Podcast Press Kit
Contact for press inquiries:
Laura Marie Ruocco | laura@tmiproject.org
TMI Project | 65 Saint James Street, Kingston, NY 12401
The TMI Project Story Hour launched in April of 2020. Since then, the podcast has appeared twice on Apple’s New & Noteworthy and has been featured on Spotify and Pandora. In 2023, The TMI Project Story Hour was given the highest honor at International Women’s Podcast Awards, taking home the award for Changing the World One Moment at a Time; and received recognition at Sonic Bloom Awards for Gender Justice and Voice of the People.
Season 6: Gift of a Story
On Season 6 of The TMI Project Story Hour: Gift of a Story, join rotating co-hosts Eva Tenuto, Micah, Raine Grayson, Julie Novak, and Blake Pfeil as they take a deep-dive into the TMI Project archives, past and present. Whether we’re exploring veteran’s rights, the politics of period products, or pet misadventures, one thing is certain: each storyteller is sharing the gift of a story. Join us as we take a deeper dive and share the stories behind the secrets, and what happened next.
Season 6 Co-hosts:
Eva Tenuto
“One of the most rewarding parts of working at TMI Project is seeing what storytellers look like when they step off stage. It often looks like they’re floating out of the theater. They look taller; lighter. It’s as if something has truly been lifted. To be able to witness that over and over fills my spirit. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”
Eva Tenuto is the co-founder and executive director of TMI Project. Since 2010, Eva has brought the true storytelling organization from her living room to the United Nations, and many places in between. TMI Project stories are now being listened to worldwide on the award-winning podcast, The TMI Project Story Hour. Eva is the editor and director of multiple solo shows, one of which was awarded Best Comedic Script in the United Solo Festival. Her award-winning docu-short, Vicarious Resilience, celebrated its world premiere at The Woodstock Film Festival. Her second docu-short, Locker Room Talk, debuts in 2024. Her essays have appeared in assorted anthologies and at Longreads.com.
Micah
“TMI Project allows an exchange to happen. It feeds a deep need to know our own truth, to connect to something real. This is an ancient practice of sharing our stories and it’s perhaps the most revolutionary tool we have at our disposal.”
In addition to leading TMI Project workshops, Micah serves as the manager at GWI’s (Good Works Institute) Greenhouse Kingston, a yoga teacher at Mudita, and creator of DAY 1 (a New Year’s Day community event). He is on the board of Wild Earth (a non-profit Wilderness School), Radio Kingston, The Center for Creative Education, and O+ (a nonprofit health and wellness festival for artists and creators). He also serves as City of Kingston’s Art Commissioner at the Kingston Farmers Market.
Raine Grayson
“TMI Project does the exact kind of work that the world needs. From the moment I learned about them I wanted to contribute to the way they spread outstanding courage, community, and kindness. TMI Project makes the world a more honest, open place and I am honored to be given the chance to help foster and facilitate their mission.”
Raine Grayson is a multi-genre writer whose work focuses on exploring and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community. He specializes in social action theatre and also dabbles in academic essays and creative non-fiction. He founded “Queeries Blog” – a space for queer artists to publish their work freely. He’s worked with The TMI Project before in conjunction with the Trevor Project for “Life Lines: Queer Stories Of Survival”. He’s spoken his suicide survival story on nationally streaming platforms for Trevor Live in support of their suicide prevention chat line. His nonfiction work can be found featured at Queeries Blog, Go Magazine, The Paragon Press, Weasel Press, and soon So Say We All’s magazine “The Whole Alphabet”. His playwriting has been featured by The Playwriting Collective, The Tank, NY Madness, KIT Theatre, The Rosendale Theatre, and Virtual Theatre Collaboration. He is a recipient of the SUNY Thayer Fellowship and Patricia Kerr Ross Award for his playwriting, as well as being recognized as a runner-up for the The Playwriting Collective’s Ball Grant. If you’d like to queer up your timeline, find him on social media @rainerpism.
Julie Novak
“To be a part of helping people release the shame that binds them, to see people transform in the most positive way after sharing their truth is what gives my life meaning. Countless times I have witnessed how the act of being seen and heard can create true connection and lasting change.”
