When Devon Perlmutter moved back to Halifax after living in the United States, Montreal and Toronto, he looked around for public storytelling events. When he couldn’t find any, he decided to start his own. “I threw an event because I wanted to tell a story,” he said. “It’s based off this philosophy that everyone has a great dinner party story.” The first event was held last November, and it was such a success he decided to bring it back on an irregular schedule, dubbing it Shaggy Dog Stories. “It’s an expression for a long, rambling tale that’s silly or anticlimactic or pointless,” Perlmutter said. Whether the stories are funny, sad or somewhere in between, Perlmutter wants people to bring them to the stage. “We get regular people to tell a true story without notes,” he said. “Stories are great even when they aren’t good storytellers because the audience feels they get to know new people. “Some people are very polished in their storytelling, some are not.” For first time storytellers, Perlmutter recommends spinning a tale that has some stakes. “In general stories always do well with some stakes,” he said. “Those stakes can be personal.” The Shaggy Dog Stories will return to the Carleton in downtown Halifax at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22. Anyone who wants to share their stories can sign up by emailing shaggydoghfx@gmail.com. Tickets are $12.50 and all proceeds will go to the Afterwords Literary Festival. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
