Long Island storytelling Archives

A Story About the Woman Who Raised Me
A Story About the Woman Who Raised Me

A Story About the Woman Who Raised Me

By Every Family's Got One Guest Writer -- Annette Guarrasi The woman who raised the woman who raised me died on January 16, years ago. As many years have passed as the age I was when she passed. I’m humbled by how the years swiftly go. An immigrant woman... who boldly stepped foot in a new world during the Great Depression, she spoke little English, which made me think she was dumb but I was the fool to think this. She was wise but too humble to brag or insist. She knew things I may well never know. An [...]

Every Family's Got One2019-03-27T14:40:06-04:00March 27, 2019|1 Comment

A Story About the Sports Fanatic and the Girl
A Story About the Sports Fanatic and the Girl

A Story About the Sports Fanatic and the Girl

By Every Family's Got One Guest Writer -- Robyn Chittister I’m pretty much a girl. Aside from the obvious physical definitions, I like girl things. Scrapbooking. Show tunes. Babies. As a child, I hated recess, preferring instead to read Danielle Steele. (I was a precocious youth.) I took tennis lessons, but playing basketball (badly) in junior high, I messed up my knee, to use a technical term, and that was the extent of my sports career. In high school, I was active in literary magazine and Drama club. So, imagine my surprise when I suddenly fell for... a bona fide [...]

Every Family's Got One2019-03-18T12:38:43-04:00February 27, 2019|Comments Off

A Story About Finding My Best Friend
A Story About Finding My Best Friend

A Story About Finding My Best Friend

By Every Family's Got One Founder -- Barbara Herel The dismissal bell sounded and the hallway instantaneously filled with the sights, smells, and the carryings-on of the cool, sort-of-cool, and not-so-cool tweens and teens of junior high. Hence the “smells.” (My 13-year-old self landed squarely in the middle of “sort-of” and I’m fairly certain I smelled AOK for the most part. My worst offense being: a heavy hand with the Jean Nate After Bath Splash.) That’s when I saw her walking my way… Green-ribbed turtleneck, short sleeves Black and green plaid bell-bottomed pants Blue eyes The blondiest of [...]

Every Family's Got One2019-11-18T11:38:33-05:00February 19, 2019|10 Comments

A Story About Confession and Being Catholic
A Story About Confession and Being Catholic

A Story About Confession and Being Catholic

Every Family's Got One 2018 Cast Video -- Barbara Herel Photo by ebeth photography Confession. Going to confession and fessing up to a priest... is there anything more terrifying to a 13-year-old Catholic girl? Just ask Barbara. She'll tell you. You might be aware that Barbara Herel is a middle child from a loud, boisterous Long Island family. But did you know she also grew up as a nice Catholic girl going to Catechism classes and Sunday folk mass? Yes, the sacred life was good for Barbara. Until this happened to her during... confession. Here’s Barbara to explain [...]

Every Family's Got One2019-11-18T11:33:42-05:00February 6, 2019|4 Comments

A Story About “Mr. Nice Guy”
A Story About “Mr. Nice Guy”

A Story About “Mr. Nice Guy”

Every Family's Got One 2018 Cast Video -- Tony Mennuto Tony Mennuto took to the stage performing "Mr. Nice Guy" in front of a lively and loving audience at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, New York. In his family... Tony went by the name ANT. Maybe it was because he was a tiny kid and could lift 100 times his weight. Or maybe it was just short for Anthony. Now get ready to hear Tony tell us a story... about the other Tony in his family -- his dad. Who is actually called Tony, not ANT. And will be forever affectionately known as [...]

Every Family's Got One2019-03-18T12:42:16-04:00January 30, 2019|4 Comments

A Story About Aging Parents
A Story About Aging Parents

A Story About Aging Parents

Every Family's Got One 2018 Cast Video -- Kate Mayer Photo by ebeth photography Aging Parents -- it's part of the circle of life. And, one that storyteller Kate Mayer has personal experience with. Kate shares her touching and hilarious story... about helplessly watching her aging parents’ struggle with the loss of their “vast fortune” of odds and ends destroyed in a basement flood. As the oldest (and bossiest) sister of four girls, it’s little wonder that Kate swooped in to try and help her... aging parents out in a dire situation. Here’s Kate, reading “Saving Bobbleheads from Drowning”... Kathryn [...]

Every Family's Got One2019-03-18T12:43:06-04:00January 23, 2019|4 Comments