Matthew Dicks's Blog, page 402

Three years of storytelling with The Moth

This weekend one of my stories was featured on The Moth Radio Hour. This show is broadcast nationwide on more than 280 radio stations. As a result, I’ve been hearing from many generous listeners over the past few days.

Quite a number of them have asked if this was the first story that I had told for The Moth. It was not. Over the past three years, I’ve told stories in 23 Moth StorySLAM competitions and six GrandSLAM championships in New York City and Boston. I’ve also told stories at two of the Moth’s Main Stage shows (including the one where this week’s Moth Radio Hour story was recorded) and other Moth events, including an publicity event for their recent book tour.

I also had another story on The Moth’s Radio Hour in September of last year. You can hear that story on The Moth’s website here. 

The Moth has become an enormous part of my life over the past three years. The organization and the people involved have come to mean a great deal to me. From The Moth’s founder, George Dawes Green, to their talented producers, directors and hosts, to some of their most popular storytellers, it’s an organization filled with talented,committed and kind people. It’s been an honor to work with them and to call many of them my friends. 

Little did I know that less than three years ago, I would throw my name into the hat at a Moth StorySLAM at the Nuyorican Poets Café  and begin a journey journey into something that has become an enormous part of my life. 

Since that night, I’ve won 11 StorySLAMs.

I’ve been recruited to tell stories for other storytelling shows in New York, Boston and Hartford.

My wife and I have launched Speak Up, our own storytelling organization in Connecticut. We host sold-out shows every other month and teach workshops to fledgling storytellers.

I recently finished writing a book based upon the stories that I have told for The Moth (on the recommendation of a Moth director) and hope to publish it in the near future.

The Moth has changed my life. My only frustration is that it took so long for me to take the stage for the first time. 

Listeners of this week’s Moth Radio Hour have asked if I have any other stories online. Thankfully, The Moth records every story told onstage and makes those recordings available to storytellers for a small fee. So yes, I have a YouTube channel with many of my stories, and I’ve posted a few below in case you’re interested.

Regular readers of this blog have probably seen these stories posted before. 

If you’re one of the Moth Radio Hour listeners who arrived at this blog after listening to my story on the radio or in podcast form, thank you for your kindness and generosity.

I hope you will continue to listen to The Moth. Amazing stories await.

I hope that one day, you might take the stage at a StorySLAM and tell your own story.      

Our children can entertain themselves for long stretches of time. I fear it’s the result of exceedingly boring parents.

I’ve always been impressed with our children’s ability to entertain themselves for long stretches of time without any parental intervention.

It’s nothing we can take credit for, unless Elysha and I are so boring that our kids have been forced to find ways to have fun without us.

My son is especially happy doing things that I would find exceptionally mundane and boring. Yesterday my wife taught him how to use the foot pedal to open the trash can lid automatically.

He spent the next 30 minutes looking for things to throw away.

He’s also perfectly happy creating orderly piles and lines before destroying them completely. 

Stupid but forgiven

Clara, five year-old daughter:

“You’re not that smart, Daddy, but don’t worry. I forgive you.”

How magnanimous of her.

The best use of cell phone jamming technology is not being utilized, and I don’t understand why.

In an attempt to ensure safe driving conditions during his commute to work, a Florida man used a cell phone jammer in his car to keep nearby motorists off their phones. 

After two years, Metro PCS reported to the FCC that every day for two years their cell towers had experienced unexplained interference near a stretch of I-4 between Seffner and Tampa during the morning and evening commutes.

The FCC investigated and detected wideband emissions coming from a blue Toyota Highlander SUV belonging to cellphone vigilante Jason R. Humphreys. Humphreys admitted that he was using the jammer, and this week the feds slapped him with a $48,000 fine.

I understand why motorists should not be allowed to use a cell phone jammers. Not only can these jammers interfere with 911 and law enforcement communications, but passengers are free to use cell phones in automobile, and some motorists use their cell phones as GPS devices.

What I don’t understand is why we aren’t deploying jamming technology in movie theaters. Why can’t each individual theater include a cell phone jammer to keep the idiots off their phones during the film? I know many people who no longer go to the movies because of the idiots who text and sometimes even place phone calls during movies. Eliminating the ability to use these devices inside the theater seems like the best use of a cell phone jammer ever.

