The Moth Radio Hour : About
Airs Wednesdays at 8pm on 93.9 FM, Saturdays at 2pm on 93.9 FM, and Saturdays at 7pm on AM 820
The Moth Radio Hour features true stories told live on stage without scripts, notes, props or accompaniment. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. Each hour mixes humorous, heartbreaking, and poignant tales that captivate, surprise, and delight with their honesty, bravery, and humor.
Originally formed by the writer George Dawes Green as an intimate gathering of friends on a porch in Georgia (where moths would flutter in through a hole in the screen), and then recreated in a New York City living room, The Moth quickly grew to produce immensely popular events at theaters and clubs around New York City and later around the country.
Listen to past episodes on demand from PRX
Show Archive
Latest Stories from The Moth Radio Hour
1003: Ghosts, Angels, and Motorcycle Rides, 4/30/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:52 PM
The top editor of French "Vogue" rents a spooky flat in Paris; a man takes his ailing wife on a motorcycle ride; rapper Darryl "DMC" McDaniels confesses his Sarah McLachlan obsession; and a high schooler is put to the test when he comes out of the closet. Hosted by The Moth's Producing Director, Sarah Austin Jenness. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media. NOTE: some stories are emotionally intense and not for children. Click the Content Advisory on the right.
1311: B-52s, SNL, and Prison Wine, 4/23/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:51 PM
A special live edition of The Moth in NYC’s Central Park. Comic Jessi Klein lands her childhood dream job writing for Saturday Night Live; a prisoner in Attica is caught making alcohol in his cell; and a woman rebounds with style from her husband’s infidelity. Hosted by Jay Allison, producer of The Moth Radio Hour.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1004: Soldiers, Skydives, Firemen, and Heartbreak, 5/14/2013
Tuesday, May 14 2013 08:00 AM
A man in the middle of a midlife crisis takes a terrifying parachute jump; an Iraq war veteran shares details of his battle back home; a woman sits at the bedside of her ailing father; a fireman tries to save two children; and a would-be Romeo laments the agony of platonic love. Hosted by The Moth's Senior Producer, Jenifer Hixson.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1310: Prison, Princes, and Playgrounds, 4/16/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:50 PM
A woman sets off in search of transformation and ends up in a harem in Bandar Seri Begawan; a teacher discovers her playground has turned into a 3rd grade war zone; singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega debates whether to take the stage at The Glastonbury Music Festival in the face of a death threat; and Damien Echols describes life after spending 18 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Hosted by The Moth's Curatorial Producer, Meg Bowles.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1309: Rivalries, Hotlines, and the EPA, 4/9/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:49 PM
A counselor at a suicide hotline intervenes with a caller; a couple takes an online wedding contest very seriously; a woman tries to resist comparing herself to her very fortunate sister; and the administrator for the EPA, Lisa Jackson, tells how the disaster in New Orleans shaped her as a civil servant. Hosted by Jenifer Hixson.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1002: Chinatown, Hotdogs, and Genetics, 4/2/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:48 PM
Geneticist Paul Nurse, a Nobel Laureate, learns the truth about his origins; a nine-alarm blaze in Boston's Chinatown teaches a daughter about her father's wisdom; a cop's misadventures during a stakeout; A man is plagued during a road trip with dreams of what might have been. Hosted by The Moth's Artistic Director, Catherine Burns. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media. NOTE: some stories are emotionally intense and not for children. Click the Content Advisory on the right.
905: Monkeys, Calzones, and Jaywalkers, 3/26/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:47 PM
In this hour, a man is instructed not to fall in love with his monkey, but fails; renowned performer Sarah Jones (Bridge and Tunnel) finds herself the subject of racial profiling; and the inventor of the Baby Calzone runs into trouble with the Mob. The host for this program is writer and regular Moth MC, Dan Kennedy. Note: some stories are emotionally intense and not for children.
904: Gang Initiations, My Way, and the KKK, 3/19/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:46 PM
In this hour, stories from author Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers, Blink, The Tipping Point) about a wedding prank gone horribly wrong; an African-American home care attendant caring for a dying Klansman; and a miracle survivor of a gang initiation. The Moth's Artistic Director, Catherine Burns hosts. Note: some stories are emotionally intense and not for children. See the Content Advisory below.
1308: Motherlove, Money, and War, 3/12/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:45 PM
Award-winning author and documentary filmmaker Sebastian Junger spends many years covering war and thinks that he’s come close to knowing what soldiers experience; best-selling author Jamaica Kincaid is sent to live with her aunt after the birth of her little brother; and a problem gambler with a destructive streak tells himself he can beat the odds… just one last time. Hosted by The Moth's Producing Director, Sarah Austin Jenness.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
903: Italian Stallion, Tombstone, Hope, and LOL, 3/5/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:44 PM
In this hour, hear how celebrated author and writer Adam Gopnik (Paris to the Moon, The New Yorker) embarrasses his son and offends other loved ones by getting lost in the new world of instant message abbreviations. Also, the story of a first kiss and beyond from a disabled woman; a pair of unlikely pen pals; and the sad tale of a gay man who comes out to his parents with dramatic consequences. Lea Thau hosts.
