Humanities Storytelling

Storytelling is the crafting of narratives that compel and transform their audience. “Humanities storytelling” is a workshop designed for graduate students and faculty in the humanities who want to learn tools from storytelling to communicate their research to a broad public audience.

Clients: UNC Humanities for the Public Good, Duke Science & Society, Syracuse University, Bates College

Creativity, Communication, and Connection

with Paula Pazderka

This workshop uses lessons from improv comedy to teach leadership and communication skills for the workplace. Veteran improvisers Paula Pazderka and Andrew Aghapour lead participants through a series of exercises and comedy scenes that are equally hilarious and reflective. Students learn skills including creative affirmation, deep listening, and shared vision.

We have been teaching this course annually for 10 years for multiple programs at the UNC School of Government, including the LGFCU Fellows Program, the Advanced Leadership Corps, NC District Court Judges, and related alumni events. This program is consistently ranked by participants as the most impactful and ‘sticky’ workshop, with measurable long-term results.

Comedy classes

I have taught Standup 101, Storytelling 101, and various levels of Improv classes for DSI Comedy Theater and other venues, and have worked with comics one-on-one as a trainer and ghostwriter. I am proud to have taught hundreds of students in the art of comedy over the last ten years.

My teaching focuses on the “grammar” of comedy: underlying patterns like the Rule of Threes, Callbacks, and Heightening, which can be studied and practiced. I also emphasize affirmation, experimentation, and prototyping. Student groups form a safe environment to generate material, embrace failure, and focus in on the particular details behind each laugh. More details can be found on my CV.