Our stories today were recorded live in person in front of a packed house on January 20th, 2026, at The George and Jane Dennison Theatre. The theme was “Self-Evident”.

In our first story, Francis Davis is an aspiring novelist who receives a letter that promised to change everything: he had won a prestigious $50,000 arts grant. As he celebrates the windfall with his fellow dreamers and artists in the South Philly arts scene, a strange coincidence involving a famous jazz writer and a second piece of mail begins to cast a shadow over his sudden fortune. Francis calls his story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”.

An expressive medium shot of a man speaking or performing on a dimly lit stage. Subject and Pose Person: A middle-aged to older man with light skin, graying hair pulled back, and a short, trim gray beard and mustache. Expression & Pose: He is tilting his head slightly to his left with a focused, expressive facial expression, as if speaking, telling a story, or singing. Gestures: His hands are raised in active gestures. His right hand is raised to about chest height with his index finger pointing upward, while his left hand is held slightly lower, fingers partially extended as if emphasizing a point. Clothing and Equipment Attire: He is wearing a long-sleeved, button-down blue chambray or denim shirt over a dark undershirt. He has a thin white or light-colored band around his right wrist. Microphone: A microphone on a tall black stand is positioned directly in front of him, close to his mouth. A small band of orange tape is visible near the top of the microphone stand. Lighting and Background Lighting: The scene is lit with dramatic stage lighting. A strong spotlight catches the right side of his face and shirt, while the rest of his body is bathed in a cool, deep blue and purple ambient hue. Background: The background is entirely dark and minimalist, keeping the full focus on the performer. Photo credit: kmr studios

Francis Davis was born and raised in Philadelphia and has lived most of his adult life in the West. He has an M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Montana and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Nebraska. Francis loves American working-class literature and teaches college writing, creative writing, and literature at Gallatin College in Bozeman. He’s also a certified hot yoga instructor and teachers at Headwaters Hot Yoga in Missoula and Vibrant Lives in Dillon, Montana. Francis published a collection of short stories, West of Love, and his stories have appeared in Story, Natural Bridge, and Weber: The Contemporary West, among many other publications. Francis Davis has also worked as a journalist throughout the state of Montana and has earned a variety of writing fellowships from around the country. He is married to Sally Cobau and the father of three children. He splits his time between Dillon and Missoula, Montana.

Adria L. Jawort spent years as a functional alcoholic in order to bury her true identity. Adria finds herself in an intensive treatment center where the ultimate lesson is learning to love yourself enough to survive. Her journey toward recovery leads her to confront a childhood memory in a Kmart clothing aisle and a deep-seated fear of being, quote, an “abomination,” leading to an act of truth-telling that accidentally goes viral on a global scale. Adria calls her story “Prestigious Education”.

An expressive medium shot of a person speaking or performing live on stage. Subject and Pose Person: A person with light-to-medium skin, distinctive purple lipstick, and dark nail polish. Their dark hair features several thin, beaded braids framing the face. Expression & Pose: They are positioned slightly to the left of the frame, looking and gesturing towards the right with an earnest, focused expression as they speak into the microphone. Gestures: Both hands are raised in front of them to chest-and-shoulder height. Their fingers are spread wide in an open, fluid gesture, adding an dynamic, storytelling quality to the moment. Clothing and Accessories Attire: They are wearing an edgy, dark ensemble featuring a black cold-shoulder top over a sheer mesh neckline, paired with long black arm warmers that cover the forearms. A hint of a purple plaid or checkered skirt is visible at the waist. Accessories: They wear a large, prominent black furry hat, a black spiky choker necklace around their neck, and dangling earrings. Equipment: A microphone on a tall black stand is positioned directly in front of them. Lighting and Background Lighting: The stage is illuminated by dramatic theatrical lighting. A warm spotlight hits the speaker from the front, highlighting their face and hands, while the rest of the scene is bathed in deep blue and purple tones. Background: The background consists of a dark, subtly textured stage curtain catching vertical folds of deep blue light. Photo credit: kmr studios

Adria L. Jawort is a Northern Cheyenne fiction writer and transgender/2 Spirit journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, and Indian Country-Today, among other publications. She is the Executive Director of the nonprofit Indigenous Transilience. You can also find her on Substack and Instagram.

