All These Wonders by Catherine Burns (August 2019)
This is the second story collection I’ve read from The Moth. As expected, I found a handful of memorable stories mixed into the larger group of entertaining but forgettable tales.
I read eight of these stories multiple times (see the full list alongside my thoughts in the book notes). Working strictly from memory, I believe the story I liked best was ‘Prom’. It’s a classic Moth story in a way, not the least of which because it’s simultaneously hilarious, moving, relatable and difficult to hear, but perhaps most importantly because when it ends you just feel like you’re slightly more likely to live a better life than you were before hearing the story.
I’ve noted in the past on TOA that I often struggle to find themes or continuity from story collections. Even when intended, I feel authors establish a thread with more success in other genres. However, as The Moth naturally gravitates toward poignant, difficult stories, I thought it helped the collection hold together a little better than other similar works. Moving on or moving forward into uncertainty isn’t always as simple as listening to a podcast like The Moth (or reading a collection of its stories, or even reading a pompous blog post about those stories) but as one storyteller noted, the grass is always greener where you water it. It seems that The Moth represents such an effort for both its storytellers and audience members and in All These Wonders we have the privilege of hearing so many recount their best attempt to light up the dark path ahead - with honesty, courage, and of course, humor.
