News

Galaxy Girl

We reached out to artist Letisia Cruz – one-half of the dynamic duo at Petite Hound Press – and asked her to create an original piece inspired by our upcoming show theme “Blanked.” The result was Galaxy Girl!

We asked Letisia what inspired her to create this interstellar image and here is her reply:

Galaxy Girl was inspired by the theme BLANKED. To blank or to be blank is to be devoid of information, such as a blank page or a blank wall. But it is often in moments of absolutely emptiness that we are most in tune with nature and the natural (dis)order of the universe. As the arrow of time moves forward and the universe continues to expand, so does our capacity for chaos. The world we live in is both terrifying and fascinating. This drawing is my small contribution to disorder. With disorder comes endless possibilities.

For more fantastic work from Letisia Cruz check out Petite Hound Press – a miniature press based out of Las Vegas and Miami run by two tattooed, poetry-writing, art-loving ladies. Visit petitehoundpress.com.

Come out next Wed, September 14th for No, YOU Tell It! “Blanked” at Jimmy’s No. 43 at 7pm!

September 7, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: Blanked, galaxy girl, petite hound press

Special No, YOU Tell It! “No Regrets” Show at FDU

Our own Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons was stoked to spend the week at Fairleigh Dickinson University working with the incredible students in *FDU’s low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing on how to read their fiction, nonfiction, or poetry with a little oomph (as we like to call it). She also produced a special No, YOU Tell It! show with a trio of alums from the program.

After an intense 10-day writing residency at the Florham campus in Madison, NJ packed with workshops, lectures, visiting authors, and a killer outdoor dance party – No, YOU Tell It! “No Regrets” (theme intentional) had the formidable time slot of 10 am on the final Sunday morning.

But switched-up storytelling knows no bounds as the crazy talented Heather Lang, Letisia Cruz, and Taz Ruffilo (pictured left to right in the top row) wrote and performed three amazing pieces, keeping everyone captivated down to the residency’s last moments.

Over the past month, the trio participated in intensive story workshops and rehearsals with Kelly Jean, and the final result both broke and warmed our hearts. A huge thank you to René Steinke and all of the brilliant faculty, students, and alums at FDU’s summer residency, especially our “surprise guests” at the show Renee Ashley and Patrick Joshua Laskey!

Want to bring a No, YOU Tell It! workshop to your school, organization, or office? Click here to learn more or contact us at noyoutellit@gmail.com.

*FDU’s low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing is ideal for students who want a more flexible academic schedule. Students attend two 10-day residencies each year, one in August at FDU‘s Florham campus in Madison, New Jersey, and one in January at the university’s Wroxton campus in Oxfordshire, England. Throughout the remainder of the school year, as they write and revise their creative work, students work one-on-one with their mentors and participate in online workshops. Click here to learn more about the program and how to apply.

August 15, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: fairleigh dickinson university, No Regrets, Workshops

Visit Us at The Queens Book Festival!

We are excited to be part of major literary explosion in Queens! The Queens Book Festival is happening this Sunday, August 7th, at Kaufman Astoria Studios.

Come visit us at the No, YOU Tell It! table for some literary swag, information about upcoming shows and workshops, and other fun surprises.

The Queen Book Festival is from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and FREE to the entire community with a wide range of activities suited to families and folks of every age!

Click here to check out the full schedule of literary happenings!

July 30, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: Kaufman Astoria Studios, literary swag, Queens Book Festival

Sip-N-Scribe for Queens Writes Weekend

Our own Kelly Jean and “3 Strikes” alum Jenn Wehrung have teamed up to co-host a monthly Sip-N-Scribe at QED: A Place To Show & Tell. PLUS, this month there is bonus Sip-N-Scribe as a a part of *Queens Writes Weekend. Join us!

Sip-N-Scribe for Queens Writes Weekend: Saturday, May 14th 2-3:30pm. Click here for more info.
Monthly Sip-N-Scribe: Tuesday, May 17th 7-8:30 pm. Click here for more info.

Sip-N-Scribe is a chance to push away from your keyboard, put pen to paper, and mingle with other writers in person! While writing is a solitary act, there are also times when you need to shake things up a bit and draw inspiration from fellow scribes. $5 suggestion donation.

