Sarah Austin Jenness
Appearances
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess, and this episode is all about rites of passage that make us who we are. I met Susan Mweni, our next storyteller, in Nairobi, in a workshop with the Moths Global Program, where we help advocates use their stories to change the world.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
And Susan always shows up to her story rehearsals on the back of a motorbike, with a leather jacket on, just to give you a sense of her mojo. She told this story on stage with us in Thailand for an event all about women's rights. And this recording is from a Moth main stage in Washington State, where we partnered with Seattle Arts and Lectures.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
Here's Susan Mweni, live at the Moth at Benaroya Hall.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess. In this episode, stories told on moth stages around the world. We'll bring you to the coast of Kenya, a remote island off Anchorage, Alaska, a stage in Burlington, Vermont, and a swimming pool in Logan, Utah. All are stories of rites of passage.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
That was Susan Mweni. Susan lives in Nairobi, Kenya. She's the founder of a grassroots feminist organization called Making a Difference Sisters, Mad Sisters for short. These days, Susan has a new boyfriend. She says her ex-boyfriend has met a new partner too, and everyone is now on the same page about what they want for their futures.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
Her advice is not to feel pressured by the rites of passage that society may push on you. She says self-honesty leads to a happier life. To see photos of Susan with her mom, her nieces and nephews, go to themoth.org. After the break, a man makes his yearly journey to a tiny island in Alaska in search of moose when the Moth Radio Hour continues.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess. We've been producing Moth Nights in Alaska with the Anchorage Concert Association once a year for some time now. And this next story is from an Anchorage local. Before we hear the story, here's a little from James Domek Jr. when we talked a short time ago.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
With that, here's James Domic Jr. live at The Moth in Anchorage, Alaska.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
That was James Domic Jr., James spends his time fishing, writing, playing music, and he says he's been in full-time dad mode recently. James still hunts moose once a year. A moose can weigh 1,000 pounds, and he says one moose feeds six families all winter long. With the meat, he makes burgers, slow-cooked roasts, lots of stews, bone broth, and gravy for his family. Here's James again.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
That was James Domic, Jr. If you've had your own rite of passage, consider telling your story at The Moth. We want to hear from you. That's it for this episode of The Moth Radio Hour. We hope you'll join us next time.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
That was Jennifer Cohen. Jennifer is still living in Vermont, still teaching high school English, still an empty nester, and still missing her daughters. She hasn't been in any more musicals, but when her daughters came home during COVID, they bought a golden retriever puppy named Leo for their mom. So Leo is kind of a stand-in for the girls now that they're back in college.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
Our first storyteller, Jennifer Cohen, shares what it's like to live through the empty nester phase of life. She told this at an open mic story slam in Burlington, Vermont, where we partner with Vermont Public Radio. Here's Jennifer Cohen live at the Mock.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
To see photos of Jennifer and Leo and Jennifer on stage in Annie, go to our radio extras page at themoth.org. A rite of passage is stepping into a new chapter. It can be uncomfortable. It can be a little risky. But sometimes you need to just dive right in. Literally.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
Justin Hawkins told our next story at a Moth main stage in Logan, Utah, where we partnered with Utah Public Radio and the Cache Valley Center for the Arts. Here's Justin live at the Moth.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
That was Justin Hawkins. When this story took place, Justin was a 30-something living in New York City and working in television. But a few years ago, Justin moved to Hollywood to get out of the entertainment industry. Now he and one of his closest friends fabricate furniture together. He still swims, and he jumps in the pool without having to think twice about it.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Rites of Passage
To see photos of Justin in the pool, go to themoth.org. After our break, a young woman in Nairobi, Kenya goes against the grain when the Moth Radio Hour continues.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
Peter calls this story Me and Mama versus Christmas. Lots of people go overboard at Christmas. It's a time of excess. The decorations and the gifts and the food. But what if money is tight? Peter told this story at a moth night we produced in partnership with West Virginia Public Radio. Here's Peter Aguero.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
That was Tracy Seguera at a Moth Grand Slam. Tracy is a former wire service reporter turned marketer. In her free time, she hosts and produces her own Long Island-based storytelling show, Now You're Talkin'. Tracy said, Tracy and her daughters celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas. They light candles every night of Hanukkah, and every Christmas they exchange gifts and have a traditional dinner.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
They also like to bake unique holiday treats. To see a photo of one of their creations, reindeer pretzel cupcakes, and a photo of Rita with her granddaughters, go to themoth.org. When we come back, we try to escape the holidays with a trip to Puerto Vallarta. Stay tuned.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess, and I'm your host. Welcome back to our annual December holiday anti-holiday episode. I say anti-holiday because there are lots of people listening who don't celebrate the holidays in December in the traditional sense. They escape the typical trappings of this month, maybe in favor of rest and rejuvenation in a far-off land.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
