Meet Jeff Polish

Enlarge image

Credit www.themonti.org

Jeff Polish had a lonely childhood. He moved around a lot and had to dodge his mother's overbearing anger. Jeff learned early to say little and have an active inner life. When he left home for college, Jeff discovered that friends came easily when he told stories. The inner narratives he had been constructing for years paid off socially. He went on to earn a PhD in genetics and has happily taught high school for years.

Still, storytelling remained his passion so when he and his wife Allison moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to be closer to her family, Jeff set about making storytelling his life. He started a project called The Monti, an evening of true stories told without notes in front of a room full of strangers. It's a huge hit all over the Triangle and in Greensboro.