Dispatches from the Moth · Posted On: May 05, 2020
by Suzanne Rust
What did it feel like to finally share this story on The Moth stage?
It felt like an incredible honor and responsibility. It also felt like the best challenge—the challenge to simply be me and tell a very personal and at times painful story. I loved it. I’ll even say that I needed it.
You said that, as a brown girl growing up in New Hampshire, you often felt like an alien. Sometimes there are gifts that come from being treated differently. How did being an "outsider"...
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Dispatches from the Moth · Posted On: Apr 15, 2020
by Suzanne Rust
How did you know that this was the Moth story you had to tell?
Years ago I was asked by my friend Gabrielle Armand to perform at a private event held at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Not only would I perform as a bassist, but I was also informed that there would be a few people from the Moth at this event. They were looking for musicians who would be good storytellers, and Gabrielle thought I’d be a perfect fit for this. She asked me to tell the most moving story I could think of in five minutes. It ...
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Dispatches from the Moth · Posted On: Mar 10, 2020
by Suzanne Rust
How did you know that this was the Moth story you had to tell?
I was actually in Seattle sharing another Moth story, but then as I was talking with Sarah [Moth director Sarah Austin Jenness] this story came up. She thought I should tell it next, so I did.
In what I think is one of the most poignant lines in your story, you say that at that point in your life you were, “involved in a grand improvisation, making up life one hour at a time.” If we are lucky, we will all get to that stage...
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Dispatches from the Moth · Posted On: Jan 24, 2020
by Suzanne Rust
What did it mean for you to be able to share your story on the Moth stage?
There are so many layers to this question! I have been in awe of Moth storytellers for a long time, so I found the thought of it absolutely terrifying - and I have a Master’s in acting! Despite my background, there was something so utterly frightening about stripping everything away to get to the simplicity and the honesty of storytelling. I had worked for The Moth for a few years before I started developing my story ...
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Dispatches from the Moth · Posted On: Jan 08, 2020
by Suzanne Rust
What did it mean for you to be able to share your story on The Moth stage?
It was really exciting to be able to share a story about my life, and about my culture, with the Moth Audience. After I did the Omaha show, a young, Native man walked up to me and told me how excited he was to see me because he “never imagined a Native person up there on stage.” It was meaningful to me to be able to inspire him and others, and remind them that they have their own stories to tell.
I also feel so p...
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