Mary Byrne
Even at a young age, longtime Belmont resident Nina Livingstone enjoyed listening to the stories of others. After interviewing her mother as a child, Livingstone interviewed the likes of author and orator Fran Leibowitz, actress and activist Marlee Matlin, and a food stylist for the HBO Max series “Julia.”
“I love listening to what other people have to say,” said Livingstone. “We learn so much as a community. Everything people say matters, and their stories are important.”
When she’s not telling the stories of others, Livingstone is sharing her experience as a person living with blindness and hearing loss. Diagnosed at 12 years old with the genetic condition Usher syndrome, Livingstone wears a cochlear implant to improve her hearing and uses a cane to guide her. And technology–such as Braille on the phone–aids in her ability to communicate with people online.
“I’m not a disability-rights activist, but I am a supporter,” she said. “I love what I do. I will contribute in ways that I can.”
A writer, journalist, and public speaker, Livingstone has told stories from The Moth Mainstage, a storytelling event that hosts live performances in major cities around the globe, including in Boston. She’s also participated in Voices on the Green, a live music and storytelling series in Lexington.
“I remember the date I went to the first Moth Slam with Stacey Sacks,” she recalled. “You put your name in the hat. Somehow, mine got picked out. I said Stacey, I can’t do it, I can’t do it. … I was totally unprepared for this. But I went up there and told my story. It turned out to be successful. … I went to many after that; some I didn’t do well at all, but I stuck with it.”
Livingstone fell in love with the stage after that first experience in 2016, she said. Eventually, she was able to view each show as a way of improving herself and her storytelling abilities.
“I had to put away the fact that I couldn’t see, and my speech sometimes made me self-conscious because my pronunciation was off,” she said. “I accrued a great deal of experience and confidence.”
This week, Livingstone made her television debut as one of the storytellers on the latest segment of Stories from the Stage, “Laughing Out Loud.” The show, which featured a handful of other storytellers, aired Monday evening on PBS.
“I was very nervous, but for some reason … I was pretty calm,” Livingstone said of the experience.
Livingstone’s story focused on her search for volunteers, specifically, people she could trust – drivers, in particular, but also people who could accompany her on walks, for example.
“Volunteers are hard to come by,” she said.
She said everyone has a disability, whether or not it’s visible to the rest of the world, and creating connections helps everyone better understand the people around them and how they may be able to accommodate them.
“That’s why I think these storytellers are important, whether they’re telling funny or serious stories,” she said. “All of them have something to say that’s important. I think everybody has a story. It sounds cliche, but we all have one.”
It’s because of that she believes that anyone who thinks they may have a story to share should give it a shot.
“If you have a good story, don’t hesitate to give it a try,” Livingstone said. “We all have a voice, and we’re all interested in hearing it.”
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