The latest innovation in storytelling doesn't involve 3D or virtual reality, but something far more old-school: the telephone. Welcome to the era of dial-a-story, brought to you by the envelope-pushers over at Pop-Up Magazine.
For those who haven't heard, the touring, San Francisco-based Pop-Up Magazine brings together the best kinds of creatives—writers, artists, photographers, filmmakers, puppeteers, the list goes on—and puts them onstage to share and discuss their work. All pieces performed are new and unpublished, either created for the event or as part of a larger ongoing project. This means getting a first look at work from some of the biggest names in fiction, photography, film and more—according to senior editor Pat Walters, "work everyone else will start hearing about a year from now." Also, nothing is recorded, so everything shared is a one-time only creative experience.
Now, Pop-Up is expanding their unique offerings with a new storytelling experiment: Phone Stories. Every other Sunday, Pop-Up will release a very short story (around 3 minutes) meant for a very specific moment in listeners' lives. Their first, released yesterday, is meant to be listened to while getting dressed. Call the number on Pop-Up's website (415-529-6057) and bestselling author Mary Roach, whose new book Grunt is all about the science behind the lives of soldiers, will tell you about the peculiar way a sniper's clothes are designed and how a typical soldier gets dressed. (Note: Mary Roach is not locked in a room answering call after call—this story is a recording, with an intro and outro and a thank you to Pop-Up's sponsors, much like a teeny tiny podcast or radio show.)
Every second Sunday, Pop-Up will release a new story meant for a specific moment: making coffee, waiting in line, staring up at the night sky. And each will be told by Pop-Up's favorite artists, comedians, writers, thinkers and more who are working on a project and have a story to share. Keep an eye on Pop-Up's website or follow them @popupmagazine (Instagram) and @popupmag (Twitter) for biweekly prompts and get your mini story fix.