Dispatches from the Moth · Posted On: Dec 20, 2022

An Open Letter from Moth Host and Storyteller Jon Goode

by The Moth

Jon Goode 8

As a host and storyteller for The Moth I’ve stood on stage from Anchorage, AK, to Honolulu, HI—from New York, NY to Whitesburg, KY. Places that couldn’t be more distant and different. What I’ve discovered is that even in the coldest of places audiences and tellers bring their smiles, their laughter, their warmth. 

Whether you’re in a cathedral in London or a barn in Jackson Hole, storytellers show up as their full and authentic selves, and audiences come to listen and be inspired by the power of true, personal stories. Once the curtains have closed, the rooms emptied, and the voices quieted it’s the stories still ringing in our ears that whisper over and over, we are—all of us—more alike than we are different.

Add your voice to The Moth’s story today by making a year-end gift and help us to provide the space, tools, and resources needed for more people to embrace the art and craft of personal storytelling in their own lives.
 
Everyone has a story to tell, and sharing diverse personal experiences with one another only makes us stronger. In addition to supporting the open-mic and curated storytelling shows you love, your donation helps The Moth provide:

  • Virtual and in-person workshops for educators, high school students, and college participants interested in using storytelling to build empathy with their peers and celebrate the unique power of each person’s voice.
  • Partnerships with community-based organizations to offer storytelling workshops and performance opportunities to deepening connections in one of our project areas: Economic Mobility, Justice, Black Voices, and Veterans’ Voices.
  • Intensive workshops for advocates around the world who develop stories on topics such as gender equality, ending hunger, and education to bring about change.

I discovered The Moth and storytelling at a time in my life when I needed both but didn’t know it. The Moth has had a profound impact on me and I’ve met people all around the globe that say the same. Moth stories bring you into a world that often is not your own, and you wish you could live in that world a little bit longer. Since 1997, The Moth has shared more than 50,000 stories with audiences around the world through shows, workshops, and on The Moth Podcast and The Moth Radio Hour. 

Help us write the next 25 years of The Moth’s story by making your year-end gift today.

Gratefully,

Jon Goode
Author, Poet, Playwright and Moth Host/Storyteller