As we head into the 10th season of Ex Fabula, it’s worth looking back at the year that started it all: 2009. It feels like a different era, culturally and politically. And of course, we’re all a decade wiser! We’ve come a long way, baby — but let’s reminisce.
Our first teller, Beth Lewinski, shared her story at Ex Fabula’s first ever StorySlam, held in November of 2009 — aptly themed “Beginnings.” She met a man named John in an elevator at a conference; little did she know it at the time, but it was the start of what would become a serious relationship. A number of firsts followed — from meeting the parents and moving to a different state, to living together and getting married. However those beginnings also had endings, and that’s how Beth ended up in Milwaukee — a new and unexpected beginning that has brought pleasant surprises to her life.
Our second teller experienced a series of unpleasant surprises that she shared with the audience at a Season 1 "Show-and-Tell" StorySlam. Amie Losi acknowledged that she got up to the stage with the help of crutches because of a recent severe ankle break. It was so severe, in fact, that she was given “total non-weight-bearing” status, meaning she could not touch her right foot to the ground for eight weeks. After a balancing act in her sister’s shower went horribly awry, Amie was able to escape relatively unharmed — but she realized the value in just sitting still for a good long time.
Listen to Beth and Amie's stories here:
As we celebrate 10 years of Ex Fabula, we also mourn the passing of the man who brought these stories to the radio.
READ: Longtime Voice Of WUWM Bruce Winter Has Passed Away
Bruce Winter passed away earlier this week, and Ex Fabula's Leah Delaney has this remembrance:
"Bruce always kept a certain amount of levity at all times. Our Ex Fabula Radio Show is pre-recorded. More times than not, I would pop over to the WUWM offices to record with Bruce during the week. The elevator opens its doors to a locked lobby of which you get buzzed into by a receptionist. I miss the times he’d be waiting for me on their lobby couch because he’d see me and then starting dancing or genuflecting at me in order to let me in. It was always a song and dance ... or a quote from some random '60s or '70s TV show or movie reference with him. I think Bruce and I shared a strong love for nonsense of the general goofing-off variety. It’s hard to connect with people in this vein — and it is for this reason, among many others, that I am going to deeply miss him."
A special Secret Fabula: A Look Back will be held from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 at ArtBar in Riverwest. This 10-year storytelling spectacular will feature guest appearances from some all-time favorites as well as favorite “I remember when…” stories from Ex Fabula staff and volunteers. Admission is free for Ex Fabula members, so purchase your membership today! For non-members, tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door if space remains. Visit www.exfabula.org/tickets for more information.
