Ever had such a good first time you just couldn’t wait to tell someone? Well now’s your chance with WashU’s next big story slam, The Moth. On October 22nd at 7:00PM, Junior Abby Gordon and co-founder Lena Crown are bringing this NPR-inspired event to campus. Mark your calendars and read on to learn more!
Year: Junior
Major/minor: American Culture Studies with a Writing minor
On campus involvement: Co-Founder and Co-Creative Director of The Moth WashU, Member of Chi Omega Sorority, Executive Producer of WUTV’s WashU News
Have you always been interested in performing and media? I have always loved watching TV and going to Broadway shows, but it really didn’t occur to me until college that I could actually do something with my interests. I hope to one day work as a producer and am really fortunate that WashU provides a lot of opportunities to work on different shows and performances.
How and when did you first hear about The Moth? I first heard about The Moth this summer at my internship. I was a research and production intern for a PBS show called Finding Your Roots and a lot of the day was spent at a desk researching. The other interns and I would listen to different podcasts such as This American Life and The Moth. We would send each other the best ones and I just fell in love with it. It celebrates regular people’s experiences and allows anyone to get up and tell their story.
Can you tell me a little about The Moth? The Moth WashU was inspired by a podcast that my co-founder, Lena Crown, and I both love. Basically it is a story slam (not spoken word) at which people tell stories about a pre-determined theme. The stories must be true and the person must have had to learn something from the experience. The stories can cover a whole range of emotions: funny, intense, silly.
What are your responsibilities as a co-founder? Lena and I coordinate the entire event, choose the speakers, and work with each of them individually to refine their stories and presentation skills before the actual slam. I have really enjoyed getting to know each of the storytellers and listening to them share their experiences.
How did you choose your theme for the kickoff event? Well it is a little cheesy, but we decided to make the theme “Firsts” because it’s our first time too! It is also a very open ended theme that everyone can relate to; there is a first for everything and we wanted to tap into that universality.
Be sure to check The Moth out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/428486184004773/