Sept. 29, 2025 - The inaugural Cedar Rapids Storytelling Festival, a new event put on by local nonprofit TellersBridge and the Cedar Rapids Public Library, is coming to the Downtown Library Oct. 1-4.
The festival celebrates the art of storytelling and invites the public to hear stories from their neighbors and national storytellers alike, to share their own stories, and to take place in storytelling workshops. Everything kicks off at the Downtown Library on Wednesday, Oct. 1, with an open-mic "Stories from the Stump" session from 4-6 pm. There will also be a full day of storytelling workshops on Saturday, culminating in a Grand Storytellers Showcase from 2-4 pm in Whipple Auditorium.
TellersBridge founding member Sue Schmitt, one of the festival organizers, shared some of her favorite books about storytelling - guides for aspiring storytellers - which are available to put on hold at the library:
"My first love was 'Storyworthy' by Matthew Dicks (2018). Matthew is a fifth-grade school teacher who has won The Moth Story Slam at least 60 times and probably more. His book was a revelation: clearly written, easy to follow, and applicable to my own work. The bonus was that he grew up in New England, so the stories he told resonated with me because I had also grown up there.
"Next is The Moth’s book, 'How to Tell A Story,' by Meg Bowles (2022) It complements the directions in Matthew’s book and offers an unvarnished look at what Moth producers are seeking in a story.
"Finally, my personal favorite is George Saunders', 'A Swim in a Pond in the Rain' (2021). This book examines short fiction writing rather than live storytelling. Still, his method of reviewing a story in a very detailed way, questioning every choice made by the writer in the most considerate manner, causes you to examine every layer, every facet, and appreciate your creation more completely, as well as the choices made, sometimes unwittingly."
Looking for more storytelling resources? Borrow one of the books below:
"Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story" by James R. Hagerty (2023)
In this heartfelt and reassuring guide, James R. Hagerty, longtime obit writer for "The Wall Street Journal," explains how to preserve your personal history – from crafting a brief obituary for newspapers and websites, to a more thoughtful and detailed mini-memoir for those close to you.
"You: The Story – A Writer's Guide to Craft Through Memory" by Ruta Sepetys (2023)
A deeply personal how-to book for aspiring writers, encouraging them to look inward and excavate their own memories in order to discover the authentic voices and compelling details that are waiting to be put on the page.
"Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories" by Steve Almond (2024)
Steve Almond employs the radical empathy he displayed as co-host (with Cheryl Strayed) of the podcast "Dear Sugars" to explore the joys and trials of storytelling, and to explode the myths that hold us back from writing our deepest and truest work.
"Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence" by Lisa Cron (2012)
This guide reveals how writers can take advantage of the brain's hard-wired responses to story to captivate their readers' minds through each plot element.
"The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human" by Jonathan Gottschall (2012)
Jonathan Gottschall argues that stories help us navigate life's complex social problems – just as flight simulators prepare pilots for difficult situations. Storytelling has evolved, like other behaviors, to ensure our survival. Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Gottschall tells us what it means to be a storytelling animal and explains how stories can change the world for the better.
"Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio" by Jessica Abel (2015)
Every week, millions of devoted fans tune in to or download "This American Life," "The Moth," "Radiolab," "Planet Money," "Snap Judgment," "Serial," "Invisibilia" and other narrative radio shows. Using personal stories to breathe life into complex ideas and issues, these beloved programs help us to understand ourselves and our world a little bit better. "Out on the Wire" offers an unexpected window into this new kind of storytelling – one that literally illustrates the making of a purely auditory medium.
"Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You'll Ever Need" by Margot Leitman (2015)
Did you ever wish you could tell a story that leaves others spellbound? Storytelling teacher and champion Margot Leitman will show you how! With a fun, irreverent, and infographic approach, this guide breaks a story into concrete components with ways to improve content, structure, emotional impact, and delivery through personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical exercises.