If you need the phone, go to the lobby. Go to the restroom. There was a time, not so long ago, when going to the movies meant disconnecting from our friends, family and babysitters completely during the duration of the film.

Is it unreasonable to ask that we maintain this same level of disconnection within the actual theater?

Would any rationale person object to the jamming of cell phones inside the theater?

Can someone please make this happen? Or at least create an app that identifies movie theaters where cell service is spotty or nonexistent?

A simple solution to the lemon and lime shortage that will improve your life at the same time

Perhaps you’ve heard that there is a shortage of lemons and limes in the US.

The average U.S. grocery store now commands 53 cents per lime, up from 21 cents this time last year. The problem originates in Mexico, which now exports more than 90 percent of American’s limes.

May I offer a solution?

Stop demanding that wedges of lemons and lime be placed on your glass of soda at restaurants.

There was a time, not too long ago, when the vast majority of sodas in the world were served  without a citrus garnish, and everyone was perfectly happy with their beverage.

Then one day, for reasons probably lost to antiquity, servers began delivering sodas with lemons and limes hanging off the edge of the glass, and suddenly it became a requirement.

For the vast majority of Americans, lemons and limes aren’t exactly locally grown, so eliminating them from your beverage will not only help in solving the lemon and lime shortage, but it will be helpful to the environment, too.

And let’s face it:

It’s a little pretentious to require a lemon wedge on the edge of your glass every time you drink a Coke. 

Why not just go back to a simpler time when lemon and lime garnishments were not an expectation?

Simplicity and minimalism are truly beautiful things.

The double standard of sexist statements

Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet magazine, was interviewed on the Harvard Business Review’s podcast this week.

In the course of 14 minutes, she said:

“Women leaders are more practical than men.”
Women are more sensitive than men to the struggles of balancing home and work responsibilities.
Though she was told that she would likely have to “clean house” when she took over the magazine, she ended up firing just one person. She attributed this ability to retain staff and avoid employee turnover to “possibly being a woman.”
When female employees announced that they were pregnant and intended on returning to work following the birth of their children, she would tell them, “Now you’re going to understand what guilt is.”

I have no issue with Reichl’s assertions.

I don’t necessarily agree with them, and I find her statement to pregnant employees to be stupid, presumptuous and insensitive, but she is expressing an opinion based on her anecdotal experience. She believes these things, as wrongheaded as they may be, and she has a right to her opinion. 

My issue is this:

Imagine if a man has made similar statements.

Imagine if a man in Reichl’s position has said that men were more practical than women.

Imagine if a man had attributed his ability to retain staff to his something inherent in his gender.

Imagine if a man had declared that men have a keener understanding of the challenges of balancing work life and home life.

Imagine if a male boss made it a habit of telling pregnant employees that they will finally understand what guilt is.

A man would have an equal right to his opinion, but I suspect that his opinions would not be allowed to go as unchallenged as Reichl’s were.

I can’t help but think that a man would be punished in the court of public opinion for making statements like these, whereas Reichl’s statements are entirely ignored by her Harvard Business Review’s interviewer in favor of her next question.

What is fine for Reichl to say would likely be politically incorrect and possibly damaging to the career of a man in her same position.

I don’t think Reichl should be punished for her opinions. I would like to see them questioned by an interviewer who does not simply sit back and allow her subject to make numerous gender-based assumptions, but I don’t think that people should avoid purchasing Reichl’s new novel based upon her statements.

Reichl believes these things to be true. An interviewer’s job is to test these beliefs. Demand that their subject support these assertions with facts.

And more importantly, not punish a man for making similar gender-based assumptions in the future. 

Puddle jumpers

Their rain boots came courtesy of Nani and Gramps.

The clouds get credit for the rain. 

The desire to jump in every puddle they see comes from somewhere inside.

May they never lose this desire.

   

My appearance on The Moth Radio Hour

I’m thrilled to announce that I will have a story on this week’s Moth Radio Hour. Back in August, I performed at a Main Stage show at the Wilbur Theater, and this week’s Radio Hour features that show, nearly in its entirety.

I can’t tell you how surreal it was to click on The Moth’s website today to find a story to use in my storytelling class and see myself, as a little boy, sitting atop a horse, on the homepage.

Strange indeed.

The show airs on more than 280 stations nationwide, so there is a good chance that you will be able to hear the show where you live.

You can find the listings of stations and times here.

