“THE BEST AUDIENCE IN TOWN”
21 Years of Building Community One Story at a Time
Dog Days, Sept. 4. 2025
🐾 Dog Days isn’t just about pups—it’s about those sweltering, slow-burning moments that test our patience, push our limits, or surprise us with joy.
Odyssey Storytelling presents a night of true tales that capture the spirit of the season: the heat, the haze, the heartbreak, and yes—a few good dogs. From lazy summer chaos to emotional endurance tests, these stories dig deep, bite hard, and sometimes fetch unexpected laughs.
It’s hot. It’s wild. It’s real. Welcome to the Dog Days.
Venue: Gallagher Theater | University of Arizona Student Union
Our September 2025 Storytellers
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Anne Fitzsimmons
is a Tucsonan who grew up in western Pennsylvania. She moved to Arizona for true love. That did not work out so well.
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Joseph Moreno
is a runner/triathlete and a pre-med senior at the UofA. He is captain of the Arizona TriCats, the university’s club triathlon team. He is a past winner of the Tucson Marathon and has numerous triathlon wins. Joey will share stories about the creeping insanity of training in the dog days of August and September in Tucson.
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Christina (CJ) Billhartz
was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to being a public defender, she also identifies as a book nerd, Love Island addict, and disabled bitch. Her partner-in-crime (defense), Lainey, loves pup cups, anything shaped like a ball, and snoring loudly in court.
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Liz Leidy
recently retired from a 20-year career in the cancer diagnostic biomedical field. Storytelling is her first foray into retirement life. Despite having lived all over the world, she claims to be a Tucson native. She is a proud parent of a daughter – a captain in the Air Force – and a son, who lives in Great Britain.
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Bruce Gungle
moved to Tucson in 1984. Other than a couple years teaching in Japan, he hasn’t budged from his house near the Painted Hills on Tucson’s west side since moving there in 1986. Since then, Bruce has run, worked, ridden, studied, organized, written, hiked, and created. And he’s been darn good friends with a half-dozen hound dogs. He’s married to Carolyn Campbell, who has done as much as anyone to keep the desert intact and the quirky Old Pueblo the place we all know and love.
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Rollie Grinder
is ABD (All But Dissertation) at the UA: her PhD is finally on the horizon. Her specialty is catching hawk moths and inducing them to breed, easier than you might think. She considers the resulting caterpillars like children. In her spare time she is teaching her cat, Slinky, to act like a dog.
Join Our Upcoming Storytelling Events
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Dog Days
Sept. 4, 2025 7-9:30 pm
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Vamos a Reir un Poco (Let's Laugh a Little)
Friday, Sept. 19, 7 p.m. at Brickbox Brewery
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Dark Side
Oct. 2, 2025 7-9:30 pm
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Tick Tock
Nov. 6, 2025 7-9:30 pm
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Wait, What?
Dec. 4, 2025 7-9:30 p.m.
“These events are so fun! And you will be inspired.”
- Susan W.S.
“Last night, storytelling opened something inside of me … I was moved enough by others bravely sharing to tell my family’s fully charged immigration story publicly, as well.”
-Cecilia A.
“Odyssey Storytelling was a great experience for me … the laughter. The shared community building, and an overall great monthly experience.”
-Barbara E.
“Real people, with a little coaching, make their real stories sparkle and shine.”
-Linda R.
Our 2025 Themes
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January
Safe Space
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February
Queens
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March
Tell Me a Story
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April
Losing My Religion
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May
Adventure
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June
Spicy!
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July
Grudges
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August
Belonging: Building a Better Tucson
A collaboration with Iskashitaa Refugee Network
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September
Dog Days
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October
Dark Side
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November
Tick Tock
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December
Wait, What?
Listen to the Odyssey Storytelling Podcast
Pitch a Story
Do you have a story for one of our upcoming themes? The themes are meant to be interpreted from a broad range of perspectives so your story might just be the one we are looking for.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
HAUNTED HANDS
Alma Montañez
The Magic of Storytelling & Community Building
Celebrating The Richness of The Human Experience
Odyssey Storytelling builds community through the art of storytelling. Our monthly event holds space for Tucson community members to take the stage and share a personal story.
The magic of this simple act of sharing their truth in front of a live audience suddenly builds bridges across the human landscape. People of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives join our stage and our audience.
The outcome is a celebration of the richness of the human experience and the fostering of empathy, understanding, and solidarity.
Founded in 2004 by Penelope Starr
Odyssey has helped storytellers of all levels (experienced, or first time) find their voice and share their truth. “Along the way, I learned that profound changes occur when we tell and listen to each other’s stories, how a simple act can build community, dispel prejudices, foster creativity, and help heal.”
Join Us in Creating 20 More Years of Unforgettable Storytelling!
VOLUNTEER
Do You Love Odyssey? Want to help us keep stories alive in Tucson? Join our fun, talented and dedicated team by offering your expertise. Email and let us know how you would like to help.
Patreon Support
Patreon Support
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