The Nutshell True Story Hour

In a Nutshell Storytelling
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True stories performed live on the In a Nutshell Storytelling stage, followed by honest conversations about how those stories were made. Performance, process, and a love letter to live storytelling—all in one episode. www.inanutshellstorytelling.com

  1. DNA wants to be the mayor of Chico

    15 APR

    DNA wants to be the mayor of Chico

    Storyteller/comedian DNA has done a lot of things in his career. He’s put on big comedy festivals in Santa Cruz, he’s done extensive journalistic pieces, and he’s even recently made a movie. But perhaps his strangest pursuit was running for Mayor of Chico…five times! When DNA came to In a Nutshell last year to tell his story of running for mayor, the theme was “It’s a beautiful day.” The reason it was a beautiful day for DNA was that he didn’t run his campaign(s) like a normal politician. There were pranks, publicity stunts and jokes. “Nudes for Nader” was one of the most famous publicity stunts that emerged from all of this. Some of it was designed to comment on the foul nature of American politics. So, when we talked to DNA (In Chico, of course), we got quite philosophical in our conversation. The sour state of politics, the dumbing down of American culture and the hopelessness that any of it will ever get better. It’s a fun listen! Plus, we find out if he still wants to be the mayor of Chico. The Nutshell True Story Hour is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling The Nutshell Three: Amy Bee Keith Lowell Jensen Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou and Suzon Lucore for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. SHOUT OUT to Frances Southwick for becoming a paid subscriber and supporting live storytelling! You’re our ride or die, Frances! YOU can also subscribe for true stories and backstage conversations from the In a Nutshell community. Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    54 min
  2. Anne Rutherford seeks an "A-HA" moment at a silent Buddhist retreat

    2 APR

    Anne Rutherford seeks an "A-HA" moment at a silent Buddhist retreat

    Anne Rutherford wasn’t booked on our show, In a Nutshell storytelling. But one of our storytellers got sick, and Anne—an audience member and professional storyteller—volunteered to replace her. Anne stole the show. The theme that night was “Eureka,” and Anne immediately knew which story she wanted to tell. It involved love (of course), but more specifically, falling for the wrong person. Someone who didn’t seem to be all that interested in her, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. It took a silent meditation retreat and witnessing the unusual behaviors of some roaming peacocks for Anne to say, “Eureka! This guy isn’t right for me!” For this episode, we drove up to Anne’s beautiful house in Chico, CA, and discussed her story. We learned a bunch about other storytelling genres besides true and personal. Turns out, Anne does them all! In fact, one of her most popular characters, Clementine, made an appearance during the interview. The Nutshell True Story Hour is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling The Nutshell Three: Amy Bee Keith Lowell Jensen Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou and Suzon Lucore for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. SHOUT OUT to Frances Southwick for becoming a paid subscriber and supporting live storytelling! You’re our ride or die, Frances! YOU can also subscribe for true stories and backstage conversations from the In a Nutshell community. Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    45 min
  3. Joe Hunter went on "Survivor" to honor his sister

    18 MAR

    Joe Hunter went on "Survivor" to honor his sister

    Sacramento firefighter Joe Hunter applied to be a contestant on Survivor as a way to cope with the grief of the loss of his sister, who was murdered in a case of domestic abuse. Joe, who loved his sister dearly, had fought with her the last time they’d spoken, and the regret was tearing him apart. Joe’s therapist suggested he do something that his sister loved. She’d always wanted to be on Survivor, so he applied. And he made it on. He finished third in season 48 and was so loved that he was invited to the All-Star season 50, which is currently airing. Last September, Joe told his story on the Nutshell stage, where he shared how being a Survivor contestant simultaneously healed him and messed with his sense of reality. In this episode of the Nutshell True Story Hour, we dig into all these topics even deeper. Joe is an absolutely delightful human and was extremely gracious with us. This podcast is free for everyone, and it’s made possible by our paid subscribers. If you’d like to support stories like Joe’s, becoming a paid subscriber helps us keep going. xoxo, Amy The Nutshell True Story Hour is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling The Nutshell Three: Amy Bee Keith Lowell Jensen Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou and Suzon Lucore for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    1hr 4min
  4. A young Kimberlli Joy confronts the a*****e saying racist s**t

