(And 3x runner-up)
I’m somewhat of a regular at The Moth, and I really enjoy them. You can’t take the judging too seriously (e.g. whoever goes first is generally the warmup act and is very unlikely to “win”, and whoever goes last has the benefit of a warmed up audience). But that said, I’ve won three, and been runner-up three times.
Chronology:
1st win — July 26, 2023
I’ve always been good at crafting a story, but delivering it is another thing. In looking for ways to challenge myself in this area, I entered my name in a local Moth event, where the theme of the night was Envy.
All the stories were good-to-great and I ended up getting picked last, which was pretty nerve-racking. But I won (even got a perfect 10 from a judge), and it feels good.
2nd win — September 20, 2023
I won a second StorySLAM, where the theme of the night was Luck. Feels good, and it was fun taking the audience on a harrowing tale of finishing a triathlon with old-timey gear. I again enjoyed all the stories, and again got picked last. It was less nerve-racking this time, even with a bigger crowd (~300 vs. ~200).
1st runner-up — June 26, 2024
I was runner-up at this StorySLAM by 0.1 points, where the theme of the night was Baggage. The audience was thoroughly warmed up, and I enjoyed bringing them on a fun ride about an awful stalker/ex-girlfriend. I got the most laughs of the night, which was nice, and I consequently started reading about stand-up.
(No photo of the board because it was too crowded)
3rd win — December 18, 2024
I won a third, where the theme of the night was Reunion. This story was harder to tell, and on a heavy, serious subject (Veterans & PTSD). I didn’t expect it to be a feel-good crowd-pleaser—and except for some laughs in my setup, it wasn’t—but it was brutally honest, and that was good enough for a 0.1 point win this night.
2nd runner-up — April 23, 2025
I was runner-up at this StorySLAM by 0.1 points, where the theme of the night was All Nighter. Admittedly, it was hard to punch up a retelling of how I and Crash Space got PPE to medical workers at the start of COVID, and I think people don’t like hearing about COVID in general. But some audience members who were personally affected by the disease were touched / uplifted by my story, and that gets at the heart of what storytelling is for.
3rd runner-up — August 27, 2025
I was runner-up at this Twin Cities StorySLAM by 0.1 points, where the theme of the night was Lies. Note the date… There was the school shooter that morning, in the neighborhood where The Moth event was being held. Everyone was shaken up, and on the subject of whether it was appropriate to still have the event, the host noted that the empathy and gathering of storytelling can be a healing force, which was needed then more than ever.
As a force for healing, I had the audience laughing hard and often with my truth-is-stranger-than-lies story about the camp events in gay rodeos, and the laughter felt particularly good under the horrible circumstances.
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