TTLZoom Epi 7 "The Backstory Conversation" With Steve Varnum

There’s a particular magic in hearing someone tell a real story from their own life, without notes or scripts, just the raw, unfiltered human voice. That’s the heart of True Tales Live. For nearly a decade, this unique program has been capturing these moments, first on radio, then local cable, and now as a podcast you can take with you anywhere. Each episode gathers three to six people who step up to the mic to share a personal story, all loosely connected by a changing monthly theme-think of topics like "Lost and Found" or "Unexpected Turns." For years, the recordings happened before a live audience in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the last Tuesday of the month. These days, the community often gathers virtually on Zoom, preserving that intimate, immediate feeling. The resulting conversations are authentic, sometimes funny, often moving, and always deeply human. Tuning into this podcast is like pulling up a chair in a cozy room where strangers become familiar through the universal act of sharing a part of themselves. It’s a direct line to the kind of stories that usually stay around kitchen tables, now broadcast for everyone. The True Tales Live NH Non-Profit Corporation produces it, and you can also catch the show on local cable, but as a podcast, it offers a portable, personal way to connect with the simple, powerful art of storytelling.