Story Board

The Story Board is a ragamuffin group of talented ne’er-do-wells and raconteurs who organize the Mudrooms storytelling nights.

Alida Bus

Alida Bus came to Juneau via birth canal in 1985. She spent college years in sunny Colorado. Alida cooked her way through the Fiddlehead and three other cookbooks. She said her first marathon would be her last but completed Ironman Alaska in 2022. She’s a dual U.S.+Dutch citizen. She loves being involved with Mudrooms, as each story creates a stronger sense of place and community.

Jeff Smith

Jeff came to Alaska in 2012 for a teaching gig in Tuntutuliak, and moved to Juneau in 2015. He grew up in a place that is round on the outside and hi in the middle, and enjoys crispy pork products and a nice hike here and there. Jeff loves Mudrooms because of the community it creates, and the opportunity it provides Juneauites to connect through shared human experience that our stories showcase.

Kristen Rankin

Kristen was drawn to storytelling from the very first time she heard a story on The Moth podcast. She began learning the craft through an intensive course in Washington, DC and made her Mudrooms debut in 2018 describing a particularly humbling moment on the Appalachian Trail. Kristen works in public health and enjoys improv, theater, and all the hiking. She feels incredibly grateful to have lived on Lingít Aaní for the past few years and hopes for many more.

Khrystl Brouillette

Khrystl first came to Juneau as a transfer student from California. She studied geography and environmental resources at UAS, with a focus on the hipsterfication of Juneau and geographic information systems. She started as a staff writer for the UAS Whalesong, and after one semester, became the editor-in-chief. She was the 2020 commencement student speaker. In her free time, she played trombone with Taku Winds, interned with a local non-profit, and taught Zumba.  After a COVID summer back in Cali, she decided to move back to Juneau to start her post-graduate life. She’s excited to be on the Mudrooms story board to help encourage younger people to attend and participate.

Skylar Bayer

Skylar Bayer moved to Juneau in 2022 and is a marine biologist, a storyteller, and a science communicator. She completed her Ph.D. in the secret sex lives of scallops at the University of Maine which landed her on The Colbert Report in 2013. She’s been a producer for The Story Collider since 2014 and has written and told stories on stage in Maine, Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. She is the co-editor with Gabi Serrato Marks, of an anthology of stories from scientists: Uncharted: how scientists navigate health, research, and bias. She also enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the gentle art, at Evolution Jiu Jitsu in Juneau.

Summer Koester

Born and raised in Juneau, Summer spent a few years living in Latin America and the Caribbean, but the wilderness and arts community called her back. Now she teaches Spanish to middle school students, freelance writes, and helped found Moon Lit Poets in Juneau. She’s also a member of dance groups the Off-the-Hook Honeys and Daughters of the New Moon Dance. As a kid, Summer found her voice performing on stage in plays and writing songs, and in the last few years, she started writing poetry, nonfiction, and satire. She is excited to help others find their voice and share their stories with Mudrooms!

Volunteers

Mudrooms would like to recognize support from other community members not on our story board.

Previous storyboard members: Amanda Compton (founder), Pat Race, Marc Wheeler, Clint Farr, Katie Spielberger, Kristen Stouder, Steve Suewing, Pat Roach, Sara Hannan, Tom Cosgrove, Melissa Griffiths, Jim Pfitzer, Jane Hale, David Noon, Rich Moniak. Former volunteers Riley Woodford and Laura Kurt. Former photographers John Hutchins and Colin Shanley.
The Rookery Cafe and Coppa for their generous edible support.
Alaska Robotics for its web support.