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Ex Fabula: Lost Innocence

Art Montes
Storyteller Jen Hoepner

This is our third year partnering with Waukesha Reads to unite the community through great books. As part of this year’s NEA's Big Read, Waukesha Reads invites community members to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Ex Fabula once again presents a Storytelling workshop and a StorySlam that explores one of the book’s themes: “Loss of Innocence.” This year’s Slam will feature true, personal stories on that theme.

This week we have two different stories both tied to the “Loss of Innocence.” Our first story comes from the 2015 “Nitty Gritty” All-Stars event and audience favorite, Jen Hoepner. Jen had a difficult childhood and strained relationship with her mother. As she grew older, Jen swore to herself that when she became a mother she would do everything differently. She would do it right and give her child the love she never felt. What happens, though, when you become a parent and you realize that your parent was once a child with an abusive mother, too? Hear Jen’s powerful story of family, abuse, forgiveness and redemption.

Credit Art Montes
Storyteller Caitlin Sprague.

Second up is Caitlin Sprague who took the stage at last year’s Waukesha Reads "Coming of Age" StorySlam. Caitlin had just gotten her probationary driver’s license when she drove her friend the five minutes home late one night. Two minutes from their destination a drunk driver slammed into the side of the car, leaving Caitlin shaken but unharmed and leaving the car totaled. More worried about how her mom would react to the loss of the car than about her own safety, the police officer on scene gave Caitlin some comforting advice. Years later, Caitlin found herself speaking those same words the police officer had said to her.

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