Meet the 5 Iowans who will share their travel stories at the next Storytellers Project
Five Iowans will share their adventure stories at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's next show.
"Travel" takes place at 7 p.m. June 20 at Des Moines' historic Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave.
In its sixth season, the Register's Storytellers Project is dedicated to the idea that oral storytelling and journalism have the same goals: Serving and reflecting a community while fostering empathy.
Iowans will tell their stories live on stage without notes and from their hearts. They have been coached by Register journalists Francesca Block, Ronna Faaborg, Kim Norvell, Lee Rood and F. Amanda Tugade. Rood will host the show.
Tickets for the show, and for the remaining show planned in 2023, are now on sale at DesMoinesRegister.com/Storytellers:
Family on Oct. 24
Tickets cost $12 or $28 for VIP, which includes a free drink and treat, and are available to purchase through Ticketmaster or at the Hoyt Sherman Place box office.
Questions about the shows can be directed to events@dmreg.com or 515-619-6548.
Meet our storytellers:
Olesya Holker
Olesya Holker is a wellbeing enthusiast, a documentary filmmaker, a yogi and an adventurer. She migrated from Russia to the United States 12 years ago. Olesya, her husband, Jered, and their 5-year-old son live in Cumming, Iowa. Olesya has a passion for travel and has visited 19 countries.
Who or what inspired you to tell your story?
I attended most of the Storytellers events last year. The “Voyages: Life-changing experiences through travel” event’s speakers inspired me to share a story about my passion for travel as well.
What do you hope listeners take away from your story?
Traveling the world and connecting with people from other cultures could be a deeply rewarding experience. I hope listeners will be inspired to take a trip somewhere they’ve never been before.
Keith Knapp
Keith was born and raised in Wausau, Wisconsin, but over the years has lived in eight states. He first came to Iowa in the late 1990s to work at Iowa State University and returned in 2010. Since that time, he has been director of Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program at the Institute for Transportation at Iowa State University. Keith has civil engineering degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell University and Texas A&M University. He is a recently certified mindfulness meditation teacher and still hopes to meet his goal to visit all seven continents.
Who or what inspired you to tell your story?
I was inspired to tell my story by several of those who have heard it. That it was a journey story worth sharing.
What do you hope listeners take away from your story?
I am hopeful that listeners will go away with the idea that even the toughest of journeys can lead to some useful insights about life.
Monica Leo
Monica Leo is a first-generation American, born to German refugees. She grew up playing with hand puppets featuring the puppet hero, Kasperle. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she studied for two years at the State Art Academy in Düsseldorf, Germany, with Josef Beuys. Since 1975, she has been active as founder and principal puppeteer of Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre.
Who or what inspired you to tell your story?
Rampant fear of the other, so encouraged in the current political climate, made me feel like telling the story of my experiences in an East Bloc country at a time when Americans were made to fear anything or anyone behind the dreaded iron curtain.
What do you hope listeners take away from your story?
I hope listeners will realize that despite huge political divides, we’re all human with much more in common than what separates us.
Shir Agha Safi
Major Shir Agha Safi is a former military intelligence battalion commander in the Afghan National Army who dedicated his life to fighting terrorism and bringing peace to Afghanistan, his home country, and the rest of the world. After the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021, Shir Agha Safi was forced to flee his home country and seek refuge in Iowa. He is the founder and executive director of Afghan Partners, which helps Afghan refugees become self-sufficient in their new home. Shir Agha Safi also is a student at John Dee Bright College at Drake University.
Who or what inspired you to tell your story?
Ultimately, the desired takeaway from my story is a deeper understanding of the human experience within the context of extremism; compassion for those affected by it; and a call to action for promoting peace, justice and understanding.
What do you hope listeners take away from your story?
Awareness and empathy: My story’s aim is to foster understanding and empathy toward individuals who are affected by extremism and violence, emphasizing that not everyone in a particular society or community shares those destructive beliefs. Despite the adversity faced by my family in the story, our resilience and commitment to our principles shine through.
Susan Sims
Susan Sims is a community volunteer and a church communication director. She and her husband, Brian, came to Iowa in 1993 for medical school and decided to stay. They raised their five kids in Cedar Falls after seven years in Des Moines. Family travel, volunteering and reading are among Susan’s favorite activities.
Who or what inspired you to tell your story?
No one would be interested, I have told my kids and friends many times. But they have all insisted I'm wrong. Write it down, they say. That's a bit much. Tell it somehow, they urge. So, that's why I chose to share a little about my solo backpacking adventure in China in 1986. I stress this is not what I would allow any of my children to do, but maybe that's why I told them the story from time to time. And thankfully none have ventured, even though they have all lived or traveled abroad. But I also tell the story because the experience could not be replicated today. The China of 1986 does not exist anymore. When we took our kids to China in 2011, I could see my experience was frozen in time and memory, a time of great transition in China that was fascinating to witness.
What do you hope listeners take away from your story?
Solo travel has its value, but shared journeys are better. I had all these experiences but no one to share them with. Maybe that's why I tell the story. I was the only one "there." If I tell it, I share it just a little. Plus it makes people laugh and it always surprises people who think they know me, because it shares part of me they would not expect. So in a way, the story helps me share myself better.
Kim Norvell is the Register's communities editor and director of content for the Des Moines Storytellers Project. Reach her at knorvell@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines Storytellers Project: 5 Iowans will share travel stories
