An evening of live storytelling, the Des Moines Storytellers Project features community members coached by Des Moines Register journalists taking the mic to tell true, first-person stories. We believe everyone HAS a story and everyone CAN tell that story. Learn more at DesMoinesRegister.com/Storytellers.
Latest episodes
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12 min
Phillip Sitter: I found peace in wartime visiting dear friend in Ukraine
How Des Moines Register reporter Phillip Sitter found himself in Ukraine in the midst of Russia's war to celebrate a friend's birthday. This story was first told during the Des Moi…
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14 min
Diane Kolmer: How a trip to Paris helped me heal from an eating disorder, find new purpose
The doctor told Diane Kolmer she needed to take a break from her job to relearn to eat and live. A trip to Paris helped change her perspective. This story was first told during the…
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9 min
Kory May: I forgot an essential item on vacation and learned an uncomfortable lesson
Kory May found racial profiling didn't stop at the Canadian border. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "Travel" on June 18, 2024, at Hoyt Sherma…
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9 min
John Sorrell: How I found myself in the middle of a Turkish coup
John Sorrell landed in Turkey quite literally in the middle of a coup. How he leaned on curiosity to make it home safely. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytelle…
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12 min
Nicole Schrader: How this Iowan learned to make friends with her fear on vacation and in life
Nicole Schrader overcame vacation paralysis to find something meaningful. Now she embraces that fear to live a full life. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytelle…
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15 min
Deborah Svec-Carstens: How I built community through tragedy
Deborah Svec-Carstens found herself by being vulnerable with a tight-knit community in a foreign country after an assault. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytell…
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10 min
Kenny Gaskin : How I help students find their voice as a Black teacher in Iowa
Kenny Gaskin spent his childhood looking up to his teachers. Now he's a teacher with DMPS inspiring students and building a classroom community. This story was first told during th…
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11 min
Jordan Brooks: How I use art to inspire and build a community
Jordan Brooks felt like he didn't belong — until he discovered art. Now he uses it to help others build their communities. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytell…
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16 min
Erlin Kakkanad: My son's curiosity about skin color helped me embrace myself
Erlin Kakkanad wasn't embracing her true self when her son asked an innocent question: "Mama, why am I brown?" It led to a long journey of discovery. This story was first told duri…
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17 min
Jim Sayers: How volunteering at an Iowa prison helped me build a community
Jim Sayers entered an Iowa prison thinking every inmate was the same. He left with a close-knit community. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "C…
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18 min
Louise O'Donnell: As the oldest of 13 siblings, I know a lot about family
From homemade school clothes to weekly chore lists, Louise O'Donnell's parents showed their 13 children what it was like to put family first. This story was first told during the D…
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11 min
Ehsan Shaban: How an Afghan refugee found solace from a family in Iowa
Ehsan Shaban found family in Iowa when he fled the war in Afghanistan. They were refugees themselves. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "Family…
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15 min
Luisita McBurney: How I built my family in Des Moines after moving from the Philippines
Luisita McBurney found herself alone after arriving in the U.S. So she created the Filipino American Society so other immigrants wouldn't feel stuck This story was first told durin…
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12 min
Sonya Jackson: How my trailblazing grandma and great aunt shaped my life
Sonya Jackson's great aunt Lulu was the first Black woman in Iowa to earn a Ph.D. What lessons she and her grandmother taught her growing up. This story was first told during the D…
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16 min
Sam Blum: How I found family in crowds at metal concerts
Sam Blum always felt like an outcast, until he found others like him at metal shows across Iowa and the world. This story was first told during the Des Moines Storytellers Project'…
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13 min
Monica Leo: What a trip behind the Iron Curtain taught me about our similarities and differences
Monica Leo was part of the only Western puppeteer troupe to be invited to East Berlin in the '80s, where she learned maybe we're more alike than we are different. This story was fi…
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12 min
Keith Knapp: How I left Argentina just minutes before COVID-19 shuts country's borders
It wasn't clear that Keith Knapp would make it out of Argentina before the country closed its borders at midnight. He had just minutes to spare. This story was first told during th…
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10 min
Olesya Holker: A life of travel led this Russian migrant to her husband in Las Vegas and later, Iowa
Olesya Holker started traveling as a child with her mother, a Russian actress. Her most notable trip started in Las Vegas and eventually led to Iowa. This story was first told duri…
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15 min
Shir Agha Safi: A child of war, I fled Afghanistan to Iowa for a better life.
Shir Agha Safi grew up around war and later fought in the Afghan National Army. Now he's fighting to help other refugees in Iowa live good lives. This story was first told during t…
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15 min
Susan Sims: How I traveled through communist China with $200, a jar of peanut butter and 2 rolls of film
Susan Sims wanted to see the real China after studying in Taiwan in 1986, though she didn't have much but the clothes on her back. A hilarious adventure ensued. Susan told this sto…