The Moth is where a select cadre of raconteurs learn and share the craftwork of unscripted storytelling executed so well, that the narratives intertwine with the helix of your own like Leeloo Dallas's extra strands of DNA "tightly packed with infinite genetic knowledge" in The Fifth Element:v
The vast spectrum of stories and storytellers at The Moth is choice. Like choosing a favorite between identical twin babies, asking for a single story of The Moth to capture what I feel is the best is damn hard but there are stories like Elna Baker's Yes Means Yes? that stand out from the din:
If you're a fan of Ira Glass, you'll recognize producer Elna Baker from This American Life stories like It's a Small World After All:
Elna Baker lost a lot of weight, 110 pounds. When she was fat, she wasn't able to get a job or a boyfriend and sometimes thought, "I wonder if it's my weight." She figured no, that's a bad attitude, paranoia. When she lost the weight she discovered it was ALL because of her weight. A book Elna discusses in this story is Dietland by Sarai Walker.
One last parting salvo about The Moth. Great storytellers frequently use their authentic self to emote experiences which allow others to internalize new ideas that can coexist with contradictory ideas already fixed in place. Elna Baker is one damn great story teller, and Steve Osbourne is right up there as well with stories gained over 20 years as a NYPD cop like Busy Night:
