Keeping our Oars in the Water:
Gathering to bear witness to experiences
and stories of vulnerability and resilience
When a small boat meets turbulent water, the best way to maintain balance and stay upright is to keep your oar in the water. It will become your stabilizing rudder, enabling you to maintain course and steer your vulnerable craft towards safety. We are each like that small boat.
HSA hopes that sharing our experiences, stories and ideas might be another stabilizing oar in the water for each of us. Please join us. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated.
OARS in the Water
OARS in the Water
Wednesday, April 24th
7:00pm-8:30pm EDT
Hosted by: Heather Forest & Noa Baum
Theme: Nature’s Way
As the season turns, join us as we explore wide-ranging experiences in nature and our personal relationship to the natural world.
OARS in the Water is a facilitated Zoom gathering on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month offered by Healing Story Alliance to create a listening space to share the experiences and stories that have emerged through turbulent times. This is not a therapeutic circle but we do hope it will be healing, supportive and inspiring.
Admission is free, although donations are deeply appreciated and help support our programming. Your tax-deductible donation can be made here:
We’ll gather via Zoom. Here is the Zoom link:
About our Hosts for April 24th
Heather Forest, PhD, is an award-winning storyteller, author, musician, and organic farmer. A pioneer in the American storytelling renaissance, she has appeared in theatres, schools, literature conferences, and major storytelling festivals throughout the United States and abroad since 1975. A modern-day bard, her dynamic fusion of original music, poetry, and the sung and spoken word brings multicultural folktales to life in the imagination of her listeners. She is a recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award presented by the National Storytelling Network for her performance skill and the 2021 Talking Leaves Award for her contributions to storytelling literature. An author of seven folktale recordings and ten folktale books, her published work has earned an American Library Association Notable Record Award, two Parent’s Choice Gold Awards, and five Storytelling World Honor Awards. Her musical monologue EARTHSONG won Best Composer in the 2021 United Solo Festival off Broadway. She views storytelling as both a fine art and a powerful tool for positive social change.
Noa Baum is described by the Washington Post as someone who “spreads cultural truths that eclipse geopolitical boundaries…”. Born and raised in Israel, Noa is an award-winning storyteller, author and coach focusing on the power of narrative to heal across divides of identity and build bridges of peace. She was an actress at Jerusalem Khan Theater, studied with Uta Hagen in NYC and holds an M.A. from NYU in drama therapy. Noa presented at The World Bank; Mayo Clinic; NSA; National storytelling Festival; Kennedy Center; USDA; and Stanford University. Noa’s memoir A Land Twice Promised won several awards including the Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award. How the Birds Became Friends is her award-winning children’s book.
OARS in the Water
Wednesday, May 8th
7:00pm-8:30pm EDT
Hosted by: Elisa Pearmain & Joel Ying
Theme: Creating Safe Space for Story
What helps you feel safe to share stories? What helps others feel safe to share stories? How can we create more safe spaces for story? Let’s explore these questions together.
OARS in the Water is a facilitated Zoom gathering on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month offered by Healing Story Alliance to create a listening space to share the experiences and stories that have emerged through turbulent times. This is not a therapeutic circle but we do hope it will be healing, supportive and inspiring.
Admission is free, although donations are deeply appreciated and help support our programming. Your tax-deductible donation can be made here:
We’ll gather via Zoom. Here is the Zoom link:
About our Hosts for May 8th
Elisa Pearmain has been telling stories professionally since 1987, and always with a penchant for the many healing benefits of story. She is the award-winning author of 52 Wisdom Tales from Around The World, Once Upon a Time: Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying, and the double CD Forgiveness: Telling Our Stories in New Ways. Elisa is also a Psychotherapist in private practice, is on the Advisory Board of the Healing Story Alliance and is chair of the HSA Programming Committee.
Dr. Joel Ying is a Physician-Educator-Storyteller. In this age of information, it is not the facts and figures that inspire, but rather it is the power of story to create emotion and move us into action. Believing in the powerful medicine of story, Dr. Joel teaches “Storytelling as Healing” and produces events at Florida Gulf Coast University. He performs regularly with an eclectic collection of world folk tales and personal stories.
OARS in the Water
Wednesday, May 22nd
7:00pm-8:30pm EDT
Hosted by: Lani Peterson & Jim Brule
Theme: Nagi: We are a swarm of stories
The Lakota concept of self is embodied in their word Nagi, which means a dynamic “swarm of stories.” As we share stories with each other – and ourselves – we reshape who we are and the world around us. Join us as we playfully explore our Nagi and those of others, and consider how we can heartfully invigorate our worlds with the unexpected.
OARS in the Water is a facilitated Zoom gathering on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month offered by Healing Story Alliance to create a listening space to share the experiences and stories that have emerged through turbulent times. This is not a therapeutic circle but we do hope it will be healing, supportive and inspiring.
Admission is free, although donations are deeply appreciated and help support our programming. Your tax-deductible donation can be made here:
We’ll gather via Zoom. Here is the Zoom link:
About our Hosts for May 22nd
Jim Brulé is a transformational storyteller, death doula, teacher, and mentor with a diverse background: he has advanced degrees in clinical psychology and artificial intelligence. His online school, Transformational Storytelling, trains spiritual storytellers from multiple traditions to tell stories that inspire healing and spiritual growth. He offers a series of classes and workshops on storytelling focusing on multi-cultural wisdom as well as facing end-of-life and grief. His most recent book, “Stories of the Heart,” co-authored with Rebecca Lemaire, lovingly curates and explores 18 folktales from around the world to accompany the reader on the journey into dying and living. You can find out more here: https://transformationalstorytelling.org/events/
Lani Peterson, PsyD, known for telling and encouraging personal stories, has a specialty in story exploration as a healing art and change agent. Her background includes over 25 years as a professional storyteller and story coach combined with a doctorate in psychology from William James College, a master’s in counseling psychology from Lesley University and an undergraduate degree in literature from Smith College. She has taught Effective Organizational Communications Skills for Non-Profit Leaders in the master’s program at Wheelock College as well as Healing through our Stories in the Expressive Therapies master’s track at Lesley University. From CEO’s to scientists, doctors, mental health providers, ministers and the homeless, Lani has worked with individuals, groups and organizations to help people find their stories, share their stories, and come together with a deeper level of connection and understanding. Her ongoing mission is to bring to light and share the stories that will open doors within and between storytellers and listeners alike.
