Photo credit: The Moth
NEW YORK, NY and MONTGOMERY, AL (July 2018) – Beloved storytelling
nonprofit The Moth today announced that, after a nationwide search,
Alabama-based author and small business owner Tonya Scott Williams was
selected as the first fan to host a special episode of its ultra popular podcast in
honor of the show’s 10th anniversary. Slated for release on Friday, July 13th, the
special show features three stories hand-picked by Williams—one previously
aired on The Moth Radio Hour plus two that have never been heard before—
along with snippets from other pitches to host the podcast.
“We didn’t know what to expect when we put out the call for a fan to host an episode of our podcast. There was an incredible range of entries from people around the world, but the common element in all was how passionate our listeners are -- and how these stories help them connect with and understand others,” says Sarah Austin Jenness, Executive Producer of The Moth and a regular host of The Moth Radio Hour. “We ultimately selected Tonya -- a warm, straight-shooting über fan, who has been convincing friends throughout the years to tune in.”
“What I like about The Moth is that these are regular people—just like me— who are stepping up to the mic and putting themselves on the line. The Moth gives them a platform and it gives me a front row seat to listen,” explains Williams. “Hosting this podcast is an opportunity that arrived at a moment in my life when I decided to start dreaming again, and this is truly a dream come true.”
The Moth Podcast re-airs of all new episodes of The Moth Radio Hour,
plus additional stories from its vast archive amassed over the past two decades.
Episodes are released every Tuesday and special episodes--such as the fan-
hosted one— are shared on select Fridays. Listeners can subscribe for free
via iTunes, RSS, RadioPublic, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, GooglePodcasts and other
podcast servicing apps.
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ABOUT THE MOTH
The Moth, now in its 21st year, is an acclaimed non-profit organization
dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Since launching in 1997, The Moth
has presented over 30,000 stories, told live and without notes to standing-room-
only crowds worldwide. The Moth conducts seven ongoing programs: The Moth
Mainstage, which tours internationally, has featured stories by Malcolm
Gladwell, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, John Turturro, Molly Ringwald, and Tig
Notaro, as well as an astronaut, a pickpocket, a hotdog eating champion and
hundreds more. The Moth StorySLAM program, conducts open mic storytelling
competitions in 29 cities; 26 in the U.S. plus Sydney and Melbourne, AU and
London, UK. The Moth Community Program, offers storytelling workshops and
performance opportunities to adults who are too often overlooked by the
traditional media outlets; The Moth High School StorySLAMs, which bring the
thrill of personal storytelling to high schools in New York and educators around
the world, The Moth Podcast which is downloaded more than 47 million times a
year; The Moth Corporate Program provides industry-specific storytelling
solutions. Finally, the Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour airs weekly
on 470+ public radio stations nationwide.