Our next story is all about that. Steve Glickman told it at a moth story slam in Chicago, where we partner with public radio station WBEZ. The theme of the night was refuge. Here's Steve live at the moth.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
That was Steve Glickman. Steve has no pictures from his failed vacation, of course, but in the spirit of second chances, you can visit our website, themall.org, to see a picture of him on a successful vacation with his boyfriend. He's never misplaced his passport again. Our next storyteller is Dawn Frazier. Dawn is one of the instructors in our community program.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
She travels around the world with The Moth, workshopping personal stories with all sorts of community groups. This story was recorded in Kampala, Uganda, in an intimate setting where women shared stories for the first time. There were only about 20 people in the room. Here's Dawn Frazier at The Moth in Uganda.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
Dawn Frazier is an instructor in the Moths Community Program. She's also a communications coach and the host of the podcast Barbershop Stories. When I told Dawn that this story was included in our holiday hour, she said the timing couldn't be better. She had just traveled to Florida with her sister's wedding cake.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
To see photos of Dawn's family Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago, including the turkey she brought that year, plus the roti, pig's feet, patties, and other Caribbean goodies she brought the next year, and for other stories from the Moth Community Program, go to themoth.org.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
After our break, our last two stories, the Jewish tradition of asking for what you want twice, and the sheer stress of planning your first kiss on New Year's Eve, when The Moth Radio Hour continues.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
I'm Sarah Austin Janess, and you're listening to the Moth Radio Hour from PRX. We're up to our last two stories as part of this December special. No matter what our plans are in the next few weeks, December can remind us of family and friends who have died. And that's bittersweet.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
Evan Lunt told this next story at a Moth Slam in Boston, where we partnered with public radio station WBUR and PRX, the public radio exchange. The theme was Wonders. Here's Evan Lunt live at the Moth.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
That was Evan Lunt. Evan is a chemistry student at the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of the lab, he likes playing cello, doing crossword puzzles, and finding other people's dogs to pet. He celebrates Hanukkah every year now, and he keeps the tradition of putting his grandmother's menorah out. Our final story starts in December but ends in January.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
Making New Year's plans is a little stressful, and if you add to that a budding new relationship and plotting a first kiss, yikes. Bernie Summers told this at a romance-themed slam in Los Angeles, where we partner with public radio station KCRW. Here's Bernie live at the Moth.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
That was Bernie Summers. Bernie is a New York writer who finds his dysfunctional love life a great source for comic material. He and his New Year's date eventually ended up parting ways, but he hopes to have a date for Valentine's Day on February 15th. That's it for this episode of the Moth Radio Hour. We hope you'll join us next time. Happy December.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
That was Peter Aguero. Peter says at the moment he's most likely to be found making pottery and listening to the Allman Brothers. Peter makes his home in Queens with his wife, Sarah, and his mom is now happily married, too. As for Christmas traditions, Peter and his mom now do breakfast with as many meats as possible.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
Last year, Peter says, mom made a seven-meat breakfast, and it was pretty awesome. Tracy Segarra is our next storyteller. She won an open mic Moth Story Slam in New York, where we partner with public radio station WNYC. And that win earned her a spot in a Grand Slam, which is where this story was told. The theme of the night was growing pains. Here's Tracy live at the Moth.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Menorahs, Presents and Palm Trees - December Holiday Stories
This is the Moth Radio Hour from PRX. I'm Sarah Austin-Ginesse. This is our annual December holiday episode. We have stories of feasts, traditions, celebrating, not celebrating, connecting with family and friends, and just wanting to be alone. Six stories that explore the mixed emotions that come with this last month in the year. Our first storyteller is moth veteran Peter Aguero.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess. In this episode, lifelong learning and the pursuit of the unfamiliar. Everything novel and new. We start in Central Park with an unlikely catalyst for change. Pond scum, also known as algal blooms. Notion Kahn shared this story with us as part of a moth education showcase when she was a high school student in New York City.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
That was Mariam Bazid. We met when Mariam crafted a story in a moth community workshop in collaboration with the Muslim Writers Collective. Mariam is a non-binary Egyptian immigrant, writer, stage actor, and cook living in Brooklyn. And right now they're in collaboration on a new play about the life and times of Cleopatra.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
The act of crafting your own story takes openness indeed, especially if you're telling it for the first time. The Moth produces hundreds of events every year, and the stories are all told by people like you. Yes, you. Do you have any stories of embarking on a new journey, of jumping in and saying yes before you have all the pieces worked out, or really any personal story that matters to you?