    4 MAR

    A young Kimberlli Joy confronts the a*****e saying racist s**t

    A racist encounter in a restaurant bathroom pushes Kimberlli Joy to stop hiding her anger. Last August, storyteller Kimberlli Joy performed on our show with the theme, “Bullies.” Kim and her sister Karla grew up in Boston, and one night, feeling fine and looking good, they headed out for an evening at Wally’s, a famous jazz club, and stopped at a fancy restaurant along the way. There, after a delicious meal and some strategic conversation to get other patrons wondering, are these two young ladies famous?, they excused themselves to use the bathroom, and that’s when a self-important businessman decided to spew some racist s**t. This wasn’t Kim’s first experience dealing with white people resorting to racial epithets at the drop of a hat; she had grown up in Boston, after all, and she had been schooled her whole life on how to deal with such things. And being a young Black woman, the pressure to at all times make sure no one—no one!—would ever perceive her as angry was ingrained in her like a second skin. Kim was well-versed in turning the other cheek. But not this night. Cheeks were no longer being turned. Kim was going to stand up for herself and her sister, perceptions be damned. Weren’t those perceptions built to keep her down, anyway? No more. It’s an experience that she and her sister now look back on fondly. And when we interviewed Kim about the story, she told us, “I like that person,” referring to herself. We all do! Kimberlli can be seen and heard across multiple stages and is here on Substack. She is currently working on a solo show. Let’s all go support her! The Nutshell True Story Hour is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling The Nutshell Three: Amy Bee Keith Lowell Jensen Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou and Suzon Lucore for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. If you enjoy these stories, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps us pay storytellers, our sound engineer, ourselves, and keeps us sharing true stories with everyone. Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    51 min
  5. Corey Rosen gets punched in the face

    18 FEB

    Corey Rosen gets punched in the face

    Hello, our lovely story friends! This is our first episode of the Nutshell True Story Hour! It’s kind of like our previous podcast Prompt, but better, more refined (read: sound engineer, ooh-la-la), and destined to be your favorite podcast of all time. Every episode, we share with you one of our favorite stories told live at our show, In a Nutshell Storytelling, followed by a conversation with the storyteller about how that story came to be. For our first episode, we bring you Bay Area storytelling celebrity Corey Rosen, who, for our theme “Bullies,” shared a funny, insightful story about losing his cool one day while driving his kids to school. Anyone who has had to drop their kids off knows the situation is already rife with potential miscommunication, frazzled nerves, and entitled, impatient parents ready to point fingers at anyone except themselves. Throw in a guy just trying to get 14 meaningful minutes with his kids (and yeah, maybe Corey has a touch of the instigator in him), and, well, yep. Someone’s gonna get punched in the face. Like most well-told stories, Corey’s doesn’t give us an obvious good guy or bad guy. Instead, he presents us with imperfect people reacting in their own imperfect ways. And when Corey sat down with us later, he gained a fresh perspective on a story he’s told many times before. Corey Rosen is the host of The Moth Storyslam in Berkeley, CA, as well as Simply Said in Larkspur. He is also the author of Your Story, Well Told & A Story for Everything. The Nutshell Story Hour is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling The Nutshell Three: Amy Bee Keith Lowell Jensen Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. If you’re enjoying The Nutshell True Story Hour, one of the best ways to support it is by becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps us pay storytellers, pay our sound engineer (ooh-la-la indeed), keep live shows going, and continue sharing these stories freely with the world. We believe true stories should be accessible and paid subscribers make that possible. Thank you for being here. Our paid subscribers make this podcast possible! Ed Lewis, Holly James, Kathleen Taylor, Kevin Woodruff, Ashley Berenstein, Lori B, John McAvoy, Jolene Lavine, Abigail Hoiland (Thanks, RIDE or DIE!), Wendy Jordan (And yes, I read every single comment and message. Come say hi! xoxo, Amy) Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    1hr 2min
  6. Diane Amos doesn't just have a day, she has a DAY!

    4 FEB

    Diane Amos doesn't just have a day, she has a DAY!

