There’s no better time to be a Philadelphia sports fan. The Flyers are back in the Stanley Cup, the Phillies are favorites to win the National League (again) and the Eagles are gearing up for a future with Kevin Kolb at the helm. Let’s not forget our Sixers though, they hold the #2 pick in this year’s draft. They haven’t been in the news as heavily recently, but there’s one person who could always sell seats… our beloved Allen Iverson.


Iverson Highlights



Today’s documentary pick is No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson. It’s aNetflix new release and part of ESPN’S “30 for 30″ series of athlete biographies.


The documentary takes us back to a high school Iverson destined for greatness and details how the first pick of the 1996 NBA draft nearly had his future derailed by a bowling alley brawl. Hoop Dreams director Steve James reveals the incident’s impact on Iverson’s career and hometown. He returns to Hampton, Va. to take a personal look at this still disputed incident, even after A.I’s eventual absolution. Check out the trailer.





-Tiffany Thwaites

Check out the Art Sanctuary’s 26th Annual Festival of Black Writing Festival from today through Saturday at Temple University Main Campus. Enjoy inspiring workshops and panel discussions, family activities, powerful performances, a book fair with author signings, food, crafts— and a few words from Mayor Michael Nutter. Plus the first object collection events for the First Person Museum! And its all free!


Here’s footage from last years festival…



For the family there are kid-friendly readings, entertainment, face painting and workshops for kids and teens. Adults can take part in a variety of workshops from how to get your poetry published to becoming a successful freelance writer, or panel discussions ranging from blogging to sci-fi to the LGBTQ Community.

And First Person is getting in the act too! We’ll be collecting objects for the First Person Museum at two festival workshops on Saturday: Through the Bars: A Workshop on Objects and Memorials for People Affected by Incarceration led by Dee Johnson and Angel Hogan and Objects, Memory and Story: Transform Your Stories into Writing led by Lise Funderberg. Objects, Memory and Story is currently sold-out online but walk-ins are welcome. Both workshops are at Ritter Hall Annex and you can register here.


These are the first two of many collection events throughout the summer for the First Person Museum and we want YOUR stories and objects . Keep checking the First Person Museum page for updates on how you can get involved, either at one of our collection events or via online submissions.


-Tiffany Thwaites

Three of our winningest (is that a word?) storytellers will share the stage at L’Etage tonight when host Katonya Mosley, guest storyteller Doug Didyoung and guest judge Naomi Brownstein team up. For a taste of what you’re in for, check out one of my favorite Doug stories from the 2009 Grand Slam below. I wonder what he’ll have to say on the theme of Faulty Logic at tonight’s Slam?


First Person StorySlam
L’Etage, 6th and Bainbridge
21+
Doors at 7:30, Slam starts at 8:30
$10, $8 for FP members
$4 well drink specials

How far have you traveled to get an obscure culinary specialty? How much trouble did you get into? And was it worth it? We all know that even a trip for a cheesesteak to Pat or Geno’s can provide an excellent story.


Ann Vanderhoof – guest author of our June event Edible World: The Spice Necklace – had dozens of food adventures as she sailed the Caribbean, plucking fresh nutmeg, eating oregano-infused goat straight off the farm and tracking down the best moonshine the islands had to offer from underground stills. Now, we want to hear YOUR “Foodie on the Road” adventures!


Edible World: The Spice Necklace is June 24 and we’ll be showcasing your stories on the First Person blog in the weeks prior to the event. Just send them to me at kkacala[at]firstpersonarts[dot]org and definitely include a photo!


Then, come hear Ann’s tales live and enjoy a meal of roti, pelau, curry chicken and more from Rick Nichols’ fave Calypso at Edible World: The Spice Necklace! Get your tickets here!


I might have to write about the just caught and freshly fried fish I enjoyed in Lebanon… or maybe the first time I ever had pizza with an egg on it in Italy… or my road trip down south a couple years ago when some of the best fried chicken and cornbread passed my lips. So much good food out there. I can’t wait to be driven to hunger by your stories!