 Mark Matthews is a freelance journalist assigned by The Washington Post to cover a high-profile assassination attempt at the U.S. Capitol, he thinks he’s found the scoop of a lifetime in a small Montana mining town. After tracking down the shooter’s best friend and securing what he thinks of as a “bag of gold”, in the form of a delusional, handwritten manifesto, Mark discovers that in the world of big-city journalism, landing the story is only half the battle. Mark calls his story “Front Page News”.

An expressive medium shot of an older man speaking or performing live on stage. Subject and Pose Person: An older man with light skin, short gray hair, and a clean-shaven face. Expression & Pose: He is looking slightly upward and forward with an intense, earnest expression, his mouth open as if speaking or mid-story. Gestures: He stands with both hands raised to chest-and-shoulder height, palms facing forward and fingers spread wide in a dramatic, open gesture to emphasize his words. Clothing and Equipment Attire: He is dressed in a smart-casual style, wearing a dark gray textured blazer over a deep maroon V-neck shirt. His dark trousers are held with a black leather belt. Microphone: A microphone on a tall black stand is positioned directly in front of him, aligned with his chest. A small band of orange tape is visible near the top of the stand. Lighting and Background Lighting: The stage features high-contrast theatrical lighting. A warm spotlight illuminates the front of his face, shirt, and hands, while a cool blue and purple ambient wash highlights the sides of his blazer and the background. Background: The background is dark and minimalist, with subtle vertical textures from a stage curtain softly lit in deep blue tones. Photo credit: kmr studios

Mark Matthews was born in 1951 in Lynn Massachusetts. During the 1980s he lived in a fishing shack perched on a dock at South Freeport Harbor in Maine. In 1989 he moved to Montana. Mark has spent the last 50 years of his life sculpting, painting, writing, making music and teaching people of all ages, the community inspiring patterns of American folk dances.

Christian Bazzano is hoping for clarity and a “Deadliest Catch” style adventure. He heads to Bristol Bay, Alaska, to work on a fishing boat. Between 20-hour workdays, stinging jellyfish, and the relentless, melancholic gray of the ocean, Christian discovers that the intellectual endeavor he planned is quickly dissolving into a battle to keep his own sanity from cracking. Christian calls his story “Lessons from The Last Frontier”.

A full-length shot of a man speaking or performing live on a beautifully lit stage. Subject and Pose Person: A young man with short dark brown hair, a light mustache, and a trimmed beard. He has visible tattoos on both of his upper and lower arms. Expression & Pose: He is standing upright, facing slightly to his left, with a focused and expressive look as he speaks into the microphone. Gestures: His hands are raised near his chest, fingers slightly curved as if mid-sentence, bringing an active, storytelling energy to his stance. Clothing and Equipment Attire: He is dressed in a casual, monochromatic style, wearing a fitted black crew-neck t-shirt tucked into dark gray or black trousers with a belt. The cuffs of his trousers are rolled up, revealing dark reddish-brown leather boots. Microphone & Audio: He stands directly behind a tall black microphone stand. Two large black stage monitor speakers sit on the floor in the foreground on either side of him. Lighting and Background Lighting: The stage is bathed in a dramatic, deep blue and purple glow. A warm spotlight highlights his face, arms, and upper body from the front, creating a strong contrast against the cooler ambient light. Background: Behind him is a large, softly textured stage curtain or backdrop illuminated by vertical streaks of blue light. Photo credit: kmr studios

Christian Bazzano moved to Montana almost six years ago from his home in Tennessee. He spent many years of his life doing seasonal work in various roles across the northwest; from whitewater guide to sawyer to ski operations to Alaskan commercial fisherman. Christian has his master’s degree in philosophy and works for an environmental education non-profit.

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