7 Minute Stories Go to 7 Minute Stories

A lot can happen in 7 minutes...

Storyteller Aaron Calafato uses 7 minute vignettes to share his memories, explore his psyche and attempt to make sense of the world.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

All Episodes

We Are All Witnesses

| E:27
What started out as a heated religious debate between two kids on an elementary school playground, turned into an attack from an unusual suspect... 
Listen to We Are All Witnesses

Becoming Donatello

| E:26
It was 1990, I was 7 years old and I was anticipating the release of greatest film ever made: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not only this, but I actually believed I was a turtle and had every intention to reveal my true identity to an elementary school crush...
Listen to Becoming Donatello

The Train Incident

| E:25
On a bright Fall day in 2009, what started out as usual train commute from Eatontown, New Jersey to Manhattan, transformed into a crime scene.
Listen to The Train Incident

Chinatown

| E:24
When I got a call from Jack Nicholson’s executive assistant at 1:00am in the morning, It felt like a “surreal” experience...
Listen to Chinatown

The Tryout

| E:23
Years of commitment and preparation led me to this moment. What started as a tryout for my middle school basketball team, transformed into an experience that would shape my entire career.
Listen to The Tryout

The Lineup

| E:22
When I was 10 years old I spent a summertime at a makeshift daycare. One afternoon there, while playing Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out on NES, I committed an unintentional crime which was followed by a memorable interrogation.
Listen to The Lineup

The Fish

| E:21
At the age of 5 I watched a BBC documentary about the life of fish in the ocean. Days later, I witnessed what I can only describe as a ghost appear in my bedroom. Both experiences united to form an existential crisis that would shape my future…
Listen to The Fish

The Night-Night Rules

| E:20
I don’t know if it was divine intervention or just coincidence, but whatever it was, it gave me the strength to make a promise to my daughter that I don’t intend on breaking…
Listen to The Night-Night Rules

The Gun

| E:19
When I was 13 years old I went to visit a new friend. Before going out to play in the woods he took out a gun. What happened next felt life and death…
Listen to The Gun

The Dream

| E:18
The night my grandfather slipped into a coma, he came to me in a profound dream…
Listen to The Dream

The Blizzard

| E:17
It was the early 90s and I was a pre-teen. I was in sitting in my grandparents car and the weather outside started to change in a way I had never seen. As we started our drive from Columbus to Cleveland I knew the odds were not in our favor…
Listen to The Blizzard

Lady of Maine

| E:16
How much do I love storytelling? Well, it was 2012 and I was booked to perform one of my monologues at a theater in Portland, Maine. The only catch was I had to drive nearly 16 hours and endure one of the most unsettling nights of my life.
Listen to Lady of Maine

Over the River

| E:15
I looked at the world differently when I was a child. But when did things change? I remember it was the mid 90s and I went to visit my grandmother in rural Ohio. Her only rule was that I didn’t ride my bike past the gray house…
Listen to Over the River

The Ice Cream Sandwich

| E:14
The second grade. An elementary lunch room. A purple silk shirt. A blossoming new love. History would be made as I courted an older woman for the first time…
Listen to The Ice Cream Sandwich

The Cherry Tree

| E:13
The myth of George Washington and the cherry tree made an big impression on my life. But as a young boy, when a police officer caught me vandalizing a house in my neighborhood, the impact of that myth would be put to the test.
Listen to The Cherry Tree

The Amish

| E:12
I sat at a traffic light and looked at the world falling apart around me. So, I turned my car around and drove until all I saw was corn fields and the Amish. I had found a new possibility. Maybe even a new home.
Listen to The Amish

The Phone Call

| E:11
I was 30 years old when my daughter was born. Shortly after, I received a phone call from my dad that forecast what the next 30 years may be like.
Listen to The Phone Call

The Fight

| E:10
When I was younger I fought a lot. This time, however, felt different than the rest. I was in over my head and would experience the true power, utility and lasting effect of violence.
Listen to The Fight

The Perfect Day

| E:9
I woke up and something was different. From the moment I opened my eyes it seemed like it would be one of those days where nothing could go wrong. Was I right? Or, was this all a dream?
Listen to The Perfect Day

The Nest

| E:8
It was the largest yellow jacket nest I've ever come across. It was man versus nature and I had to protect my home...
Listen to The Nest

Growing Up in the Rearview

| E:7
This episode explores the journey of driving my daughter home from the hospital after she was born and then through years of car rides looking into the rear-view mirror and seeing all the stages of her life.
Listen to Growing Up in the Rearview

Emails to My Dead Grandfather

| E:6
My grandfather and I were very close. One day, several years after he passed away, I saw that his gmail account profile was active. So, I decided to email him...
Listen to Emails to My Dead Grandfather

The Thirty-Five Year Train Ride

| E:5
For the last thirty five years I've heard the sound of a train out my window. It's seems that I've been following it my entire life.
Listen to The Thirty-Five Year Train Ride

The Summer of Peter Jennings

| E:4
A remixed version of a story Aaron did during the 2016 Presidential Election that is more relevant that ever.
Listen to The Summer of Peter Jennings

The Audition

| E:3
After getting off a train at Penn Station and taking in New York City for the first time, I began the odyssey of my first acting audition at the Actors Equity Center.
Listen to The Audition

The Car Accident and the Crucifix

| E:2
In episode two I explore a recent car accident I was involved in.
Listen to The Car Accident and the Crucifix

The Cruise

| E:1
Welcome to episode one of #7minutestories! A young man who is afraid of boats takes his first carnival cruise shortly after Hurricane Katrina rips through the Gulf coast.
Listen to The Cruise

Where to Listen

Find us in your favorite podcast app.

Connect on social media or subscribe to our newsletter

Connect