"A Night of Storytelling" is a biannual #OurJacksonHome event that seeks to create a warm environment for you to dig deeper into the people and places of our city by hearing personal stories from your Jackson neighbors—but lucky you, we're doing THREE events this year, and this special evening will coincide with #731day2017! Plus, we're going beyond the walls of theCO and taking you to Jackson's AMP at the Market.

This event is family-friendly and free, where you'll enjoy being told six Jacksonian tales, hearing some live and local music, and listening to some Jackson poetry—after munching on some BBQ from the Holy Smokers food truck, of course. We will also have all kinds of #OJHshop merch available, including our brand-new August-November journal—Vol. 3, Issue 2: Day & Night. La Petite Boutique and the CO:mobile will also be set up for shopping and exploring.

Come hear the stories of your neighbors this 731Day: Monday, July 31. Food available at 6:30, storytelling begins at 7:31 (of course). And don't miss our other 731Day events! (Be on the lookout for our next Night of Storytelling at theCOtoberfest on Friday, October 20!)

Ted Kluck
Union University Professor & Silverdome Screenwriter

Ted Kluck is the award-winning, internationally-published author of twenty books. His work has appeared in ESPN the Magazine, Christianity Today, and The Washington Post. Ted is screenwriter and co-producer on the forthcoming feature film Silverdome and is a journalism professor at Union University. He lives in Jackson with his wife Kristin and sons Tristan and Maxim.

Learn more about Ted on our podcast.

Tabitha Moore
La Petite Boutique

Originally from Todd County, Kentucky, Tabitha Moore has lived in Jackson with her husband Bailey for nine years. She is owner of La Petite Boutique, a traveling boutique based in Jackson with a mission to serve women of all ages, sizes, and styles.

Read more about La Petite Boutique on our blog.

Donnie & Katie Nickey
North side High School Football | Pure Barre Jackson

Katie and Donnie Nickey grew up 500 miles apart but each shared a love of sports that started early on in life. Both of their athletic careers continued onto college, where Katie played volleyball at Middle Tennessee State University and Donnie played football at Ohio State University. Donnie was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2003, which led him to Nashville where he and Katie met in 2009. Donnie always loved Katie's hometown of Jackson, and after retiring from the NFL and spending a few more years in Nashville, they were able to move their family home to West Tennessee, where Donnie now is the head football coach at North Side High School and Katie runs Pure Barre Jackson. 

Read more of Donnie's story on our blog and in Vol. 2, Issue 3: Harvest, and check out this article on Pure Barre Jackson.

Dr. Niles Reddick
Local Author & University of Memphis at Lambuth Professor/Vice Provost

Niles Reddick is author of novel Drifting Too Far From the Shore (2016), collection Road Kill Art and Other Oddities (2006), and novella Lead Me Home (2010). His work has appeared in four anthologies and has been featured in over a hundred journals and literary magazines all over the world. He works as a professor and Vice Provost for the University of Memphis at Lambuth.

Learn more about Niles on our podcast.

Tamara Reed
Studio 31 Salon

Brownsville native Tamara Reed is a licensed hair stylist and entrepreneur. She owns and operates Studio 31 Salon and is the creator of her own line of perfumes and candles, Aramat. She enjoys helping and encouraging other women, especially through the salon's Cupcakes & Conversations gatherings.

Read more about Tamara on our blog.

Eddie Yeh
Asia Garden

Though born in Taiwan, Eddie Yeh considers himself a Jacksonian as he grew up in the public school system here, graduated from Jackson Central-Merry High School, and then went on to graduate from college at Sewanee: The University of The South. After college, he moved back to Jackson, where he bought Asia Garden from his family and has built it up to include sushi and Japanese cuisine. In 2014 he married Joy Taylor, also a Jackson native, and they have a one-year-old son named Taylor.

Read more about Asia Garden on our blog.

Coopertheband
Local Band

Coopertheband is a bramily (band/friends/family) composed of six massive music nerds (Cooper, Phoebe, Trish, Joe, Matt, and Will) with minds to rhyme and twelve hot feet. Centered in Jackson, the band has found success nationally, featured on networks like HBO, ESPN, and TruTV as well as the hit show Without a Trace. Coopertheband is also hugely plugged into the local music scene and has been interviewed on podcasts, regional television shows, radio shows, and the occasional old-fashioned newspaper article. To date, the band has released two albums—Venture (2010) and Kings EP (2012)—and their most recent album, Kingdoms, will be released in July of 2017. 

Read more about Coopertheband on our blog.

PSALLOS
Local Band

PSALLOS is a team of Christian artists—songsters and singers, ministers and musicians, thinkers and theologians. Led by composer Cody Curtis and in partnership with Union University, PSALLOS exists to create theologically and artistically rich music. The proclamation of Scripture, particularly the gospel of Jesus Christ, is at the core of its mission.

Read more about PSALLOS on our blog.

Ryan Guth
Local Poet

Ryan Guth was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He has published two mixed-genre collections, Home Truths (Alsop Review Press, 2006) and Body and Soul (Lummox Press, 2015), which was a featured title at the 2015 Southern Festival of Books. He lives in Jackson with his wife Elizabeth and son Spencer and teaches at Jackson State Community College. 

Read Ryan's poetry in our August-November 2017 journal (Vol. 3, Issue 2: Day & Night).