Here’s how it works:

Round 1 – Sippers-N-Scribers are given the first half of a creative writing prompt and start writing.
Round 2 – Everyone trades papers with a partner and, inspired by the second half of the writing prompt, continues working on the piece the first person started.
Intermission – Drinking is not required but beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase along with light snacks and pastries.
Round 3 – One last trade, plus a TWIST to finish the piece with style.

At the end of the session, people are encouraged to share the writing they co-created. The first two brave souls to share win a cookie! The goal is to experiment with something new on the page in an informal, relaxed way, all while hanging out with your friends and hopefully making new ones.

No one is here to write the next Great American novel. But hey, if that happens, please include us in the special thanks!

*What is Queens Writes Weekend? It’s a fun, three-day event organized by and benefitting Newtown Literary Alliance, Inc., a nonprofit organization which publishes the semiannual literary journal Newtown Literary, dedicated to supporting and promoting the work of Queens writers. Queens Writes Weekend is about getting the people of our borough to write, whether they are professional writers, hobbyists, or complete newcomers to writing. The literary scene in Queens is thriving and this weekend-long event serves to bring together the community yet again to celebrate writing, reading, and the written word. Visit newtownliterary.org for more info. Click here for a full calendar of events.

May 12, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: Newtown Literary, QEDAstoria, queenswrites, SipNScribe

Literary Bar Crawl Anyone?

No, YOU Tell It! is excited to be part of the first ever Q-Boro Literary Crawl this Thursday, April 7^th in Long Island City. Buy your tickets here. They are $10 more on site, so get them in advance!

Our venue is Manducatis Rustica: Pizza! Wine! Switched-up STORYTELLING from these fine folks. What could be better?? Click here to learn more about the participating No, YOU Tell It! alums.

April 5, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: Pizza, Q-Boro Lit Crawl, switched-up storytelling, wine

Telling Your True-Life Tale Workshop

Sign up for a Six-Week Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop

with No, YOU Tell It! Creator & Producer Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons

March 30 – May 4 from 7-9pm in Manhattan – OR – April 3 – May 8 from 2-4pm in Astoria

What is this workshop all about? Working on a memoir? Thinking about a one-person show? Want to get that story that always kills at your local bar down on paper? Or, craft an idea into a publishable personal essay? Perfect!

The emphasis is on generating and revising nonfiction work. Each week, participants will explore new literary techniques, discuss published work, do in-class writing games, and critique each other’s material. At the end of the workshop, there will be a group reading (for those wishing to participate) at a local bookstore, bar, or café.

Who am I? I am an award-winning essayist, and work as a writing instructor in Fairleigh Dickinson University’s College Writing Program and teach creative writing workshops at The Astoria Bookshop. I also produce No, YOU Tell It!, a “switched-up” storytelling series dedicated to performing true-life tales with a twist: Each NYTI participant develops their own story on the page and then flips scripts with a partner to present each other’s story on stage. Click here to read a spotlight interview with me about the series.

Who do I work with? Taking what I’ve learned from producing No, YOU Tell It!, as well as teaching at FDU and The Astoria Bookshop, I designed this workshop for anyone who wants to explore various ways to shape their true-life tale on the page.

I have worked with all kinds of writers — college students, playwrights, screenwriters, short fiction writers, songwriters, poets, monologists, and essayists — and what unites them all is a willingness to experiment and expand how they think about crafting their personal experience into an impactful written piece.

Class size is limited to 6 participants, and there are two sessions to choose from:

Session I: Wednesdays, March 30^th to May 4^th from 7-9pm at an office space in Manhattan, on Lafayette near Astor Place.
Session II: Sundays, April 3^rd to May 8^th from 2-4pm at my apartment in Astoria, near 37^th/Broadway. Note: I have a cat, in case you are allergic.

Price: $175 for 6 sessions, plus group reading – date/time TBD.

Email me at kjfitzsimmons@gmail.com with questions or CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

March 1, 2016 2 comments News Tags: Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, true-life tale, writing workshop

Q-Boro Lit Crawl – April 7th

Who’s excited to be part of the April 7th Q-Boro Lit Crawl? We are! Queens is going to be L-I-T!!!