    Diane Amos brought down the house at our July 2025 show, themed “Soundtracks,” with a story about a single day containing the full spectrum of emotion, from celebration to loss and everything in between (even a little bit of spice and celebrity show up on this day of days). It’s a day that’s such a whiplash of a rollercoaster ride that all Diane can really do is throw her hands into the air, sing a little song, and marvel at how life can be so beautiful, so terrible, so unexpected, so precious. Enjoy her story, then join us in our conversation with Diane, who shared details on her life as the queen of Pine-Sol and offered candid insights into her world of improv, comedy, acting, performance, and, of course, storytelling. Visit her website, and if you get a chance to see Diane live, take it! (Ahem, she will be back on our stage this July, so you know what to do.)You will not be disappointed. Meanwhile, this live audio recording of Diane’s big, beautiful day should hold you over until then. This is our last episode of season one of our podcast, and after today, our podcast will be known as The Nutshell True Story Hour (we were getting buried under a bunch of AI content with the name “Prompt”). Our patron saint of “Yay!” Aaron Carnes is going to take over as the main host and let Amy and Kieth do what they do best, which is, well, let’s be nice here and call it “add flavor.” Aaron is the accomplished podcaster of the Nutshell Three, after all, and we want you to get to know him the same way you get to know Keith on stage and me, Amy, here. And don’t believe Keith (HI, KEITH!), Aaron DEFINITELY has the best podcaster voice. We’re so lucky to have him in so many ways. Ask him sometime what it’s like to have one easily distracted loudmouth and one hyper-fixated loudmouth following him around all the time . . . the dude deserves a medal! Okay, humans! Enjoy the episode, enjoy Diane Amos, tell us what you think (I read and respond to all comments!), and until we see you again, keep telling each other your stories. xoxo, Amy Prompt: is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling Hostest: Amy Bee Mostest: Keith Lowell Jensen Producer: Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. Prompt is free to listen to! If you’d like to support the podcast, live storytelling, and the work we’re building around it, becoming a paid subscriber helps make that possible. Thanks for listening and being here💜 xoxo, Amy Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    1hr 1min
  7. Claire Hennessy hooks up with a lover thirty years later

    21 JAN

    Claire Hennessy hooks up with a lover thirty years later

    Prompt time, baby! And this time around, it’s a doozy! We sat down with Claire Hennessy, the fiery Brit who told a wonderfully cheeky tale about meeting up in midlife with a man she briefly (but passionately) dated as a teenager. Claire hilariously nails down all the complications and insecurities of being in a body that has lived a life and seen its share of adventures. Her story ends with a “happily ever after,” as being brave, taking chances, and putting yourself out there despite life’s lumps and bumps often leads to real opportunity and real fulfillment. Her storytelling style is fearless, candid, and incredibly relatable. And our conversation with her was pretty much the same. Claire is the co-creator of Six Feet Apart Productions, whose online storytelling shows have been getting rave reviews and grabbing audiences in the Bay Area and around the world since they launched during COVID. They now have a live show called The Story Shuffle, featuring all-genre storytelling, from true stories to folk tales. Prompt: is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling Hostest: Amy Bee Mostest: Keith Lowell Jensen Producer: Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. Prompt is free to listen to! If you’d like to support the podcast, live storytelling, and the work we’re building around it, becoming a paid subscriber helps make that possible. Thanks for listening and being here💜 xoxo, Amy Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    57 min
  8. The one where Beau Ryder Davis hits his dad with a guitar

    7 JAN

    The one where Beau Ryder Davis hits his dad with a guitar

    Prompt is back! This week, our story comes from comedian/storyteller/one-half of Pretty Good Stories, Beau Ryder Davis. This is a special one because it was the first story told at the very first Nutshell show back in January 2025. Beau is a quick-witted storyteller who is keenly tuned in to the audience, inserting lightning-fast jokes and quips without losing sight of the story. Beau grew up in Hazard, Kentucky (current population: approx. 5,000), and recognized at an early age that he was different from the manly men who made up most of his family. Young Beau was oddly comfortable in his skin, though, and his family consistently supported him, even though they were fond to note he was a whimsical child. Beau uses his story of a bat being found trapped in the family home to explore his identity and his relationship with his father. Beau created Pretty Good Stories with Tom Darci. He’ll be performing at our March 27 show, themed: All You Can Eat. Tickets are available at The Sofia box office (916) 443-0394. Prompt: is presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling Hostest: Amy Bee Mostest: Keith Lowell Jensen Producer: Aaron Carnes Sound Engineer: Chris Reeves Thank you to: DJ Yuma Tripp for allowing us to use his song “Lazy Skank” for our episodes and our live show. Hyperpixel for audio and video services. Sofia Theatre for a beautiful stage to gather around. Babalou for watching over our event table and engaging with people in the best way possible. Get full access to In a Nutshell Storytelling at www.inanutshellstorytelling.com/subscribe

    1hr 9min
See All (16)

About

True stories performed live on the In a Nutshell Storytelling stage, followed by honest conversations about how those stories were made. Performance, process, and a love letter to live storytelling—all in one episode. www.inanutshellstorytelling.com

Information

  • Creator
    In a Nutshell Storytelling
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Amy Bee
  • Show Website
    The Nutshell True Story Hour

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