‘”Documentaries are much more exciting than most fiction films,” says Alex Gibney. “I think most documentary filmmakers are loosening themselves up, they’re doing stuff that’s much more interesting in stylistic terms.”‘ (Philadelphia City Paper, 5/20/2009)


See Academy Award winner Gibney’s theory in action in his new film Casino Jack & the United States of Money, opening today at Ritz at the Bourse. The “Jack” in question is Washington bad guy, lobbyist Jack Abramoff. And the United States of Money refers to the greedy web of politicians, lobbyists and businessmen contributing to a super corrupt political system where cash is king (and the occasional golf trip is prince). Throw in Native American tribes, African freedom fighters, and the mob and you have a sense of Abramoff’s bizarro world. Unfortunately, it’s a world we’re all living in. Fortunately, Abramoff didn’t get away with it, and is in the middle of a four year prison sentence. Gibney moved, angered and illuminated with his earlier films Taxi to the Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. I’m expecting a lot of that middle emotion when listening to transcripts of Abramoff’s emails and other backdoor dealings. Hell, the trailer riled me up. Check it out below.

“I’ve been on 20 story buildings and been blown 30 feet to the side. You know, like the whole rig was just blown out over the street. And I’m looking down at taxi cabs and I’m like, ok, I’m scared now.”


Thanks to favorite Slam storyteller and host Tre Rials (@nolaphilly) for the tip on Up There, a short look inside the very difficult, dangerous, peaceful, beautiful, antiquated world of the billboard painter. I’m trying to think of handpainted walls in Philly and can only think of the Arts Parlor and the wall of Mercato at Spruce and Camac. Any others come to mind?


Come across something cool in the world of memoir and documentary? Let me know and it may find its way on the blog!

UP THERE from The Ritual Project on Vimeo.

Silly Chicago! Even though we beat them at last year’s Philly vs. Chicago Slam at the Free Library Festival, they’re coming back for more pain. This time, they have invited First Person Arts to throwdown at the first-ever National StorySlam at the 2010 Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest on June 13th.


And we couldn’t be more excited to send recent Philly vs. DC winner Michael McCarry. Remember him? He’s the guy with the unbeatable mother (let’s just hope she isn’t telling stories for another city!). But we need your help to make this trip a reality!


We have to raise $600 for Mike’s airfare and other travel expenses by June 7th. That’s just three weeks away! Donate today and make this storyteller sojourn a reality! Donations of any size, starting with $5 will make a huge dent. DONATE HERE.

Assisting in the creation of the First Person Museum is Kathleen McLean, a masterful museum consultant from Berkeley. Kathleen was profiled in yesterday’s New York Times for her most recent project: the reopening of the Oakland Museum (“The Story of California. The Story of You.”). Her career has thrived on creating community-based, bottom-up museum exhibitions throughout the country and the First Person Museum is her latest project. I caught her for a couple minutes at the conclusion of our second day of planning meetings before she headed back to the west coast. Watch what she has to say about your museum below.







Hear what Samara from Radio Diaries has to say after day 1 of our planning sessions.


(Photo by Abigail Huller, courtesy of the Oakland Museum of California)

The legacy and lives of the modern-day cowboy are at the heart of the documentary, Sweetgrass. (Though these men are in fact herding thousands of sheep through Montana, but sheepboy isn’t nearly as sexy.) It opens today at Ritz at the Bourse. Check out what The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis had to say about this “wonderful documentary.”

How do you build a museum of the people? If you’re First Person Arts, you start by bringing together an amazing team of museum specialists well-versed in user generated content, artists skilled in capturing stories from real life and historians from some of the top universities in the country. And then you brainstorm. And throw out questions. And ideas. And more questions. And disagree. And say really great things like, “The object is a vessel for the story.” And share stories about personal objects that matter in our lives. A bunch of really smart people in one room can be both an inspiring and dangerous thing.


Today has been the first day of a two day planning session for the First Person Museum. Spearheaded by museum development consultant Kathleen McLean, we are figuring out the most effective process for capturing the objects, stories and historical contexts that will go into creating the First Person Museum, to be on display at the Painted Bride Art Center in conjunction with the First Person Festival in November thru December 2010.


One of our artistic partners is the popular NPR program Radio Diaries. Radio Diaries will be producing the audio commentary for a selection of the objects submitted for the Museum. Producer Samara Freemark was on hand today voicing her opinions and questions about the project. Hear Samara’s thoughts on the Museum so far.





Our other artistic partners include photographer JJ Tiziou, Inquirer writer Dianna Marder and filmmaker David Kessler. Each will be using their particular medium to capture the personal narratives behind our collection of objects. Tomorrow we meet with the community organizations that will help spearhead object collection throughout the city. We’ll meet them tomorrow!