At 7;45 I paniced that cold and ice might keep people away from the 4th Annual Memoirathon at the Old Stone House. We’d gotten a bunch of cancellations from friends and family.

By 8:05, the room filled up and more people joined in as the event progressed.

Artist Lori Nelson displayed 40 of her Recession Story plaques, which are just wonderful. What she does is this: she gathers one- or two-line stories from friends, Craigslist, and Facebook about what people are feeling and seeing during these tough economic times. In her words.

In the tradition of Studs Terkel, I feel compelled to document this important time in history so that people can understand how it is and maybe learn. The numbers are interesting and I will continue to create plaques for the important data of the Recession, but I have switched the focus of my project to the humans. One Hundred Little Recession Stories is at about 40 stories now and seems to show no signs of letting up.

Branka Ruzak, a gifted host, got the event off to a great—and theatrical—start with the Stephen Foster song, “Hard Times” (sung by Kate McGarrigle & Emmylou Harris) while distributing Hershey Kisses to the crowd.

She told a short version of her own recession story, which includes a stint as a cashier at Whole Foods and a 10-week crash course in teaching English as a Second Language, and provided introductions to all the readers.

Marco Acevedo, now a freelance graphic designer, read a piece about losing his job and becoming a stay-at-home-dad to his newborn twins.

His wife, Deborah Segal, an expert on gender, politics, and feminism,  read a humorous—and insightful—piece about grappling with Marco’s unemployment.

Nell Boeschestein read about real estate envy in a funny and well written piece called “Window Shopping.” Janet Raiffa, a laid-off recruiter and recruiting manager read about her willingness to do just about anything, including babysitting, bird-sitting, petitioning for political candidates, casting a reality television show, working sample sales, doing extra work on “Law and Order,” and coaching MBA students at Columbia, Wharton, and Yale.

Nava Renek,  writer, editor, and educator, read a tough, personal piece about growing up poor and the anxieties that come with that.  Ironically—and luckily—during this recession she has the first job security she’s ever.

Bestsy Robinson (pictured above) a former managing editor of a spiritual magazine, wowed the crowd with hilarious, tongue-in-cheek, unemployment tips, and Brent Shearer, an unemployed sports journalists, joked that he is now attending the Baltika beer consumption MFA program at the East Village’s KGB bar and goes to more literary readings than anyone (must be the free cheese and wine).