2024 OARS Meeting Hosts & Dates
Jan. 10 Heather Forest & Lani Peterson (Tech: Elisa)
Jan. 24: Karianna Rosenberg & Kristin Pedemonti (Tech Elisa)
Feb. 14: Joe Doolittle & Elisa Pearmain (Tech: Heather)
Feb. 28: Sara deBeer & Anabelle Castano (Tech: Karianna )
March 13: Bob Kanegis & Liz Mangual (Tech: Elisa)
March 27: Jim Brule & Laura Simms (Tech: Noa)
April 10: Kristin Pedemonti & Robin Reichert (Tech Joe)
April 24: Heather Forest & Noa Baum (Tech: Elisa)
May 8: Elisa Pearmain & Joel Ying (Tech: Jim)
May 22: : Lani Peterson & Jim Brule (Tech: Heather)
2023 OARS Meeting Hosts & Dates
Jan. 11: Galen Brandt & Jackson Gillman (Tech: Lani)
Jan. 25: Heather Forest & Lani Peterson (Tech: Joe)
Feb. 8: Sara deBeer & Donna Marie Kuczynski (Tech: Karianna)
Feb. 22: Lani Peterson & Linda Levinson (Tech: Elisa)
March 8: Elisa Pearmain & Faye Mogenson (Tech: Heather)
March 22: Penny Post & Joe Doolittle(Tech: Karianna)
April 12: Mike Seliger, Michael D. McCarty & Joe Doolittle (Tech: Elisa)
April 26: Heather Forest & Galen Brandt (Tech: Lani)
May 10: Bob Kanegis & Liz Mangual (Tech: Noa)
May 24: Sara deBeer & Donna Marie Kuczynski (Tech: Elisa)
June 14: Elisa Pearmain & Ai-Lin Chuah (Tech: Heather)
June 28: Jim Brule and Linda Schuyler Ford (Tech: Lani)
July 12: Noa Baum & Regi Carpenter (Tech: Heather)
July 26: Heather Forest & Sara deBeer (Tech: Karianna)
August 9: Karianna Rosenberg & Lani Peterson (Tech: Heather)
August 23: Elisa Pearmain & Diane Rooks (Tech: Joe)
September 13: Laura Simms & Sally Pomme Clayton (Tech: Heather)
September 27: Sara deBeer & Donna Marie Kuczynski ( Tech: Elisa & Noa )
October 11: Heather Forest & Lani Peterson (Tech Elisa & Galen)
October 25: Penny Post & Angela Lloyd (Tech: Heather)
Nov 8: Linda Levinson & Karen DeMauro (Tech: Joe)
November 22: Galen Brandt & Elisa Pearmain (Tech: Heather)
December 13: Sara deBeer & Ai-Lin Chuah (Tech: Heather)
December 27: Mike Seliger & Barbara Aliprantis (Tech: Heather)
2022 OARS Meeting Hosts and Dates
January 12th: Sara deBeer & Ruth Anne Faust
January 26th Kristin Pedemonti & Sarah O’Brien
February 9th Lani Peterson and Jyoti Pande
February 23rd Mike Seliger and Liz Nichols
March 2nd, Laura Simms and Lani Peterson offer a special holding space for Ukraine
March 9th Karianna Rosenberg and Jan Mullen
March 23rd Joe Doolittle & Phyllis Blackstone
April 13: Heather Forest & Lani Peterson
April 27: Elisa Pearmain and Nyanna Tobin (Tech: Heather)
May 11: Sara deBeer and Hearscrow (Tech: Elisa)
May 25: Wally Scott and Radhieka Al Hakawati (Tech: Joe)
June 8: Galen Brandt and Jackson Gillman (Tech: Heather)
June 22: Heather Forest and Noa Baum (Tech: Elisa)
July 13: Karianna Rosenberg and Penny Post (Tech: Lani)
July 27: ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING (Tech: Heather)
August 10: Joe Doolittle and Ai-Lin (Tech: Elisa)
August 24: Sara deBeer and Jyoti Pande (Tech: Lani)
September 14: Heather Forest and Megan Wells (Tech: Lani )
September 28: Lani Peterson and Karen DeMauro (Tech: Elisa)
October 12: Elisa Pearmain and Erin Johnson (Tech: Joe)
October 26: Mike Seliger & Regina Ress (Tech: Heather)
Nov 9th: Joe Doolittle & Penny Post (Tech: Elisa)
Nov 23: Elisa Pearmain & Usha Venkatraman (Kristin)
Dec. 14: Heather Forest & Jim Brule (Tech: Elisa)
Dec. 28: Laura Simms & Donna Jacobs (Heather)
2021 OARS Meeting Dates & Hosts:
September 22 : Hosted by Heather Forest & Lani Peterson
October 13: Hosted by Sara deBeer & Jean Hale
October 27: Hosted by Joe Doolittle & Mike Seliger
November 10: Elisa Pearmain & Laura Simms
November 24th: Heather Forest & Karianna Rosenberg
December 8th: Wally Scott and Carol McCormick
December 22nd: Kristin Pedemonti & Galen Brandt