Tag: the moth

  • 5 Storytelling Podcasts You’ll Love

    Photo by Alyson Hurt via Flickr (Creative Commons)

    I’m a connoisseur of storytelling. I can’t get enough of the genre. Whether its a personal narrative, or non-fictional piece, investigative storytelling, or fiction– I love it all.

    As a communicator I study the method and mode of storytelling. I know that in order to be a better communicator I’ll need to become a better storyteller.

    Here are 5 storytelling podcasts I love and recommend

    • This American Life – The granddaddy of them all. Each one-hour show is a series of segments (called acts) built around a central theme. This is a great entry point to the genre as it acts as an aggregator of others.
    • The Moth – The Moth is a storytelling non-profit which holds regular events in major cities around the country called, Story Slams. Participants tell a story live, without notes, before an audience. They take the best of the 15 minute stories and put them on their podcast.
    • Third Coast International Audio Festival – I’m a new fan of this one. Each segment is about an hour. It’s got an investigative reporting/documentary vibe to it. But they thread stories together in a way which fascinates me.
    • Storycorps – I can’t tell you how many times this project has brought me to tears. It’s all amatuer, typically a monologue or a family member interviewing another family member. Each segment is about 5 minutes.
    • 60 Minutes audio edition – I don’t particularly enjoy the TV version of this show. But the audio version (literally, the same show with just audio) is fantastic! The reporting here is second-to-none, and what I learn from this style of storytelling is an economy of words.
    What are your favorite podcasts for learning storytelling? (Preaching doesn’t count!)

  • Caught between two religions

    If you are a fan of storytelling, and chances are good that you are, you need to subscribe to the Moth podcast. The Moth is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of live storytelling. They put on live storytelling events where members of the audience get a few minutes to tell a story, live and without notes, on a theme. The best stories make it onto the podcast. It’s 13 minutes I look forward to downloading each week.

    The story I’m linking below is poignant for a couple of reasons. First, it’s great storytelling. Jen pulls you in. Second, because the content of her story is just a little too close to home for a lot of my friends. Jen is caught between two worlds, Evangelical Christianity and selling Mary Kay. In the end she isn’t sure which one she is selling anymore.

    1. The Moth Podcast- Jen Lee – Targeted     

    (Note to RSS readers – you can come to the site and listen to the audio)

    As a communicator, storytelling is one of the things I wish I were a lot better at than I am. I’d kill to have a group of friends who regularly got together and practiced telling stories. Some ground rules, some themes, and some live audience feedback to refine the craft. Because ultimately, we need to tell stories that matter!