For my Connecticut friends, it will be airing on Sunday at 9:00 PM on the following stations:

Hartford: WNPR-FM
Bridgeport: WPKN-FM
Stamford: WEDW-FM
Norwich: WPKT-FM

For my New York City friends it will be airing on Saturday on the following stations and times:

WNYC-AM: 2:00-3:00 PM
WNYC-FM: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM

The last time I was on the Radio Hour, I couldn’t bear to listen. The story had been difficult to tell, and though I was proud of it, I didn’t want to hear and re-live the experience again, even from my own mouth.

This time I’ll be listening. I can’t wait.

I want one.

Resolution update: April

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof).

1. Don’t die.

Unless none of us are alive and we’re all a part of a massive computer simulation (which I sometimes believe), I’m doing well.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I gained two pounds in April, leaving me down five with five to go.

3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a week.

Done.

4. Launch at least one new podcast.

Author Out Loud, my first podcast, is still yet to launch (and therefore still not my first). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

If you’re keeping score, this means that I’m actually failing at last year’s goal of launching my first podcast and this year’s goal of launching my second  podcast. 

5. Complete my sixth novel before the Ides of March.

Revisions on the next novel have continued to stall progress on the new one. It remains more than half finished. I will set a new goal when revisions on next book are complete.  

6. Complete my seventh novel.

My literary agent has read the partial manuscript of what would be my seventh and likes it a lot. She recommends that I proceed. Happy day!

7. Sell one children’s book to a publisher.

Work continues on The Little Bad Wolf and two other manuscripts.

On a side note, I spent some time with successful children’s book author Bob Shea. Bob is the author of many, many children’s books, including a Clara favorite, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great. Bob and I chatted about the world of children’s books. He gave me some good advice that I hope to use moving forward.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised on the 3o or so stories that I have told on stage for The Moth, Speak Up, The Mouth, The Story Collider and other storytelling organizations is complete. My literary agent likes it and is moving forward with it. With any luck, I will have news of a sale at some point in the coming months.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses on the two years that encompassed my arrest and trial for a crime I did not commit. These two years also include an armed robbery, the onset of my post traumatic stress disorder, my period of homelessness and the time I spent living with a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

It was a memorable two years.

I haven’t decided whether I should write this entire book or a proposal for the book yet.

I’m also secretly writing another golf memoir that I do not expect to sell. Last summer, I wrote one almost by accident, and I think it’s some of the best writing I’ve ever done. How could I not take another foolish stab at it again?

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.   

10. Write a screenplay.

After a extremely positive conversation and flurry of emails with my film agent, I have begun work on my first screenplay. I’ve purchased and installed Final Draft, the professional screenwriting software, and as soon as I figure out how it works, I’ll begin writing.

I’m excited. Elysha and both my agents are excited, too, which is typically a good sign.

11. Write at least three short stories.

No progress. 

12. Write a collection of poetry using existing and newly written poems.

The first draft of my poetry collection is complete and in the hands of some of my first readers. It is too long, and the poems will need to be reordered, but it feels great to have the actual draft in my hands.

I’ve contacted my literary agent about the book, and she is willing and ready to read once I am happy with it.

13. Become certified to teach high school English by completing one required class.

One class and $50 away from completion. Hopefully a class that I can find and complete over the summer.

14. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a physical newspaper.

My first column for Seasons magazine has been submitted and was accepted. I’m not certain of the publication date.

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe tested. You can read the April-May issue here.

 

15. Attend at least 10 Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

I performed in a Moth Main Stage in North Hampton, Massachusetts in early April, and I won a Moth StorySLAM at the end of April. This brings the total number of events in 2014 to seven.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

Two GrandSLAMs in 2014 and no victories.

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress, though the co-writer of another book that I am attempting to write has offered to introduce me to this… sport?

18. De-clutter the basement.

Small, insignificant progress made.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress.

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2013.

No progress.

21. Produce a total of 6 Speak Up storytelling events.

No events in April, leaving my yearly total at two. I will be doubling that number in May with events on May 17 and 31.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

I have also been contacted about speaking at another conference in the fall.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I played my first round of golf in April, shooting a 62 for 9 holes.

Needless to say, it did not go well.

24. Find a way to keep my wife home for one more year with our children.

Still looking doubtful.

25. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog on the first day of every month.

Done!