Best Personal Narrative
Michelle Obamas memoir offers an intimate yet powerful look at navigating success, identity, and public life within the American elite. It masterfully balances personal vulnerabilitydetailing family struggles and cultural identitywith the high-stakes drama of White House life. It resonates deeply wi...
The Heavyweight podcast explores deeply personal stories of regret, missed opportunities, and unresolved situations. Hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, each episode features an individual recounting a significant moment they wish to revisit. Listeners interested in human experience, emotional vulnerabili...
The Moth Radio Hour is a Peabody Award-winning storytelling program distributed by PRX, featuring true personal stories told live by their original authors without the use of scripts or notes. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1997 by poet George Dawes Green, who named it after the moths tha...
*Love + Radio* is a narrative audio documentary podcast created by Nick van der Kolk, known for its immersive sound design and unconventional storytelling. The show features intimate, heavily edited, and sometimes experimental portraits of people living on the fringes of mainstream society. As a fou...
The Moth Mainstage is a curated live event series run by the nonprofit storytelling organization The Moth. Unlike the competitive and open-mic StorySLAM format, Mainstage shows feature invited storytellers, including renowned writers, actors, and everyday people. These events are held in theaters an...
The StoryCorps Podcast is a nonfiction audio program that shares interviews recorded through StoryCorps, an oral history project founded in 2003. Each episode features a condensed conversation between two individuals, typically friends or family members, discussing their personal histories, relation...
The Moth GrandSLAM is a live championship event organized by The Moth, a nonprofit group centered on unscripted personal storytelling. Participants qualify by winning local StorySLAM competitions, then tell a true story onstage in response to an announced theme before an audience and judging teams....
Strangers is a documentary-style podcast distributed by the Radiotopia network that explores themes of human connection, isolation, and the complexities of modern relationships. Created and hosted by filmmaker Lea Thau, the series features true, first-person narratives from individuals sharing pivot...
Death, Sex & Money is a podcast produced by WNYC that focuses on the overarching themes of human life indicated by its title, exploring topics often avoided in polite conversation. Launched in 2014, the show was hosted for several years by journalist Anna Sale, who conducted intimate interviews with...
Terrible, Thanks for Asking is a podcast hosted by author Nora McInerny that premiered in 2016. The show invites guests to share honest accounts of their grief, trauma, and difficult life experiences, actively rejecting forced optimism. By exploring the reality of going through hard times, the podca...
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition produced by The Moth, a nonprofit organization founded in 1997. At each event, ten randomly selected audience members each tell a five-minute true personal story on a predetermined theme, judged by teams of fellow attendees. Stories must be...
"Last Day" is a documentary podcast created by Lemonada Media that investigates the opioid epidemic and the fentanyl crisis through personal narratives. Hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs, the series examines the systemic failures of drug policy and addiction treatment alongside individual stories of...
"My Favorite Murder" is a true crime comedy podcast launched in 2016 by television writer Karen Kilgariff and cooking personality Georgia Hardstark. The hosts discuss notorious murders, serial killers, and historical crimes, blending serious research with comedic, conversational commentary. The show...
The Dirtbag Diaries is a storytelling podcast focused on outdoor culture, adventure sports, and the human experience in nature. Created by Fitz Cahall, the show features personal narratives from climbers, skiers, and athletes who prioritize outdoor experiences over traditional career paths. Episodes...
Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked is a nonfiction storytelling podcast hosted by Glynn Washington and developed from the public radio program Snap Judgment. It presents first-person accounts of alleged supernatural encounters, unexplained events, and frightening experiences, often narrated by the peop...
Live show and podcast founded around 2010 where scientists and non-scientists share true personal stories about how science has intersected with their own lives.
The Porchlight Storytelling Series is a live storytelling event held in San Francisco, featuring everyday people sharing true, personal tales centered around specific themes.
Baltimore-based live storytelling series founded in 2007 by journalist Laura Wexler, featuring true personal stories told before a neighborhood audience.
