Stories of America with Charlie Bell

Come to the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Sunday, September 29 at 1:00 pm to hear a fascinating story of a pedestrian journey around the perimeter of America by Mattapoisett resident Charlie Bell. Storyteller and podcaster, Bell will share incredible tales about his solo run around the continental United States. While his 10,000-mile run was, in many ways, a modern-day Odyssey – involving hurricanes, blizzards and a volcano; churches, jail cells, and an outhouse; drunken cowboys, suspicious cops, and an old woman with a flock of pet vultures; falling in love, getting injured and facing death again and again – the heart of his stories is what he learned from his encounters with thousands of strangers who befriended him mile after mile and day after day. His motivation? In his words, “to follow my dream of becoming a world-class marathoner and seeing the United States on foot.”

Bell is a writer, teacher, coach, storyteller and podcaster whose writing has been published internationally and whose storytelling has been profiled in the New York Times. After graduating from Princeton as Class Poet, he worked for IBM in New York City before setting out on an unsupported, unsponsored, solo run around the continental United States: 10,000 miles on foot. His journey offered him a unique perspective on America and Americans, revealing the extraordinary variety of people and places, the power of kindness and “the glory in the ordinary” anywhere we look.

Bell is currently recounting his adventures on long/run: A Father/Daughter Podcast, hosted by his daughter Amelia. Find a link to his podcast on his website www.longrun.us and follow the podcast on Instagram at longrunpodcast. The program is free and open to all (recommended ages ten – adult).