Welcome to the moth podcast. I'm Gabriel Scheinert, associate producer at the moth

and your host for this episode. There are so many different parts to the moth.

There's the podcast you're listening to right now.

There's the moth radio hour airing on public radio stations every week.

There's workshop programs where we help communities and students and advocates all around the world craft personal stories.

Our main stage events where storytellers craft their stories with moth directors.

There's so much happening here at the moth.

And then there's the open mic story slams

which are some of the coolest shows the moth produces. At story slams people put

their name in a hat and if they are one of 10 folks selected they get to share a

true personal five-minute story on stage without

notes.

If you've been to a moth story slam, you know there's an energy to them.

None of us know what's going to be told next, and there's a great sense of togetherness and community in the audience.

Story slams are special because it's everyday people telling these stories,

from teachers to scientists to actors to doctors.

At the last Story Slam that I went to,

there was a garbage collector that was still wearing his uniform

from the workday.

One of the things that I love most about Story Slams

is that you become closer to the

community that you're a part of. To kick off this new year we want to put a

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