Julie is a multi-talented performer, writer, and musician who enjoys making people laugh, feel loved, and consider their role in making the world a better place. Aside from co-founding TMI Project, Julie is a media producer and facilitator with The Future Perfect Project, a queer-led organization that offers free arts programming to LGBTQIA+ youth across the globe. She has performed all over the United States, including a tour of her one-person show America’s Next Top, which had a successful run in the NYC Fringe Festival. Currently, Julie is the host of No One Like You (broadcast on TMI Project media partner Radio Kingston/WKNY), a weekly program where she interviews everyday heroes who share uplifting stories about turning their kryptonite into their superpower. Learn more: julienovak.com
Blake Pfeil
“It’s humbling to be part of a mission committed to exploring the cultural dynamics of intersectionality. For centuries, the art of true storytelling has allowed for unheard voices to find an audience and untold stories to come to light. In a day and age when truth is constantly under fire, there is hope when all kinds of marginalized voices are able to find platforms like TMI Project to share common ground.”
Blake Pfeil is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist. He cofounded folk-fusion band Macabre Americana and hosts “The Pfeil File” on Radio Kingston/WKNY (107.9 FM/1490 AM in the Hudson Valley, NY). Blake’s work appears on stages, concert halls, or clubs; through your headphones, speakers, radio, Diskman, or TV screens; or in magazines, books, or journals. In all his non-existent spare time, Blake is also currently working as an associate producer for season 5 of History Colorado’s Lost Highways. His current project is All-American Ruins, a multimedia travelogue in which he recounts his experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States and reimagines them via multimodal storytelling. The podcast arm of the project, abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, was an Official Select at On Air Fest 2023 and winner of the Top of the Rockies – Best of Podcasts (2023). All-American Ruins was also recently shortlisted for the Elevate Creatives Fund.MA, Arts Entrepreneurship, Purchase College; BFA, Musical Theatre, Emerson College. Audio Podcast Fellow, SUNY Stony Brook. https://www.blakepfeil.com
Season 6 Storytellers:
Ray Cocks learned the intricate complexities of violence at a young age – knowledge he continued to carry with him through his deployment during the Vietnam War. In honor of Veteran’s Day, Ray shares his story, which captures the profound strength and resilience of the human spirit. He also opens up about how it felt to tell his story and how storytelling continues to impact him today.
Content Warning: This episode contains candid discussion of violence and warfare, child abuse, and domestic violence. Listener discretion is advised.
In this pet-themed episode, three storytellers share misadventurous tales that celebrate the unique connection between animals and the crazy human caretakers who love them: Crystal has an epic cat battle, Sarah forms an unbreakable bond with a disabled dog, and Susan goes on a pet rescue mission.
These stories were originally presented on February 18th, 2016 at BSP in Kingston, NY.
Growing up in a predominantly white world, Troy Ellen is often criticized for not being Black enough. By exploring identity through two different characters—first at 13 when she’s forced to play the role of Tituba, the enslaved character in The Crucible, and at 16 when she chooses to play the role of Peaches in Four Women by Nina Simone—Troy Ellen accepts herself for being Black enough just as she is.
Stephen Cardile learns to let his freak flag fly at The Saint – a vibrant gay club in 1980’s New York City. There, he reconnects with his childhood friend, Jimmy. In honor of World AIDS day on December 1st, Stephen reveals his personal journey during the AIDS crisis and pays tribute to his dear friend.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of HIV/AIDS, death and dying, drug use & descriptions of medical emergencies. Listener discretion is advised.
Eva talks to Katie, Tina, and Raine to explore the ultimate TMI topic – menstruation. Get a sneak peak into TMI Project’s partnership with the brave students of Kingston High School’s Period Power! Club as they prepare for their upcoming performance and emphasize the challenges faced by those who menstruate, the impact of period poverty, and the urgent need for comprehensive education.
Period Power! Club is a chapter of PERIOD.ORG.
In a candid conversation with her partner, Tahyira grapples with the realities of an unplanned pregnancy, reflecting on the racial disparities and societal expectations that shape her decisions. While Tahyira has to face many challenges alone, her abortion experience becomes a profound turning point in which she gains confidence, claims independence, and for the first time, feels like a grown woman she can depend on.
After a waiting room experience that forces her to leave the doctor’s office before receiving the services she needed, Katie is slow to trust doctors. A small gesture from a kind, affirming doctor helps not only restore Katie’s faith in healthcare, but strengthen her faith in humanity.
Logos