What is the Q-Boro Crawl? On April 7th, one of Long Island City’s most vibrant food and business corridors, Vernon Boulevard, will host the inaugural Q-Boro Literary Crawl. The event, the first of its kind in the borough, celebrates the literary and artistic community of Queens and creates a hip event celebrating national poetry month. More info at: www.queenslitcrawl.nyc

How will No, YOU Tell It! be part of this inaugural event? NYTI Alumns from our past 4 years of switched-up storytelling shows (4 YEARS wow!!) will come back to RE-FLIP-UP their stories with a new partner. That’s right, we’re switching-up the switch-up! You don’t want to miss this!

Save the date and more info on the storytellers soon…

February 21, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: Q-Boro Lit Crawl, qnscrawl, re-flip-up

Sink or Swim Workshop Showcase

Nothing Informs Your Story Like Hearing Someone Else Perform Your Story!

For the last few weeks, participants who signed-up for the No, YOU Tell It! workshop led by Kelly Jean and Erika at Q.E.D. in Astoria have been working to develop their true-life tales on the page.

Join us on Wed, 2/17 at 7:30 as they take the Q.E.D. stage to swap stories inspired by the theme “Sink or Swim.”

“Switched-Up” Storytellers:
Elizabeth Frank
Mike Tartaglia
Molly Touger

PLUS, NYTI alum and comedian Jenn Wehrung (Laugh It Up, Astoria!) will kick-off the evening with some “Sink or Swim” stand-up!

(Photo credit: Larry Auerbach)

RSVP on Facebook. Click here to purchase tickets for the workshop showcase at QED.

Want to host a “switched-up” storytelling workshop at your school, office, or organization? Visit our Workshops page for more information or contact us at noyoutellit@gmail.com

February 9, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: #laugh it up astoria, QEDAstoria, Sink or Swim, Workshops

Sign-up for our “Sink or Swim” workshop at Q.E.D.

Want to switch-up your true-life tale inspired by the theme Sink or Swim? We’d love to work with YOU!

NYTI team members Kelly Jean and Erika are teaching another No, YOU Tell It! workshop at Q.E.D. in Astoria starting January 23rd and there are a couple of spots open for registration.

photo credit: Mike Dawson

WRITE your story and PERFORM someone else’s in a workshop showcase on the Q.E.D. stage. We’ll work with you to brainstorm your story in the first session, so you only need pen & paper to start!

Our page to stage process is beneficial to writers, performers, or anyone interested in trying their hand at storytelling. No, YOU Tell It! switched-up storytelling workshops combine theater and storytelling to help you find your voice AND hear it through someone else’s.

Questions? Email noyoutellit@gmail.com. Click here for workshop details and to REGISTER TODAY.

January 17, 2016 Post Comment News Tags: QEDAstoria, Sink or Swim, storytelling workshop

Resolve to take our workshop at Q.E.D. in 2016!

Want to get your story down on the page? Gain more confidence on stage? It’s your time to do both!

Photos from our ‘Tongue-Tied’ workshop by Mike Dawson.

Registration is now open for our winter “switched-up” storytelling workshop at QED: A Place To Show & Tell and features:

A brainstorming session designed to kick-start your first draft, inspired by the theme “Sink or Swim.” All you need is a pen (or pencil, if that’s your thing) and paper to start!
Two story workshop sessions to help you refine your true-life tale on the page. Class size is limited to make sure every piece gets heard and every writer reads at each session.
An individual one-hour rehearsal with a No, YOU Tell It! director to work on your partner’s story.

Then you will perform on the Q.E.D. stage! The workshop finishes with a showcase where YOU, the writers, will swap stories and perform each other’s true-life tale for an audience.

Class dates are Saturdays 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, and 2/13 from 12-2 pm.

The workshop showcase is February 17th at 7:30 pm and open to the public.

$200 – Click here for more info and to register today!

November 8, 2015 Post Comment News Tags: QEDAstoria, Sink or Swim, storytelling workshop