I first learned of the Moth when This American Life recently aired a segment. Not sure how many amazing things I've learned over the years from TAL, but I gotta say, if you're not being enriched by it, please go here and start.
So, The Moth. Here's the intro from the website:
What is The Moth?
The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, was founded in New York ... [by someone] ... who wanted to recreate in New York the feeling of sultry summer evenings ... 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.
There have apparently been hours upon hours of amazing storytelling done through the Moth. Unfortunately, either somebody did not have the good sense to record all of them, or the website is hopelessly underutilized, because there are only a handful of stories you can hear on the website. But they're all worth a listen. Especially "Don't Fall in Love With Your Monkey" told by Ari Handel. This is the incredibly sweet recounting of a Neuroscience PhD's relationship with his research monkey.
Those of you who know me, know I have a sweet spot in my heart for Neuroscience PhD's who have tales of research monkeys. Those people will make the world a better place both for their research and for their story telling ability. So go give it a listen.
