is about giving people the opportunity to hear real stories from real people,” Michael said.
