Storytellers take to the stage at Old Brick to talk about life on the ‘fringe’

Along with fashion shows and music, this year’s Flyover Fest is bringing an evening of intimate storytelling to Iowa City. “Fringe: True Stories from Outsiders,” a storytelling event modeled after National Public Radio’s program The Moth, will take the stage at Old Brick at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Five speakers will tell stories about feeling marginalized by society. “Each storyteller has a unique perspective on living in Iowa and in the U.S.,” Flyover Fest co-founder Simeon Talley said in a press release. “While these are fringe stories, or stories that don’t get told all that often, they are still deeply relatable.”

Iowa City’s Veronica Hamly is one of the evening’s storytellers, and she has a compelling story and unique perspective. Hamly, who was born male but identifies as female, has what she describes as “mild” cerebral palsy.

“I like to describe it as being on a fence stuck between abled and disabled. I can drive, walk 10,000-plus steps a day, workout and cook my own meals, but there are things that I can’t do like type, waitress and perform fine motor activities,” Hamly told Iowa Pubic Radio during a 2015 interview. “The kicker is that there is little help for someone like me and discrimination is everywhere.”

“Fringe: True Stories from Outsiders” is co-sponsored by Flyover Fest and Iowa Watch.org, a nonprofit news organization that specializes in investigative and public affairs journalism. Tickets are available through Little Village Tickets, and are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.