The Moth

A resurgence of interest in the non-fictional form has recently taken route, and it has been of that particular brand of memoiristic non-fiction, perhaps most successfully embodied – in sheer sales and national interest, that is – by David Sedaris; other writers, groups, and programs – most of whom you can find on this or that episode of This American Life – have made their livelihood with this style, and it is perhaps best promulgated and advanced by The Moth, an organization responsible for a bevy of events dedicated to live, non-fiction storytelling.  It has become a site for many of the best contemporary American oral storytellers, boasting not only such events as The Moth Mainstage, in which seasoned professionals perform personal stories before a live audience, and The Moth StorySLAMs, in which undiscovered storytellers do largely the same thing in less hallowed venues, but also a terrific Podcast and the wonderful Outreach Program, which offers storytelling workshops to adults and children in New York City.  This is an organization, and a community, to be involved in.