From public nudity to the politics of celebrity, no topic was off limits at the Moth storytelling event on Saturday.
Five storytellers took turns standing alone on the Tabernacle stage, sharing stories from their lives with no notes or props. The theme of the evening was Flying Starts — tales of new journeys, forks in the road and life-altering moments of kismet.
Among the storytellers were two year-round Vineyarders: John Maloney, a stonemason and poet, and Janet Messineo, an author and surfcaster. Other speakers included Nigerian LGBTQ+ activist and public speaker Bisi Alimi, writer and essayist Yuliana Kim-Grant, and MothWorks instructor Bonnie Levison. The event featured accompaniment from local musician Andy Herr on guitar.
The evening was hosted by Emmy-nominated poet and playwright Jon Goode and began with opening remarks from Jay Allison, who started the Moth Radio Hour in Woods Hole in 2009. He encouraged the audience to put aside their assumptions and listen generously.
“I often feel hopeless about the direction of the world, but we’ve got stories... and that’s what can change the world,” Mr. Allison said.
Mr. Maloney shared the tale of his time at a Franciscan friary. He said he’s recounted the story for years with the same well-worn rhythm, but he told the audience they were receiving a new, unedited version.
“I think that I went into the seminary because I was trying to emulate my uncle,” he said. “I didn’t really know what celibacy meant.”
After some Vietnam War protesting and an epistolary flirtation with a nun, Mr. Maloney realized he wanted to experience life in a way that the friary wouldn’t allow.
“We were taught you could be in the world, but not be part of the world,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the world.”
Ms. Kim-Grant, a former seasonal Vineyarder, shared her experience of postpartum depression after the birth of her son. She recalled sitting on her couch in only a nursing bra and being gripped by fear that she was incapable of raising her child. She feared, too, that treating her illness would fundamentally change her as both a writer and person.
“Intellectually, I understand that this is a chronic illness like any other,” she said. “Emotional acceptance, on the other hand, is a lot.”
Ms. Messineo began her tale in Provincetown with two Vineyard-bound strangers and their Vespa. That experience was the genesis of her life as an Island surfcaster.
Despite an accident that led to her nearly “meeting her maker,” Ms. Messineo said it was the beauty of fishing — and the Island — that convinced her to keep at it.
“At first I thought that all fish looked alike,” she said. “But then I realized that, like human beings, every fish is different from the next. I feel deeply the ultimate paradox of wanting to catch the biggest fish in history, and then I see myself standing over this glorious creature and I feel compassion.”
The audience gave her a standing ovation.
Director Larry Rosen helped the speakers craft their stories for weeks leading up to the show. He remarked on the crowd’s receptiveness as the storytellers bared their greatest vulnerabilities.
“We cast [the show] with a lot of local people,” he said. “It was really wonderful to see this audience just embracing this group of people here. It’s community.”
For Mr. Allison, the Moth creates a sacred space wherever it is goes. The Tabernacle was no exception.
“I’ve never been in this space with people from the Island and not felt moved,” he told the Gazette after the show. “I hope we come back next year.”
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