What’s in a Name: The Moth Podcast
4/10/202618 min
On this episode, we have two stories about names - the names of people, the names of concept, and how naming can shape the essence of the thing.
This episode was hosted by Jodi Powell.
Storytellers:
Elyse Mcinerney reckons with her name.
Ryan Estrada accidentally invents a new word.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsChloe Salmon0:00
Hey, it's Chloe Salmon from The Moth. As a story director, I talk to a lot of people who say they want to tell a story, but don't know where to start. A tip I give them, get specific. What's a moment that meant something to you? Your first home run, that road trip with your dad, the time you bombed at the talent show. Start there, then build on that foundation. You can find tips to help you identify those moments, along with prompts to inspire them, in The Moth's new guided journal, My Life in Stories. Whether you want to find your own story, reflect on your life, or even give it as a gift, you can order your copy at themoth.org/mylifeinstories. That's themoth.org/mylifeinstories.
Jodie Powell· Host0:41
Welcome to The Moth. I'm Jodie Powell. I've thought a lot about the names of things. What's in a name? How does it survive time, distance, language, and the stories we tell about it? Does it change as it travels, like a game of telephone? A vowel shifts, a sound drops, something gets lost, or something new is found in translation. There's an old proverb that says, "Your name is your first story," and I think that's true. On this episode, we have two stories about names, the names of people, the names of concepts, and how naming can shape the essence of the thing. First up is Elise McInerney, who told this at a Melbourne Story Slam where the theme was green.