Do you know him? Neither did I, until he got up on stage and told of his fear about not being able to tighten a screw – all while staring back down at the earth. Like that guy who fixed the Hubble Telescope. George Dawes Green, an American poet and novelist who brought the Moth idea to fruition in 1997. Tales of people – from all walks of life – that (most of the time) keep me entertained and wanting to know what happens next. All that emotion? Why would I want to listen to other people tell what I could think would be nothing more than a lively version of Twitter's #firstworldproblems.īut what I found shocked me. I must admit, when my friend first suggested I listen to The Moth, I thought it sounded hippie-like, cringeworthy. Without further delay, here is the list of the 10 most viewed Moth stories as of December 20, 2013.'The great thing that digital can do is amplify something that's happening, so they've been able to grow internationally by promotion.'

The ones with an (*) at the end of the title are featured in The Moth’s new book.

Note that many speakers have shared both stages including: Malcolm Gladwell, Janna Levin, and Ed Gavagan. The Moth is more narrowly focused on emotional epiphanies drawn from life experiences – particularly those rooted in failure, frustration, futility, and fear. The range of TED Talks is broadly inclusive of personal storytelling as well as high minded ideas grounded in social and scientific research. Though not nearly as well known as TED, The Moth is gaining momentum as a platform for great storytelling.

Download moth storytelling