Risky Storytelling | Kevin Allison

Kevin Allison, creator of the RISK! podcast, recounts a high school prank at an all-boys Jesuit school in 1986. After a crush teased him by repeatedly spitting on him, Kevin later mailed him a sealed container of feces labeled “enjoy the cookies.”

In retelling the story, Kevin considers how the prank mixes humiliation and a possible form of intimacy, situated within his experience of growing up gay under Catholic doctrine. For Kevin, telling such stories has become an opportunity for self-reflection.

Beyond this, Kevin argues that sharing what is usually considered “unmentionable” can create a distinct form of connection: moments of vulnerability tend to draw listeners in rather than push them away. Thus, the points of greatest risk are often where an audience leans in most.

Chapters:

[00:00] The Mailing Feces Prank

[12:49] Why the "Unmentionable" Matters

[14:20] Coming Out Under Catholicism

[18:09] Starting RISK!

[23:02] Teaching Storytelling

[35:41] Revisiting Old Stories

[42:22] Audience Backlash

[47:36] What are "Safe Spaces"

[56:09] How Memory Alters a Story

[01:03:29] Closing Remarks

Find the RISK! podcast here: https://www.risk-show.com/

Subscribe on Substack: https://braininavat.substack.com/