Storytelling

I've recently found myself attracted to storytelling. Whether it's actively listening to those around me tell stories of experiences far from own, or observing a performance, storytelling connects us to one another in an intimate way. While the scenarios and details may be different, the same themes arise: hope, fear, love, embarrassment, anger, sadness, joy...

Here are two outlets for storytelling that I am thoroughly enjoying. The first is the NYTimes series, One in 8 Million - New York Characters in Sound and Images.

"New York is a city of characters. On the subway and in its streets, in the intensity of Midtown to intimacy of neighborhood blocks, is a 305-square-mile parade of people with something to say. This is a collection of a few of their passions and problems, relationships and routines, vocations and obsessions. A new story will be added weekly."

The stories here are diverse, captivating and so quintessentially New York. I love them and think they have been edited and produced beautifully.

Joel Karp: The Corner Druggist is one of my favorites.





If you are looking for some live storytelling, I highly recommend The Moth.



"The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, was founded in New York in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, who wanted to recreate in New York the feeling of sultry summer evenings on his native St. Simon's Island, Georgia, where he and a small circle of friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales on his friend Wanda's porch. After moving to New York, George missed the sense of connection he had felt sharing stories with his friends back home, and he decided to invite a few friends over to his New York apartment to tell and hear stories. Thus the first "Moth" evening took place in his living room. Word of these captivating story nights quickly spread, and The Moth moved to bigger venues in New York. Today, The Moth conducts six ongoing programs and has brought more than 3,000 live stories to over 100,000 audience members."



I recently attended a Moth Mainstage event, one of the curated shows, and was laughing and crying with the rest of the audience. You can also get podcasts of the best stories since The Moth's inception here.

It is a fantastically cathartic experience to connect with others through the intimacy of storytelling. Your heart flutters and expands and you deeply feel what it means to be human.

Feels good.