HAPPY 'STORY' HOUR: Gather 'round for CFLC's Story Hour to raise funds for adult literacy

Shannon Rae Gentry
Oct 16
4 min read

The Cape Fear Literacy Council's Story Hour series is in full swing, with only two more Tuesday readings left at Azalea Station in the Cargo District: Zach Hanner (Oct. 21) and Celia Rivenbark (Oct. 28). A performer at heart and fan of comedy, Hanner recommends that people come ready to laugh as we discuss his admiration for Bob Odenkirk and the comedian’s book "A Load of Hooey," from which Hanner will read Tuesday evening.

In Odenkirk’s debut as an author, he writes in absurdities with voices in heavily edited for satire monologues like “Martin Luther King Jr’s Worst Speech Ever” to hilariously imagined theater in “Hitler Dinner Party: A Play.” Of course, Hanner reminds, none are meant to be taken at face value.

“There are all of these absurd premises,” Hanner says. “And then throughout, there are these little quotes that are famous quotes by famous people, like Walt Disney. The real part is the first line, but then the embellishments: If you can dream it, you can do it. Not 'you.' I mean 'me.' I was talking to myself. Did you hear me just now? Forget I said that.”

Hanner has narrowed down to a dozen pieces from Odenkirk’s book, trying to prioritize the best he can for what feels like a very short 15 minutes. “Any flaws or weaknesses to my previous readings is that I just disregarded the time,” he quips.

Reading and humor have long gone hand-in-hand with Hanner since childhood. Comics and books like “Cool Shoes” by Steve Martin, for example, shaped his opinions and thoughts on comedy. Odenkirk’s book immediately garnered a place on Hanner’s bookshelf.

“In fact, I was gonna read it at last year’s story hour,” Hanner notes, “but we were closer to Halloween and I was asked if I could do something that was a little more spooky. So I ended up reading a HP Lovecraft story.”

Odenkirk has a long resume in comedy as a writer for Saturday Night Live to being on camera with David Cross on their HBO sketch comedy show “Mr. Show with Bob and David.” “It was very subversive, very inappropriate, but definitely appealed to my sense of transgressive humor,” Hanner laughs.

Hanner originally moved to Wilmington in ‘93 for the film industry, but also found a warm home in the theater here ever since. Growing up in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Hanner’s mom was an art teacher and his dad a history teacher and football coach. They instilled a love and curiosity for reading and media.

“I’d spend the hour between getting out of elementary and middle school before walking up to the high school at the local library, reading,” he remembers. “It's always been an important thing to me, and I've always been appreciative of what the [Cape Fear] Literacy Council does for adults, in terms of literacy, education, and their mission is a really amazing one that I want to always support.”

Hanner now reflects on this time as an undiagnosed ADHD student. He found the support he didn’t know he needed with the library, specifically, his local librarian.

“Anne Stone was her name,” he recalls. “I went to school with her kids, and she knew that I loved SciFi and mysteries. And a lot of times when I would show up at the library, she would have a little stack of things pulled aside for me, and it was just me and her in there in the afternoons.”

Aside from books, Stone helped pique Hanner’s literary interests with audiobooks and music. He remembers dramatic readings of the “War of the Worlds” and getting sucked into (no pun intended) classic tales like Dracula.

“I think she appreciated the fact that she was able to—through her expertise—guide me in certain directions,” Hanner says. “And I was more than willing to say, ‘Yes,’ please. … I find it sad that so many people don't utilize libraries these days.”

Now, raising a young reader and media consumer himself, Hanner recognizes the decreased attention span and overall motivation to read, listen, or watch content that spans more than 15-30 seconds. Adults as well. “I like those things, too, but at the same time, we can all sit down and be patient to listen to something that is not cut up into these little, tiny, bite-sized pieces.

“People need to learn to sit still for 13 minutes and listen,” he laughs. “I think kids, young people, especially, have to be challenged a little bit on that. If somebody's compelling in their presentation, you're going to enjoy the story.”

Admittedly, Hanner describes his efforts to move away from his iPad and Kindle screens to return to physical copies of books again. “There's something very much different about holding that physical media in your hand and the smell of the paper, the sound of the pages turning, you know, so many different sensations and aspects to reading physical media that transcend reading off of a screen.”

CFLC’s Adult Story Hour supports their free adult literacy programming and each event of the series includes food and drinks for purchase, NC writers and entertainers, and Q&A with special guest moderators.