A few months back I had the pleasure of attending my first "Moth" event at Martyrs in Chicago. For those of you who don't know, the Moth is a non-profit storytelling organization that curates sections of the NPR show "This American Life," as well as "The Moth" podcast. It started in New York City but The Moth made its way across the country and into my life.
If you have never heard of this organization, program or podcast I strongly suggest you check it out. There is everything from the heartfelt to the hilarious. From the well told to word vomit. Really there is something for everyone. That night at 10pm a man got up and told a story about a fellow scout at Boy Scout Camp carving a wooden dick for his girlfriend. I have never laughed so hard in my life. Not because the story was filled with sophomoric jokes, but because this man wove such an interesting and intelligent, witty and winsome story about this little boy and his wooden dick that I couldn't help but cheer when he won the MothSLAM.
It made me wonder why I hadn't done it. It made me aware of common charisma. It made me think about what story I would've told. It made me realize the power of words. It was inspiring. It was a unique experience in Chicago that I won't soon forget. I laughed. I teared up. I rolled my eyes. I was embarrassed to be a woman. I was embarrassed for men. I was filled all these emotions. I was not surprised but overcome by the fact that all these feelings were created, at the simplest level, by words. The intensity, the passion, the truth. Words can change lives. I know the quotes is "Actions speak louder than words", but there are times when I couldn't disagree more. This realization has continued to affect me since, and will continue in another post, but until then I leave you with some more info about "The Moth".
Check it out here. http://www.themoth.org
What is The Moth?
The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, was founded in New York in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, who wanted to recreate in New York the feeling of sultry summer evenings on his native St. Simon's Island, Georgia, where he and a small circle of friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales on his friend Wanda's porch. After moving to New York, George missed the sense of connection he had felt sharing stories with his friends back home, and he decided to invite a few friends over to his New York apartment to tell and hear stories. Thus the first "Moth" evening took place in his living room. Word of these captivating story nights quickly spread, and The Moth moved to bigger venues in New York. Today, The Moth conducts eight ongoing programs and has brought more than 3,000 live stories to over 100,000 audience members.
Why "The Moth"?
The screen around Wanda's porch had a hole where moths would flutter in and get trapped in the light. Similarly, George and his friends found that the characters in their best stories would often find themselves drawn to some bright light—of adventure, ambition, knowledge—but then find themselves burned or trapped, leaving them with some essential conflict to face before the story could reach its conclusion. So George and his original group of storytellers called themselves "The Moths". George took the name with him to New York, where he hoped that New Yorkers, too, would find themselves drawn to storytelling as moths to a flame. They did. With no advertising, through sheer word of mouth, every show to date has sold out in 48 hours or less.
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