The Moth is dedicated to finding intriguing people to tell inspired stories. At The Moth StorySLAM, those people find us. On this night, using words as weapons, they compete to determine The Moth's Chicago GrandSLAM Story Champion. Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of stories told live and without notes. Moth shows are renowned for the great range of human experience they showcase. Each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience. Through ongoing programs in more than 25 cities, The Moth has presented over 18,000 stories to standing-room-only crowds worldwide and it currently produces more than 500 live shows each year. Additionally, The Moth runs storytelling workshops for high school students and adults in underserved communities through their Education and Community Programs. The Moth has an enthusiastic following for all of its content. The Moth podcast is downloaded over 30 million times a year, and each week, the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour is heard on over 400 radio stations worldwide. The Moth’s first book, The Moth: 50 True Stories was a NYT Bestseller and its new book will be released in Spring, 2017.