Storytelling Archives ⋆ Ava Love Hanna

Video - Ava Love Hanna telling the story: Am I Willing to Punch a Peacock? Yes.

Video – Am I Willing to Punch a Peacock?

June 1, 2017October 18, 2019Essays, Performance, Storytelling2 Comments

Remember that time I was attacked by peacocks at Mayfield Park and wrote an essay about it? Because I like to live on the edge, I returned to the scene of the crime and told a live version of the story, surrounded by the very same peacocks, for the Night of the Peacock Benefit organized by Max Langert and Cinnamon Path Productions. My husband recorded my performance (probably in case we needed evidence for a peacock-attack related insurance claim) and it's available to watch from the comfort of your peacock-free home.

Camp NaNoWriMo: Like Camp But With Words and Deadlines

March 31, 2017October 18, 2019Art, Essays, Playwriting, Poetry, Storytelling, WritingLeave a comment

I'm super excited to be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this April. I'm primarily an essayist and poet, so I've never participated in NaNoWriMo (the attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in November). But, I stumbled across the Camp NaNoWriMo website and saw that it offered the flexibility to work on a variety of writing projects including poetry, and I was intrigued. It's free, fun, summer camp-themed, the t-shirts feature a Storysquatch, I'll have an excuse to eat "working" s'mores -- there's nothing that could make me love this more.

20 Inches Under the Sea

December 6, 2015October 18, 2019Essays, Performance, Storytelling2 Comments

When I was a kid, my favorite ride at Disney World was always 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I loved it. There was something wonderful about voyaging under the sea. Maybe it was the water, the colors, the fantastical ruins of Atlantis, or how my heart would race as the giant squid wrapped its tentacles around the Nautilus and all seemed lost before we wrestled free and triumphantly made our way back to the serene beauty of the tropical lagoon.

Art Class - a spoken word poem by Ava Love Hanna

Spoken Word: Art Class

January 22, 2015July 5, 2017Poetry, Spoken Word, StorytellingLeave a comment

Share This:Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not a typical grown-up. I’m lucky enough to be married to an awesome audio engineer and he recorded me reading, Art Class, the poem I wrote to my son explaining this. Share This:

Live Fast, Die… Eventually and Only if Absolutely Necessary

November 11, 2014July 5, 2017Essays, Performance, Storytelling4 Comments

I grew up in Houston, Texas. If you've never been to Houston, I can describe it for you like this: just imagine any dystopian movie and then replace all the crazed brain-eating zombies with crazed brain-eating conservatives and there you go. To be fair, Houston’s come a long way lately, but when I was growing up there, it was the late 80's/early 90’s. And Houston in the 90’s certainly wasn't known for its picturesque parks, art scene, or lesbian mayor. Houston in the 90's was largely known for its suburbs and its malls, neither of which I felt particularly drawn to. I knew there had to be more to life than to grow up, live by a big mall, and then die.

Saints and Starbucks

April 30, 2014July 5, 2017Essays, Performance, Storytelling14 Comments

So the other night I had this dream that I was somehow entangled with religious fundamentalists and I was told to gather a few things that were really important to me before we all climbed onto a big tour bus. So there I was, crying and clutching my wedding ring, a manila folder full of papers… and a coffee maker... That sounds about right, I *do* love coffee (and manila folders).

Video – The Vagina-Mommy Incident – LTYM 2013

July 10, 2013May 18, 2016Essays, Performance, Storytelling8 Comments

Earlier this year, I was chosen to read an essay about motherhood as a member of the 2013 cast of the Listen to Your Mother Show. It was an amazing night full of wonderful stories by talented writers all celebrating motherhood. I was so honored to be a member of the cast this year. Here is the video of me reading my essay, The Vagina-Mommy Incident. It's about the time I thought it would be a good idea to tell Kai the proper name for our genitals and how great that went