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
We'd love to hear it. You can record your pitch right on our site or call 877-799-MOTH. That's 877-799-6684. The best pitches are developed for moth shows all around the world. Here's a pitch that came in from Zach Lipton.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
Remember, you can pitch us your story. Give us a short version of the plot and what you stood to lose or gain. We listen to every pitch that's sent in. Call us at 877-799-MOTH or pitch us online at themoth.org. You could even inspire someone you know to pitch. Spread the word.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
After our break, a law professor willingly gets naked and a 53-year-old woman enters the wild world of online dating when the Moth Radio Hour continues. Moth Radio Hour
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
You're listening to The Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess. This is an hour all about broad-mindedness and stepping into the unfamiliar. Many years ago, I was telling a friend about a crush I had on a man who I thought had a crush on me, too. My friend said, Have you kissed him yet? And I said, no, I haven't thought it through fully.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
I remember she was sitting on a bar stool because she laughed so hard at this clear evidence of my non-spontaneous self that she slipped off. So this theme of openness and newness and diving into the strange and unusual is also a good reminder for me to lean in. Dave Moran told this next story about leaning in at an open mic moth slam in Ann Arbor, where we partner with Michigan Public Radio.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
That was Dave Moran. Dave lives in Ann Arbor, where he's a professor at the University of Michigan Law School. He co-directs the Michigan Innocence Clinic, which exonerates people who've been wrongfully convicted of crimes. He loves running, cross-country skiing, and yes, figure drawing on both sides of the easel. He always considered himself to be funny looking.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
He says he has lots of freckles and a large nose and a gangly body. And he adds, modeling has been the most body positive experience of his life. He feels much more comfortable in his own skin now. To see photos, PG photos of some pencil sketches and art that Dave has inspired, go to themoth.org. Our last story in this hour is all about the quest for romantic love at any age.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
Elena Larner told this at an open mic story slam in Phoenix, Arizona, where we partner with public radio station KJZZ. And a note to listeners, this story does have a mention of sex. Here's Elena live at The Moth.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
That was Elena Larney. And that word that Don used that Elena had to look up, it was calipygian, which means having shapely buttocks. Elena and Don dated for a year and then got married. She said they traveled constantly to places neither of them had ever been so they could have the new adventure together. Sadly, Dawn passed away after seven years of their marriage.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
She said, Elena recently moved to Phoenix to be near her daughter and create another new life for herself. She's now a docent with the Museum of Contemporary Art, and she loves to read to elementary students in after-school programs.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
And for any of you online dating and looking for new love like I am, Elena says, come up with who you are and what you want so the right new person is attracted to you. Don't try to twist and turn and make yourself attractive to somebody else. You can share the stories from this hour or others from the Moth Archive through our website, themoth.org.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
We hope these stories expand your understanding of others and even yourself and that this year you're open to the possibilities of what life will bring. And maybe you'll tell a story about the journey. Check out the Moth schedule on our website and find out about our online slams and throw your name in the virtual hat. We want to hear your stories.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
For inspiration, we included some first lines from our open mic story slams in our credits. That's it for this episode of the Moth Radio Hour. We hope you'll join us next time.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
That was Notion Khan. These days, Notion is a student at the University of Rochester. And yes, you guessed it, she's studying chemical engineering. Her hobbies include making art, reading manga, and capturing nature on her phone. As a chemical engineering student, her focus is on renewable energy, and she works on new experiments every week.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
Right now, she's working on a research project for solar microgrids in Nepal, and she hopes to travel to Kathmandu soon to implement these grids, which will provide electricity to 400 villagers. Notion sent us a few articles, linked on our website, themoth.org, about the algae in Central Park, so you too can fall in love with science if you haven't already.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
Life can change for the good when you least expect it, if you're open to it. We met our next storyteller, Chrissy Lawler, at the Moth Teacher Institute, where educators from around the country share best practices for using personal stories in the classroom. At the end of the workshop, we record the stories from these educators. So, live from the Moth Teacher Institute, here's Chrissy Lawler.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
Chrissy Lawler still teaches language arts, English as a new language, and journalism at the Young Women's Leadership School in the Bronx. Chrissy never went back to knitting, but she and Nicole are still very close. It's now over 10 years since this story took place, and those Monday night dinners were still happening until the pandemic hit. Chrissy says they can't wait to see each other again.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
And some good news. Nicole and her husband Andrew have two daughters now who were the flower girls at Chrissy's wedding. To see photos of that happy celebration and the unfinished scarf that started it all, go to themoth.org. After our break, a woman remembers her childhood in Kuwait during the Gulf War. When the Moth Radio Hour continues.
