The End of StoryWonk

Let me just start by saying that I’ve never met Alastair Stephens or Lani Diane Rich. They don’t know me from Adam’s house cat if you will allow a regional colloquialism.

I know them.  Well, sort of.   Or, not really.

No, I don’t know them at all.

I’ve listened to their voices for many hours on many different podcasts. They were the husband-and-wife team behind StoryWonk, a company I stumbled upon only because I was looking for a podcast about the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer that was more suited to my tastes than the one I was originally listening to. Their podcast Dusted was about Buffy and the Angel series, and I enjoyed it immensely. This led me to all of their other creations, such as We Used to Be Friends (I started watching Veronica Mars just so I could listen to this podcast) and We Can Do This All Day, which was covering the entire MCU since the movie Iron Man, but was, by necessity, covering a lot of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. There were also the solo Alastair projects The Journeyman Writer ,Story and Star Wars, and There and Back Again.

It’s safe to say that I was very much in the StoryWonk fold at this point.   I was watching television shows I’d never considered watching. I was re-reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (which I’m still reading, by the way). Alastair and Lani and StoryWonk were a part of my life.

Then, this past January, they announced that they were getting divorced.

They both, separately I suppose, tried to keep StoryWonk limping along, but it came to an end, as did all of the couple’s shared podcasts.

I was saddened by the news because I genuinely enjoyed the two together on their podcasts. I hate that their marriage didn’t work out for them, but I understand: these things happen.

Their divorce eventually resulted in the dissolution of StoryWonk as well, which was also sad.

Stephens and Rich have both gone on to create their own individual companies. Alastair has started Point North, while Lani has unveiled Chipperish.

Stephens continued his There and Back Again podcast in a seamless transition. He has also begun an American Gods podcast, about the book and the Starz television series, called Storm’s on the Way. This inspired me to read the novel again as well.

Lani has a new podcast called How Story Works that I enjoy. Plus, she has continued talking about Buffy, although I haven’t been able to access these podcasts yet. She also has a new podcast about The West Wing that I may tune in to if I ever begin watching that series (it’s on the long list).

I haven’t chosen sides in this divorce. I’m honestly glad that both Alastair and Lani have continued to create digital content. But, the marriage that was StoryWonk is no more. 

I do miss the two of them together, but that’s just me being selfish. I wish them both well.

Advertisement