Escape from Douchebaggery, Part 30: The Tell

The Tell is another one of those events that defies lazy stereotypes attached to Las Vegas. A glitzy haven of excess nicknamed Sin City with an economy fueled by vice industries, it's not a place generally considered the most literary of cities. In fact, the most famous book about Vegas uses the city to paint a vulgar picture (fueled by psychotropic drugs) of the American dream gone to rot.

I guess the organizers of The Tell never got the memo (I always like this cliche, btw... is there someone out there writing memos with facts like "Vegas isn't into books" or "the Niners will beat the Giants this Sunday?" Because if there is, I'd like to know how I could get that job since they seem to have the ability to get things wrong and stay employed) though, because they've created a truly cool storytelling event that's somehow found a big enough audience in Sin City of all places that its celebrating its third anniversary this month.

Local newspaper writers, comedians, musicians, writers, poets, actors, and more step up to the mic to tell their tales, which are usually at least loosely based around a set theme. Many of the participants are either locally or even nationally famous, while others are working folks from the area with a story to tell (the upcoming event features storytellers who are local teachers and State Police Officers/ poets, as well as actors with credits from big movies like Super Troopers and Cabin Fever).

Most of the stories take the form of This American Life style slice of life non-fiction at least loosely based around a theme, such as this week's upcoming I Fought the Law event (which will be given extra coherence as its held in the lobby of the new Las Vegas Mob Museum, a building that also once served as a courthouse where many big-time Mafioso made-men were tried back in the day). Many of the stories are hilarious, while some are heat-warming, and some are genuinely moving. No matter what, they're always honest.

The 3rd Anniversary Edition of The Tell takes place on Thursday, October 18th at 8:00 PM at The Las Vegas Mob Museum. Tickets are $10, totally worth it for a night of interesting stories told amongst curious and intelligent people. I'd be there if I was in Las Vegas this week, helping to prove that Las Vegas does indeed have a literary side.