Note: some stories are emotionally intense and not for children.
1307: Mighty: Bull, Pen, Gun, 2/26/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:43 PM
An author who treasures the art of letter-writing is spellbound by an inmate who becomes a pen pal; a man comes to terms with a personal tragedy caused by a gun; and a writer describes how Ernest Hemingway persuades him to risk his life by pretending to be a matador. Hosted by The Moth’s Artistic Director, Catherine Burns.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
902: Cowboys, Green Beans, and Jaguars, 2/19/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 04:12 PM
In this hour, a severely stuttering child years later becomes the world's premier jaguar expert. Plus, a Texas tale of moon pies and bedazzlers; the surprising story of a Harlem man who ends up at a rodeo in Oregon; and one father's way of coping with a son who loves the color pink.
The Moth's Artistic Director, Catherine Burns, hosts.
901: Bat Stretchers, Glass Eyes, and Laugh Breaks, 2/12/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:40 PM
A batboy for the New York Yankees goes on a wild goose chase for a left-handed bat-stretcher, an Irish-Catholic family obsessed with the Kennedys dedicates a summer to spying on their idols, a comedian experiences the ultimate heartbreak, and a drill sergeant faints at the sight of blood. NOTE: One story is very emotionally intense. See content advisory.
1313: Texas Hold' Em, Kin, and Cloistered Nuns, 5/21/2013
Tuesday, May 21 2013 08:00 AM
Professional gambler Annie Duke details a pivotal poker game at the televised Tournament of Champions; road rage lands a new mom in jail; a young woman is about to give birth just as her grandfather is dying; and a Holocaust survivor describes hiding with cloistered nuns as a little girl during World War 2. Hosted by The Moth’s Producing Director, Sarah Austin Jenness.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
Note: some stories are emotionally intense and not for children. See the Content Advisory below.
1312: PTSD, Lost Art, and The Berlin Wall, 5/7/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:53 PM
The victim of a random stabbing struggles to reestablish his life while suffering from post traumatic stress disorder; author Nathan Englander describes coming of age at 19 while traveling through Europe to witness the fall of The Berlin Wall; and an artist and documentary film maker loses three years of work in an instant and finds it hard to continue. Hosted by The Moth’s Artistic Director, Catherine Burns.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1306: Chess, Romance, and Kathmandu, 2/5/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:38 PM
A special live edition of The Moth in Martha’s Vineyard, hosted by Jenny Allen with additional hosting by Jay Allison. The first African American Grand Master details his unorthodox education and the private chess match that defines him; a socialite trying to escape an unhappy marriage accidentally crashes the coronation of the king of Nepal; and an octogenarian makes an romantic connection with a man she worked with over a half a century before.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1305: Epilepsy, Roast Beef, and Adoption, 1/29/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:37 PM
Slow service at a deli counter leads to an angry and regrettable outburst; a husband describes his wife’s lifelong battle with epilepsy; a teenager gives birth and makes the ultimate choice; and a social worker has a client who is beyond his control. Hosted by George Dawes Green, founder of The Moth.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1304: Cancer, Crime, and Crypts, 1/22/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:36 PM
When a beloved patient’s cancer returns, a psychologist confesses that she is at a loss for words; an inmate at a women’s prison describes the surprising value of an ordinary transistor radio; and an undertaker deals with a problematic client. Hosted by Jenifer Hixson, Senior Producer at The Moth.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1303: Alzheimer's, Russia, and Landfill, 1/15/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:36 PM
A woman makes an alarming discovery about what lies beneath the large parcel of land she just purchased, an eight-year-old immigrant learns English to win a girl’s heart, a Russian grandmother takes revenge when her grandson is bullied, and a journalist raised by his grandmother contends with her Alzheimer's disease. Hosted by The Moth's Producing Director, Sarah Austin Jenness.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1302: Doctors, Saints, and Secrets, 1/8/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:34 PM
A young doctor is whisked halfway across the globe to care for an ailing international religious icon, a daughter discovers her father’s painstakingly kept secret, and an oncologist raised in India describes the way death is handled in his native country. Hosted by The Moth’s Artistic Director, Catherine Burns.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.
1301: Virginity, Fidelity, and Fertility, 1/1/2013
Wednesday, May 08 2013 02:33 PM
A special live edition of The Moth at Town Hall in NYC with Garrison Keillor, with additional hosting by Jay Allison. World renowned conservationist and field biologist Alan Rabinowitz ("Man and Beast", MRH episode 902) makes a life-changing friendship while studying the Taron tribe of the Himalayas; a woman describes how her father’s risky entrepreneurial endeavors kept her close-knit Southern family in flux; and a woman raised as a Mormon is terrified that her parents will disown her when she confesses that she has left the faith.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.