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The Moth Radio Hour: Brand New YOU
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess. The stories in this hour are about all things new. But what happens when you're a six-year-old in a time of turbulence and everything is new and different? Miriam Bazide told our next story at a moth showcase at the Bell House in Brooklyn. Here's Miriam live at the Moth.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
That was Monty Montepelle. Monty is a comedian and adventure guide originally from Breckenridge, Colorado. He's been the keynote speaker at the Year A Ice Fest, is on the cover of the Alaska Packraft Guidebook, and is part owner of the Kennecott Wilderness Guides in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
He now performs weekly at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles and lives in a little house on a hill with his partner Jill, their kid Rocky, and their little dog Sage. The night Monty told this story, it was also his birthday. And when he walked off the stage, the packed house serenaded him. Dear Monty, happy birthday to you.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
The New Yorkers in the crowd, including myself, also loved that the New York never campers saved the day in the end. As I mentioned up top, Monty's story is part of our countdown of 2024's most shared moth stories. If you'd like to watch that video compilation, follow the moths Instagram at moth stories. We'll also have a link to follow us in this episode description.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
What are your favorite moth stories from 2024? We'd love to hear about them. Just tag us on Instagram or TikTok at Moth Stories. Or even better, tell your family and friends in person about the Moth Stories that have made this year a little brighter. We hope to see you at a Moth event next year. That's it for this episode.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
From all of us here at the Moth, we hope that 2025 brings you even more stories you can't wait to share.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Sarah Austin Janess. The year is coming to a close, and on this special bonus episode, we're reflecting back on the stories we shared in 2024, because we shared over 250 of them on this podcast. Yes, 250 stories. Some of the stories were laugh-out-loud funny, some were heartbreaking, some surprising and profound.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
Maybe some of the stories made you see things in a different light. Thank you for listening and for sharing these podcast episodes with your friends. We love it. And we thought it might be fun to highlight some stories that most resonated with you, at least according to the vagaries of the social media algorithm. So we made a video compilation of our most shared stories.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
A moth-wrapped, if you will. A moth-cocoon, if you will, even more. Moth-wrapped, get it? Anyway, you can find the list and the videos on the Moth's Instagram at Moth Stories, where you can follow us for more great Moth videos, news, and yes, stories. We also have a link in the episode description. And now from your 2024 most shared list, Monty Montepar. Monty told this at a Moth main stage at St.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
Anne and the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, where the theme was Sleight of Hand. Here's Monty live with the Moth.
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Bonus Episode: The Moth Wrapped
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Sarah Jane Johnson, and on this episode, women's basketball. March Madness has us thinking about threes, dunks, and triple doubles, but March is also Women's History Month, so we're thinking about basketball in a slightly different way.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
That was Dane Wilburn. Dame is a storyteller, Moth mainstage host, and host of her own podcast, Dame's Eclectic Brain. Her storytelling began as a way of keeping cool in the summertime on her grandmother's porch in Macon, Georgia. She now lives in Detroit, Michigan. That's it for this episode.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
From all of us here at the Moth, we hope that whatever team you're rooting for this March Madness, they win the whole thing.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
We're thinking about Title IX, how women athletes are still fighting to get the same respect that men are, and about all the great March Madness moments that women created, from Charlotte Smith's buzzer beater in 1994 to Candace Parker's epic first time dunking in the tournament, to Kaitlyn Clark reigning threes, we want to highlight how incredible sports can be for everyone.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
So we've got two stories all about hoop dreams and what happens when they come true or don't. Whether you're rooting for South Carolina, UConn, or my alma mater, LSU, go Tigers! We hope you'll enjoy. First up is Toya Chester. Toya told this at a Boston main stage where the theme of the night was on thin ice.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
A note that this story was told in 2020 and due to our reduced socially distanced audience, things are a little quieter than you might be used to. Here's Toya live at the Moth.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
That was Toya Chester. Toya is an electrician who teaches aspiring electricians in the Boston Public Schools. She has a husband, some kids, and a couple of dogs. If you'd like to see photos of Toya playing basketball in college, head over to themoth.org slash extras. We were curious to see if Toya was rooting for anyone this March Madness. Here's what she had to say.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
I hear you, Toya. We'll be back in a second with another story from the court. Welcome back. In my high school in the 90s, my March Madness was getting ready for spring training and track and field. I was one of the first female high school pole vaulters in the state of Nebraska, which is one of my favorite sentences to say out loud.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
And while we may not have been flying sky high those first few years, I was very proud to be a part of that history. And it was all because of Title IX, high schoolers advocating for ourselves, and our coaches believing in us. In 2019, I went back to Nebraska where I took a different kind of leap and told a story in front of a few hundred people at the Moth.
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The Moth Podcast: March Madness
There in the audience was my track coach, Mr. Sather, sitting in the front row all those years later. So to everyone who lifts up women and girls on and off the field, thanks coach. Up next is Dame Wilburn. Dame told us at a Detroit Grand Slam where the theme of the night was out of bounds. Here's Dame live at the Moth.