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Ex Fabula: Courage - MKE’S Big Read

Art Montes
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Ex Fabula
Storyteller Rosa Veloz

Well here we are only a month away from the end of Season Seven. What an incredible journey it’s been. And how fitting that as we near the Season’s end, we do so by partnering with Milwaukee Public Library for Milwaukee's Big Read. Like Ex Fabula and WUWM, The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and this year, Milwaukee Public Library will offer a month of exciting events, programs, and discussions related to Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies. Ex Fabula be will join in the fun by hosting Storytelling workshops throughput April in both English and Spanish culminating in a bilingual StorySlam on May 4th.

In the Time of Butterflies is set in Mid-20th century Dominican Republic. The novel explores themes of courage, freedom, rebellion against tyranny, family and women’s rights. This week we have two very different stories of courage from two amazing women.

Our first story comes from our March of 2016 and our first (and the nation’s first) bilingual StorySlam, “My American Dream.” Rosa Veloz was 15 years old when her father, who spent half the year in Mexico and half in the US, came home to Mexico and declared that the family was leaving everything they knew and loved to follow him to los estados unidos. Rosa shares that journey and the courage it took to keep going.

Credit Art Montes / Ex Fabula
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Ex Fabula
Storyteller Sarah Bell

Our second story comes from our February “Water” StorySlam. Sarah Bell was a confident young girl who loved the water. Swimming was her escape, her release and her power. And she loved her body, which was hers and had a power of its own. Until one summer one cruel comment changed the next decade or more of Sarah’s life and took her ability to swim. Listen to find out how Sarah got her groove back.

Do you have a story to share? Mark your calendar’s for our last StorySlam of the regular Season "Only in Milwaukee" on April 12th and get your tickets today!  This is your last chance for Season Seven!