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Barrie Cole
Barrie Cole is a writer, playwright, and performer. Her latest play, "Elevator Tours," which had it's premiere January 2014 was called an "unmitigated triumph of perversity," by Tony Adler of the Chicago Reader. She has read and performed her work at Story Sessions, Essay Fiesta, Write Club, Guts and Glory, Fillet of Solo, That's All She Wrote, Looking for Love, and at many other live lit events throughout the city and elsewhere. Her collection of short works, "Fascinating Mistakes" is almost complete.
SONG: Jump by Aretha Franklin
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Don Hall
Don Hall is a storyteller, cultural organizer, events producer, provocateur, podcaster, actor, director, and generally a pleasant guy to hang with (as long as you don't poke the gorilla…).
SONG: White Christmas by Bing Crosby
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Cher Vincent
Cher Vincent was born and raised in Chicago, IL, primarily in the South Side neighborhood, Hyde Park. While attending the University of Illinois at Chicago, she has worked with UIC's Community Outreach Intervention Projects, spreading awareness of HIV/AIDS and providing psychological evaluations for case study candidates, earning a degree in Psychology with honors.
She cut her teeth in journalism at UIC News, in their Science and Technology beat, later working as an Editorial Intern at Pitchfork Music Inc. in 2008. She has continued to provide music criticism for various sites as London's The 405, and American's Unrecorded, including concert and artist interviews.
She will be attending New York University's Steinhardt School, pursuing a graduate degree in Education.
SONG: In My Room by The Beach Boys
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Jonny Imerman
Jonny Imerman is a young adult cancer survivor who strives to make sure no one fights cancer without the support of someone who has already triumphed over the disease. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 26, Jonny decided to found Imerman Angels, a non-profit organization, which carefully matches a person touched by cancer (a cancer fighter or survivor) with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel).
Imerman Angels now has more than 4,000 cancer survivors and more than 1,500 caregivers in its network, and has been featured by dozens of news organizations and invited to speak at cancer centers such as MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber, City of Hope, Northwestern, Rush, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Jonny grew up in Bloomfield Hills, MI and lives in Chicago.
SONG: Maybe Tonight by Wideawake
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Doug Sohn
Doug Sohn is the proprietor of Hot Doug's, the Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium (now closed) in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago. He is also the author of Hot Doug's The Book.
SONG: Girl from Ipanema by Astrud Gilberto
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Dana Norris
Dana Norris is the founder of the Story Club, a monthly storytelling show in Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis. She is the editor-in-chief of Story Club Magazine and she teaches at Story Studio Chicago.
She has been published in McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The Rumpus, the Tampa Review, and her stories have been featured on Chicago Public Radio. You may see her upcoming performance schedule at dananorris.net.
SONG: Shoop! by Salt n' Pepa
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Michael Sanchez
Michael Sanchez is a filmmaker, musician and former stand-up comedian. He produces both the stand-up showcase Comedians You Should Know and the storytelling show and podcast "I SHIT YOU NOT!"
He is the 2006 grand prize winner of HUMP, Seattle's annual amateur porn competition, and currently splits his time between directing award-winning short films and the chocolate cream pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company.
SONG: Anything you Want by Spoon