For a couple of decades, Beloved and I have been big fans of The Moth, a storytelling organization that hosts and records live events. These Storyslam events involve people telling stories, live, without notes, and each show revolves around a theme. The resulting podcasts and NPR radio show are every bit as delightful as the live events. I have heard some truly remarkable stories over the years thanks to The Moth. Stories generally last between 5-15 minutes, so they are (I think) the perfect length; long enough to get a real sense of the setting and the characters, but not so long that you (I) can get bored. Their social media accounts also include 1-minute stories, which are even easier to binge upon. They also offer what they call Storytelling School, both online and in person.

The non-profit organization also goes into schools to offer storytelling instruction and live stories. It’s a great way to introduce students to the concept of storytelling and to expose them to people whose experiences are maybe different than their own.

I have heard stories that are heartbreaking and hysterical and mind-blowing, and every one of them has left me with much to think about and reflect upon.

You can hear The Moth’s amazing stories and support their efforts on their website and on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

The next one, I’m posting with a warning. It is beautiful but very, very painful.