Moth
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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreThe best worst magic show ever
Last week I told a story for The Moth at the beautiful Brooklyn Academy of Music about the armed robbery that I survived back in 1993. The story opened with an anecdote about a magic show that had taken place just a few days prior to telling the story. I managed to record a little…
Read MoreThe Moth: A Strip Club of my Own Making
I have never entered a strip club. Sitting beside my male friends and watching women who want nothing to do with me remove their clothes has never appealed to me. Unified public, unsatisfied arousal is just not my thing. I attended a bachelor party at a strip club once, but when we arrived at the…
Read MoreThe Moth: Death by Bee Sting
The following is a story that I told at a Moth GrandSLAM at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA in March of 2015. The theme of the night was Once in a Blue Moon. I told a story about a bee sting that changed my life. I finished in second place.
Read MoreI have a story on The Moth Radio Hour and podcast this week!
I’m thrilled to have a story featured on The Moth Radio Hour and Moth podcast this week. It’s a holiday story about my car accident two days before Christmas when I was seventeen years old and the unexpected gift I received as a result.
Read MoreThe oddities of becoming a somewhat (but not famous) public figure
I am not a famous person, regardless of what a couple of my friends may insist. I am not even close to being famous. I am not even fame-ish. I’ve had the honor of occupying the same space and even spending time with famous people this past year. A long backstage chat with Dr. Ruth.A…
Read MoreThe Moth: The Great Stargazing Betrayal
On December 29, 2014, I took the stage at The Moth StorySLAM at The Bitter End in Manhattan to tell a story. The theme of the night was Rewards. I told a story about an evening of stargazing with my students that went terrible wrong. I finished in first place. Here a recording of the…
Read MoreThe Moth: Sex and Frozen Corn
The first gift that my daughter ever received was a stuffed ear of corn from our friend, Justine. It’s been sitting on the corner of her bookshelf for the last six years. She knows that it was the first gift she ever received – given to her before she was even born – but she’s…
Read MoreMashable on The Moth
Last month I competed in a Moth StorySLAM at The Bell House in Brooklyn (and won!). Mashable was there, shooting a story for their website. The result is a beautiful look at The Moth and all it does for the art of storytelling. It was also great to see StorySLAM manager and storyteller Robin Wachsberger…
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