Tag: Queens Name Explorer

“My Place” Part 2: Ari Figueroa and Francisco Delgado (Episode 82)

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This special show was inspired by the Queens Name Explorer, an interactive digital map developed by Queens Memory that illuminates the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace public spaces across the borough.

Story partners Francisco Delgado and Ari Figueroa. Photo credit: Sachyn Mital.

Give a listen as our second set of storytellers step into the map to explore “My Place” in Queens.

Special thanks to the Greater Astoria Historical Society for their assistance in creating the generative “My Place in Queens” workshop, where these stories first began.

Stories

  • Take a Walk With Me, by Ari Figueroa, performed by Francisco Delgado, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons
  • Ashes and Stars, by Francisco Delgado, performed by Ari Figueroa, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons

Bios

Francisco Delgado is a CHamoru writer of fiction, poetry, and literary scholarship on contemporary Native American and Indigenous literatures. His novella, On Remembering My Friends, My First Job, and My Second-Favorite Weezer CD, won the 2024 Clay Reynold’s Novella Prize and is published with Texas Review Press. Other recent work is featured in Mānoa and Poets of Queens, vol. 2. He teaches at BMCC (CUNY) and lives in Forest Hills with his wife and their son.

Carnie, librarian, drag queen, and teacher—these are just some of the faces Ari Figueroa has worn. But throughout their life, whether growing up in Massachusetts or evolving in New York, they have always been a writer. Everything they make, including poetry, short stories, & plays, is with the intent of connection. Ari is currently working on their first fantasy-humor novel and is always looking for more opportunities to create. They’d like to thank their fiancée Aria and their bestie Jesse, who have both been incredibly supportive but also invaluable sounding boards for Ari’s work. Thank you to Kelly Jean and No, YOU Tell It!  for this new chance to share their stories.

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This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

July 15, 2025 Post Comment Podcast Tags: , , , ,

Watch “My Place”

Our four curated storytellers, along with a room packed with community participants, came together on May 3 for a generative workshop to inspire and share true tales inspired by the Queens Name Explorer.

Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons created this free community workshop in partnership with Queens Memory and the Greater Astoria Historical Society.

Watch how the stories we started that day evolved into these emotionally-charged story swaps at our May 28 “My Place” show. Thank you to videographer Nick Capezzera for capturing our first collaboration with Queens Memory!

Participants put themselves on the map in the culminating Six-Word “My Place in Queens” Memoir activity at the workshop.

Audience members added their six-word memoirs to the map at the show.

What’s your six-word “My Place in Queens” memoir?

Highlights from the map below:

  • Home, everywhere between JFK and LGA
  • Found Queens from Brooklyn while walking
  • Where the bodies meet the shore
  • Left with belly, returned with baby
  • World’s Boro. Coming out and home

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This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

June 18, 2025 Post Comment News Tags: , , ,

Big News! Two 2025 Flushing Town Hall Grants

Guess what? No, YOU Tell It! has received not one but TWO grants from Flushing Town Hall in support of our Queens programming – the 2025 GO Queens Grant and the Queens Community Arts Grant!

With the support of these grants, we are partnering with the Greater Astoria Historical Society and Queens Memory to produce writing workshops and shows where community participants and NYTI storytellers can engage with Queens history to inspire and experience each other’s true tales.

Register here for our May 3 “My Place in Queens” free workshop at the Queens Public Library at Broadway in Astoria.

No, YOU Tell It! is one of 25 Queens-based performing arts and culture organizations that received the GO Queens Grant to support our mission and work in the Queens community.

These unrestricted funds can be used for General Operating Support (GOS) to help the granted organization grow and will go a long way toward helping us bring No, YOU Tell It! student programming to high school students in Queens.

 

The Queens Community Arts Grant supports Queens-based community organizations, groups, and collectives to hold arts and cultural projects or activities for the public in Queens to enhance the cultural climate in communities and neighborhoods where they live and operate – to make the arts accessible to all.

Check out the other 2025 grantees here.

This grant will directly support our May 3 “My Place in Queens” free writing workshop and May 28 “My Place” show produced in partnership with the Greater Astoria Historical Society and Queens Memory.

At the May 3 workshop, the four No, YOU Tell It! “My Place” storytellers and community participants will use writing prompts to interact with Queens Name Explorer, an interactive digital map developed by Queens Memory.

Together, we will learn the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more, while the storytellers generate ideas for the true tales they will trade on stage at the May 28 show.

Huge thank you to Flushing Town Hall, and we’ll see YOU in May for the workshop and show!!

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

April 2, 2025 Post Comment News Tags: , , , , ,

Upcoming Shows

We are gearing up for two new 2025 shows, including our first student matinee on March 13 at Symphony Space!

This special show is for the junior class at Global Learning Collaborative and features all NYTI alum storytellers.

Kelly Jean has been working with the students on their college essays, and we can’t wait for them to experience the power of personal storytelling.

Student matinees with alum storytellers are a great way to make new connections within our NYTI community while inspiring the next generation of storytellers.

We hope this is the first of many!

Then, in May, we are partnering with Queens Memory and the Greater Astoria Historical Society to explore “My Place” in Queens!

What’s your Queens story? We will use the interactive Queens Name Explorer map to learn the stories behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more to inspire and trade our own true tales.

Follow No, YOU Tell It! on Bluesky for more on our first student matinee and how to share your story as part of our May “My Place” show.

February 12, 2025 Post Comment Live Shows Tags: , , ,

Celebrating 2024 & More!

What an incredible 2024! Look at the wonderful stories, Queens history, art, and music we experienced together.

Learn about what’s in store for 2025 below, and keep us in mind for your end-of-year giving.

Make your tax-deductible donation here.

Any amount is appreciated. We couldn’t do this without you!

How can we possibly top all this? I’m so glad you asked! We’re excited to team up again with the Greater Astoria Historical Society and have TWO NEW special shows for the first half of 2025 in the works:

  1. Our first STUDENT MATINEE on March 13 at Symphony Space for the high school students at Global Learning Collaborative who are working on their college application essays. The first of hopefully many student matinees will be a dynamic example of how the No, YOU Tell It! collaborative process makes writing and performing personal narratives accessible, empathetic, and transformative.
  2. In our May “My Place” show, four Queens storytellers will engage with the Queens Name Explorer – an interactive digital map developed by Queens Memory – to discover and trade true tales inspired by the people and places in their neighborhoods.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and now Bluesky for updates.

Donate to support a new year of No, YOU Tell It!

December 16, 2024 Post Comment News Tags: , ,