The Curiosity Guild: Weird History Meets Storytelling Magic

From the “Bright Ideas” event. Photo by Isolde Honoré

There's a new speaker series in SF designed to spark curiosity and illuminate the dark and wacky corners of history. Aptly named Curiosity Guild, this monthly event features researchers and storytellers who love sharing real stories that surprise and delight audiences. Each month a handful of storytellers will give talks specific to a topic complete with presentations filled with imagery.

If this event sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a spin-off of the now-shuttered event Odd Salon. However, while it shares some similarities, such as a similar format and the same enthusiasm for weird and wonderful stories from throughout history, Curiosity Guild puts its unique spin on the experience to make it distinctly its own.

Curiosity Co-founder, Laura Rubin goes on to talk about how they will continue to honor Odd Salon but will forge their own path:

“Curiosity Guild is something like the spiritual successor to Odd Salon, which has its own founding lore. When we heard that Odd Salon was really ending, we realized that we weren’t ready to stop the show; there are too many interesting stories left out there, lots of people still excited to talk about them, and (we hope!) plenty of folks who still want to hear. The events are going to be much the same, though we’re taking the opportunity to experiment with format a little, and minorly push some of the “rules” that evolved over the decade-plus of Odd Salon production. I think in a real way we’re building this with an eye to continuity and sustainability for us as producers, as well as for our audience and community.”

What to Expect at a Curiosity Guild Event:

Each event features a lineup of speakers sharing short-format, true non-fiction, curious, and often quirky stories tied to a theme (for example, “Wicked Ways” on March 3rd at Public Works). These are live, history-oriented talks designed to educate and entertain. Each themed event features several speakers who have been brainstorming and working on their talks, honing their public speaking skills and receiving feedback as a team. Speakers rotate each month, ensuring that no Curiosity Guild event is ever the same.

The Curiosity Guild producers (L-R) Isolde Honoré, Laura Rubin, Martin Strauss, Sahil Bansa. Photo by Seth Rosenblatt

My favorite talk from this past month was from co-founder Isolde Honoré who talked about the Medieval Governance of Bees: the Bechbretha Bee Judgements. Did you know bees once had rules similar to those of a herd of cows? But on the topic of “Bright Ideas” we also heard from other speakers who spoke about “Victor Gruen's Brilliant Bastard: A Quick History of the Shopping Mall” and “The Diamond Necklace Affair: From Jewel Heist to Ruining a Queen in Five Easy Steps”. I found myself laughing, in shock and surprise at some of the stories pulled from the pages of history.

As Laura Rubin explains:

“We love our community of weirdos who love researching a story and finding ever more rabbit holes to go down, and our rowdy audience who’re absolutely here to come along for the ride. One of my favorite things is when a one-time callback from a talk bridges the gap between events and becomes a tiny running joke among folks who’re there. I’d also like to just say: it’s great to have something fun - but not too intense - to go to on a Tuesday night.”

Curious Outings Ahead?

As mentioned, Curiosity Guild expects to forge their own future with new adventures that go beyond the walls of their monthly event. Co-founder Isolde Honoré talks about some of what is ahead in the future for the group (aside from surviving year one):

“We are primarily focused on getting the show running this first year. In the future, we would like to host curated outings so that the Curiosity Guild community can be curious together - exploring overlooked places, uncovering unusual stories, and diving into the wonderfully layered history of the Bay Area”

Talking about the next event they are hosting, Laura explains, “I’m curating/hosting the March 3rd event, ‘Wicked Ways. Stories about all kinds of baddies’” because really, what is ‘wicked’ anyway?”

The upcoming March 3rd Curiosity Guild event. Get tix right here.

At its core, Curiosity Guild aims to entertain and delight audiences while keeping curiosity alive. I’m already looking forward to becoming a regular and attending the next event on March 3rd.

Upcoming Curiosity Guild Themes:

March 3 - Wicked Ways
Apr 7 - Fool's Errand
May 5 - Full Bloom
Jun 2 - Lock Horns
Sep 1 - Dark Horse

All Curiosity Guild events are at Public Works in San Francisco from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm PST (Pro tip! Get there at 6 to stand in line and get a good seat down stairs. Seating is limited)
All tickets are available on their Eventbrite