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Permalink Reply by David Barish on April 3, 2024 at 8:41am

Hello Chainlink and Chicago area cyclist. We are open for submissions. They are due on June 2. You have plenty of time to work on your story. Here is some more information and some guidelines for submitting your stories to tell in our show:

The Skokie Bike Network’s “Tales from the Trails” storytelling event returns in 2024 with more stories by local cyclists. The theme for this year’s event is “Bike Intelligence: What I’ve learned (or not) while riding a bike.

We are calling for submissions of short personal narratives of no longer than 1000 words (7-8 minutes, max) that may include a song, or a poem on what you have learned or experienced while riding a bike. We ask that your work be original and true to the best of your memory.

Your story, poem or song will be presented by you – live – at the Sketchbook Tap Room & Brewery in Skokie Sunday July 14th between noon and 2 pm. Whether this is your first attempt at telling a story or you are seasoned pro, you are encouraged to submit and participate.

This is intended to be a positive event for storytellers and the audience. Language should be family friendly – PG-13. While we welcome accounts and reflections on life’s difficulties and struggles, we encourage humility and humor.

We are introducing a new art form – Baiku (pronounced “bi-koo” like haiku for the bike). These are short poems or passages that are short and sweet.

Example of a Baiku

Did I tighten that?

No, I certainly did not.

And now, down I go.

­Submission Schedule and Procedure

The schedule for submissions, review and the event is as follows:

Monday, April 1: Open for submissions

Sunday, June 2: Submissions due

Monday, June 17: Announcement of storytellers

Sunday, July 14: Show – 12-2 pm

Please send inquiries and submissions to the Skokie Bike Network at skokiebikenet@gmail.com

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on May 22, 2024 at 8:34am

Bump- We are still open for submissions until June 2. Do you have a bike related story? Of course you do. There is still time for you to recall it, write it, edit it and put it together in a way that would make the rest of us say, "Gee that happened to me," or "Whoa, I didn't think of that." Send us your story.

Also, ride up the Valley Line Trail on July 14 to Sketchbook and be part of the community we create with a room full of cyclists, their stories and their beer.

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on June 20, 2024 at 10:30am

We have our  storytellers for July 14. you can read about  them  here:  https://skokiebikenet.org/activities/tales-from-the-trails/

The show is at  noon on July 14 at Sketchbook Brewing,  4901 Main, Skokie. Sketchbook is right off of the Valley Line  Trail. Ride to Sketchbook, have a beer, hear some bike themed stories and share  the afternoon with a roomful of likeminded people. Oh yeah, we are also holding a free raffle and will  be  giving  away at least  one  bike.

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