We all remember our neighbors. Whether it was the kids we played with until the sundown, the families who invited us over for barbecues on the weekends, the noisy one upstairs, the kind one who always offered to take out your trash, or the bully down the street, we always remember.
Ex Fabula is excited to join this year’s Tosa's All-City Read as it explores the influence of neighbors with the book “A Man Called Ove.” On February 12th, Ex Fabula will host a Storytelling workshop (ages 13+) themed “Neighbors and Neighborhoods.” At the end of the month, (Feb. 22) we’ll welcome all our workshop participants and community members to a special StorySlam on the same theme.
So this week we are taking a look into the archives for some of our most meaningful “Neighbor” stories. We didn’t have to look too far back for our first story, from Kendra Spain, who took the stage in September 2016 for our Doors Open Milwaukee event. Kendra remembers long summer days playing with the kids on the block. She remembers visits to the ice cream store and being welcomed into any backyard having a picnic. She remembers people looking out for each other. Then something happened in Kendra’s neighborhood. Listen below to find out what.
Our next story takes us back to our 2010 “Neighbors” StorySlam. Kristia Wildflower grew up on 64th and North, and her neighborhood was “diverse.” There were German Lutherans, German Jews and Irish Catholics. They all kept to themselves separated by religion or heritage but they were unified against one thing: the integration of neighborhoods. Kristia recalls the day the neighborhood gun shop was emptied because Father Groppi was to lead a protest down North Avenue. Learn what else Kristia remembers.
