I've been moved by the audiences who've taken an interest in the stories of my search for the family history of my Mexican-Chinese Grandma. In 2021, I had a few opportunities to share the story of my journey to China to heal an old family divide. In case you haven't...
Women’s Empowerment
Old Mr. Ma – Cara Tells a Story of Home for The Storytellers Project
As many of you know, I'm writing a historical novel inspired by family stories my Mexican-Chinese grandma used to tell me: tales of secret immigrants and mixed races, family loyalties and betrayals. I'm also involved in the world of live personal storytelling, and The...
Cara Gets a Reporting Job – Storytelling at Two Truths and a Lie (Video)
A story can mean different things at different times. In 2019, I first told this one, Cara Lopez Lee Gets A Reporting Job (a.k.a. The Boss of Last Resort) for Daniel David Shapiro's podcast, Two Truths and a Lie. It's the story of the most racist, sexist, intolerant...
Escape The Pandemic: Read a Book!
Wish you could run away from Pandemic 2020? Try escaping into a book! I've been reading books by other authors—turns out most books are by other authors. But if you haven't read mine yet, then please check out They Only Eat Their Husbands. It's my memoir of how I ran...
Cara Gets a Reporting Job – Storytelling at Two Truths and a Lie (Podcast)
I suspect we all have a story about some crazy boss who we feared might destroy our lives. I recently shared such a story on Daniel David Shapiro's podcast, Two Truths and a Lie. There is so much unbelievable drama in real life, but also so much surprising truth in...
Old Mr. Ma – Cara at The Moth GrandSlam in L.A.
At The Moth GrandSlam on July 24 at L.A.’s historic Regent Theatre, I was honored to share the stage with some of the best storytellers around as we told stories on the night’s theme: Identity Crisis. Please check out this 6-minute video of me performing Old Mr. Ma,...
Just Me and My Cross – Cara Wins The Moth StorySlam in L.A.
? After more than a year striving to find my voice in the world of oral storytelling, I won The Moth StorySlam in L.A. on January 23, 2018. The night's topic was Achilles' Heel. It was humbling to win with a story about my weaknesses. I now qualify to compete in a...
My Killer Eggs – Live at The Moth StorySlam in L.A.
I told this true personal story at The Moth StorySlam in Los Angeles on June 6, 2017. The theme was "Mystery." I came in third place, for which I won: nothing...except pride in getting better at this art form every day. I love oral storytelling. What an exciting way...
The Kayak Affair – Cara Tells a Story, Live, at the Two Truths and a Lie Podcast
I'm having a blast in the world of oral storytelling, and you can hear me tell my latest story in the podcast Two Truths & a Lie. Or you can watch the video below. In this live storytelling show, three performers share personal stories. The catch? One of us is...
Taking Credit
As a writing instructor, I yearn to take credit for the ingenious, creative, perceptive stories my students create. They’re kids, mostly middle-schoolers, and I yearn to point at their work and say, “They know how to do that because I taught them how.” But I believe...
