5.2 Eyepatch

Season Five: This season I go back to my roots, and share some stories recorded in-studio. You’ll get one story per episode, along with a return of Paul’s Picks, where I share something I’ve been reading, watching, or listening to. The Story: I woke up one day and there was a pain in my eye so severe that I had to start wearing an eyepatch. And from here, of course, the natural progression was to acquire a parrot, eventually spending the rest of my life sailing the seven seas as a pirate. Paul’s Pick: This is the second time Haruki Murakami has been a Paul’s Pick. As soon as I started reading his latest book, Killing Commendatore, I felt like I had come home. Murakami’s usual meanderings and beautiful absurdist tendencies are all on display here. You don’t ever really know where you’re headed at the beginning of a Murakami book, but the writing is so smooth that you’ll go anywhere. This is something I have always admired - the way he roots his stories in somewhat of a reality, and bit by bit, slowly starts introducing strange occurrences until you find yourself in a completely different world. Podcast Partners: The live monthly event Stories We Don’t Tell has been my storytelling home for almost five years. To learn more, visit the website at storieswedonttell.org. The theme music is by singer/songwriter Arlene Paculan, check her out at officialarlene.com. Read: Read a transcript of this episode on my blog.