Sometimes the best stories come from the most mundane beginnings.  Here is the true story of 9 year-old Caine, a young boy spending a summer at his dad’s used auto part shop in East LA.  We’ve all experienced the boredom of being the only kid in an adult world. Inspired by the many empty cardboard boxes in his shop, Caine discovers a creative way to pass the time-he builds his own arcade.  Like many start-ups, Caine’s takes a while to catch on, but soon the community rallies around his business.  Have tissue on hand for this one.

-nancy boy-

Caine’s Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.

This is a fascinating story about a group of scientists who risked their lives to save a bug that had been presumed extinct for the past 80 years. We can resurrect our past, but are we willing to give it a place in our future?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/02/24/147367644/six-legged-giant-finds-secret-hideaway-hides-for-80-years?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

This week’s post comes from the mouth of the Domestic Goddess herself.  There are few people Nancy Boy loves more than Roseanne.  She was the first person we can remember who showed us you could be poor and intelligent!  This is a fascinating take on television from a woman who refused to be anything less than equal.

http://nymag.com/arts/tv/upfronts/2011/roseanne-barr-2011-5/

MothUP Toronto XII – MOTHIVERSARY! – Christine Donnelly from MothUP Toronto on Vimeo.

I had the pleasure of being in the audience last year when Christine performed this story. Told with truth, emotion and humour. This is one of my all-time favourite stories.

-Nancy Boy-

http://www.joylandmagazine.com/stories/toronto/blindfolded_nude_male_swinging_stick_donkey_piñata

If you haven’t heard of artist Kurt von Hagersfeld, you must read this story by Toronto-based writer Shari Kasman. Kasman’s writing is rich in wry wit and her unique subject matter lends something altogether new and exciting to Toronto’s often staid literary scene. One of Nancy Boy’s favourite emerging voices.

-Nancy Boy-

This story was originally sent to me from my friend Ali Vahit. It comes from The Moth. When I first started listening to the story I thought “Oh no, a baseball story, why are you sending this to me?” By the end I was in tears. This is a not just another baseball story. It’s a powerful example of the incredible lengths a sister will go to make her younger brother’s dream a reality and the cast of characters that help her along the way.

-Nancy Boy-

If you know me at all, you know how much I love Raymond Carver.  I love Raymond Carver so much that I named my cat after him. So it’s only fitting that my first post be one by Carver.  Here’s the first part of a five part (all parts on be viewed on youtube) reading of one of my favourite stories by Carver- Where I’m Calling From.  In this story, Carver’s unnamed protagonist finds himself at Frank Martin’s Alcohol Rehab again.  Here, he encounters JP, a chimney sweep who feels trapped between two women and two lives- one with alcohol and one without.

Enjoy,

-Nancy Boy-