The Moth Radio Hour: To Thine Own Self Be True

The Moth

Performing Arts, Arts

4.6 • 25.6K Ratings

🗓️ 2 September 2025

⏱️ ? minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this hour, stories about and by people who are unapologetically themselves. Knowing where you belong on the ballfield, writing as the ultimate means of self-expression, and the pub that serves as a home for a band of experimental musicians. This hour is hosted by Jay Allison, producer of this radio show. In an attempt to put himself out there, Eric Thomas joins a gay softball league. Renita Walls enters a poetry contest to promote the movie "Soul Plane." Hayley Dunning decides to confess her feelings to her colleague. Heidi Stuber is forced to decide between the needs of her husband and the needs of her child. An extraordinary pub in southern England becomes the crate for Joe Jackson's lifelong dedication to music. Podcast # 714 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Moth Radio Hour with more true stories told live.
0:17.6	I'm Jay Allison.
0:18.9	We're taking our theme this time from Act 1 of Hamlet, where
0:23.5	Polonius famously offers his son some advice. This above all, to thine own self be true.
0:30.7	In this hour, five storytellers who stand up for their beliefs and accept themselves as they are.
0:38.5	Our first story is from R. Eric Thomas. Eric is one of the Moth's beloved hosts. You may have
0:44.9	heard him introducing storytellers at a main stage in Philly or a D.C. StorySlam. He told
0:51.1	this story at a main stage in Seattle, where we partnered with Seattle Arts and
0:56.4	Lectures. Here's R. Eric Thomas telling his story on a night when he was the host, live from
1:02.5	Benaroya Hall.
1:07.4	Tonight's theme is high anxiety, and I was very excited when they asked me to host this show
1:12.1	because I have nothing but anxiety stories.
1:17.3	And I'm skipping therapy to be here, so we have a lot to talk about.
1:23.4	I'm just kidding, but I do want to share just this one couple minute long story about a time,
1:31.3	I guess probably about 10 years ago now.
1:34.3	No, yeah, 10 years ago.
1:36.3	I'm almost 30 at that point.
1:39.3	I know you can't tell.
1:43.3	It don't crack, but...
1:44.4	So at this point, I'm almost 30.
1:53.0	And as you are wanting to do, as you get until you're late 20s,
1:57.0	you start to take stock of where you are in life, where I was.
	...

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