The TMI Project Podcast is a bold and brave celebration of untold stories. The TMI Project is a nonprofit organization based in Kingston, New York. Cofounders Eva Tenuto and Micah Blumenthal set it up to allow people to tell their stories.
Eva and Micah are also the podcast's cohosts. They run writing workshops, which lead to live performances. Eva refers to the "superpowers" gained by telling one's truth. If someone tries to remember, they can recall the performance before their trauma. This podcast brings these stories off the stage to listeners worldwide. They also profile the storytellers to provide more substance to their stories. The "TMI" in The TMI Project Podcast references the expression "too much information."
Season one of The TMI Project Podcast began in April 2022, titled "Tragedy + Time = Comedy." One episode tells the story of Verna Gillis. She is a prolific music producer who set up a performance space for multicultural music. Eva describes the moment she saw Verna performing. She saw a small but regal woman in her 60s on stage. She made the audience laugh immediately through her constant swearing and sexual stories.
Verna talks to Eva about the power of hearing her voice tell her story. She discusses her impressive career, which took over, taking her identity with it. Verna shares her experience of menopause and a lifelong addiction to food. It's this addiction that led her to examine her history with her mother further. Another part of her story concerns grief, which Verna calls "learning to walk again." She talks about how writing has helped her mental health by processing everything.
Further seasons have followed, including "Stories for Choice," which focuses on reproductive justice. "Pride Stories" concerns details that get left out due to shame or cultural expectations. In each episode, listeners will hear the storyteller perform. They will also learn how writing and performing their stories has helped them.
Episodes