"A Night of Storytelling" is a biannual Our Jackson Home event that seeks to create a warm environment for you to dig deeper into the people and places of our city by hearing personal stories from your Jackson neighbors.
The event was created upon seeing the success of theCO's past Pecha Kucha gatherings but wanting to give it an Our Jackson Home twist. So we've gathered some of the best stories of Jackson businesses, passion projects, and artistic endeavors to share with you.
This event is family-friendly and free, where you'll enjoy being told seven Jacksonian tales, hearing some live and local music, and listening to some Jackson poetry—after grabbing some soft serve from Stacey's Ice Cream Cruiser, of course. We will also be launching our April-July 2018 journal (Vol. 4, Issue 1: Green), which means you'll be the first to see it!
Come hear the stories of your neighbors Friday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. at theCO, and be on the lookout for our next Night of Storytelling in April 2018!
presenters
natalie Cravens
Local author & Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor
Natalie Cravens is a former patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ten-year cancer survivor. During her time at St. Jude, she began journaling to keep up with the daily achievements and struggles that came her way. Her first book about her cancer experience, A Reason for Hope, was published in 2017. Now a third grade reading teacher at West Chester Elementary School, Natalie received a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies and a Master of Arts in Teaching PreK-Third, both from Freed-Hardeman University.
Read more about Natalie on our blog.
Rob & Jay Griffith of Flyco
Local Musicians
Jay and Rob Griffith of Nashville serve as the frontmen for their band Flyco, as well as multiple other acts in and around Tennessee. They have been performing together in different capacities for about twenty years now and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Rob lives in Jackson with his wife, Cari.
Read more about Flyco on our blog.
Charlie Havner
Havner's Frame Shoppe
Charlie Havner is the third generation of Havner's Frame Shoppe. Born and raised in Jackson, Charlie is passionate about local business and his community. He is husband to Hub City Love's Trista Havner and dad to Cal and Charlie Gray.
Read more about Havner's Frame Shoppe on our blog and in Vol. 1, Issue 2: Tradition.
Dakota Jaggars
City of Jackson Police Officer
Dakota Jaggars is a police officer for the City of Jackson and has been a member of the Army National Guard for four years. When he's not on the job serving our city, he enjoys time playing soccer, working out, and building community with his friends.
Matt Marshall
Hands Up! Preschool
Matt Marshall is the Executive Director and Head of School at Hands Up! Preschool here in Jackson, where there motto is “Partnering with families for a lifetime of learning.” After spending eight years in higher education at Union University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Christian Ethics and masters degree in Education, Matt recently made the decision to return to an early childhood education setting having previously worked in a special needs elementary school classroom. He is passionate about our community and longs to see the day when every child in Jackson has access to a high-quality Pre-K option.
Read some of Matt's work on our blog.
Bobby C. Rogers
Local Poet & Union University Professor
Bobby C. Rogers’ first book, Paper Anniversary, won the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. He has received grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2015, he was named a Witter Bynner Fellow at the Library of Congress by Poet Laureate Charles Wright. His new book, Social History, has just been released by LSU Press in their Southern Messenger Poets series.
Learn more about Bobby on our blog.
