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Don’t be selfish. Tell a story.

I tell people to tell stories a lot. I know. It’s my clarion call.   But allow me to say it again.  Last Wednesday night, I performed in The Moth GrandSLAM at the Cutler Majestic in Boston. My plan was to take the stage and tell a story that was a lot more humor than heart.…

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Dan Kennedy is right. Reach out to people whose work means the world to you.

Dan Kennedy, writer, storyteller, and Moth host, tweeted earlier this week:  (@DanKennedy_NYC) Gonna get better at sending notes to people whose work means the world to me. Feels fanboy, but beats waiting to send an RIP tweet. I like this advice a lot.  I receive emails, tweets, and Facebook messages almost daily from readers around the…

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My three greatest acts of storytelling cruelty

I like to think that I have been a supportive and positive force on the thousands of storytellers who I have performed alongside over the years, but I’ve also had moments when my judgment and disposition was less than ideal. My three most despicable moments as a storyteller: 1. On Thursday night at Infinity Hall,…

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The Moth: The Promise

In November of last year, I told this story about my high school sweetheart at a Moth GrandSLAM in Brooklyn. I was lucky enough to have the story air on the Moth Radio Hour and their podcast a couple months later. I can’t tell you what a honor and thrill that is. I hear from…

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The Moth: Two Little Jewish Dicks

In April of this year, I told this story about my Elysha, my kids, my last name, and Judaism at a Moth GrandSLAM at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The theme of the night was Crash Course. I finished in second place.

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The Moth: A Mop Sink and Maybe God

In March of 2016 I told the story of my interrogation and arrest for a crime I did not commit at a Moth GrandSLAM at The Somerville Theater. The theme of the night was Now or Never.   I won the GrandSLAM that night. I’ve since told this story for Speak Up and other shows…

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Go to The Moth and tell a story. And not “someday.” Go soon.

Just this past week I heard from listeners who heard one or more of my stories on The Moth’s podcast, The Moth Radio Hour, and/or The Moth’s website in: Cape Town, South AfricaLondon, UKColumbus, OHHartford, CTWestern AustraliaHong KongNew HampshireNew York CitySao Paulo, BrazilBlackstone, Massachusetts The idea that people across the globe are listening to me tell…

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The secret to great storytelling: Make the big moments incredibly small. Or find your tiny moments and tell just them.

Last night I was fortunate enough to win The Moth’s GrandSLAM in Somerville, MA. I told the story of my decision to confess to a crime I did not commit after a $7,000 deposit went missing from the McDonald’s that I was managing in Bourne, MA, and a police officer made the decision that I…

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The Moth brought me and my elementary school principal back together

Earlier this month, I told a story at a Moth GrandSLAM in Brooklyn about a time in my life when I had to face down the principal as a third grader. After stealing a classmate’s stamp catalog, I was forced to admit to the theft or risk allowing my entire class to be punished for…

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Resolution update: February 2016

PERSONAL HEALTH 1. Don’t die. I finished my physical therapy last week. This, in combination with a lowering of my cholesterol by almost 40 points, is a good indicator of future health. A recent health survey also indicated that I can expect to live until 95. I’m killing it.  2. Lose 20 pounds. Seven pounds…

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