The Moth taps Dame Wilburn as podcast co-host

New York NY, Detroit MI, USA—Beloved storytelling nonprofit The Moth today announced that Detroit-based comedian, writer, and Moth favorite, Dame Wilburn will now co-host The Moth’s highly popular podcast –which is downloaded 61 million times a year-- alongside storyteller/comedian Dan Kennedy, who has voiced the series since it launched in 2008. The duo will share hosting duties through the year, beginning with the May 17th episode.

“From the first moment she stepped out on a Moth stage, Dame cracked us up and made us think and feel,” says Catherine Burns, Artistic Director of The Moth. "She has raised the roof and captured the hearts of audiences in dozens of cities around the world including London, Johannesburg and Montgomery, Alabama. We’re thrilled to add her perspective and voice to the podcast.”

“My time with The Moth—whether it’s telling a story, hosting a Mainstage, or now, the podcast—has been a dream come true,” says Dame Wilburn. “Who knew when I first threw my name in that hat for the Detroit SLAM all those years ago that it would lead me here, sharing the mic with the ultra talented Dan Kennedy, and having the privilege of supporting the powerful and moving stories of so many? I’m beyond thrilled and looking forward to getting started.”

Garnering over one million downloads every week, The Moth Podcast re-airs all new episodes of The Moth Radio Hour, plus additional stories from its vast archive amassed over the past two decades. Episodes are released every Tuesday and special episodes are shared on select Fridays. Listeners can subscribe for free via iTunes, RSS, RadioPublic, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, GooglePodcasts and other podcast servicing apps.

Dame Wilburn

Dame Wilburn is a storyteller and writer. She is Chef marketing director for Twisted Willow Soap Company based in Detroit. Dame considers her time as a student at the Detroit Waldorf School and her summer visit to Macon, GA to be the basis of her comedic timing. https://damewill.weebly.com.

The Moth

The Moth is an acclaimed nonprofit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Since launching in 1997, The Moth has presented over 35,000 stories, told live and without notes to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. The Moth conducts seven ongoing programs: The Moth Mainstage, which tours internationally, has featured stories by Malcolm Gladwell, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, John Turturro, Molly Ringwald, Boots Riley, Krista Tippett, Rosanne Cash, Danyel Smith, and Tig Notaro, as well as an astronaut, a pickpocket, a hotdog eating champion and hundreds more; The Moth StorySLAM program, which conducts open mic storytelling competitions in 30 cities: 27 in the US plus Sydney and Melbourne, AU and London, UK; The Moth Community Program, which offers storytelling workshops and performance opportunities to adults who are too often overlooked by the mainstream media; The Moth Education Program, which brings the thrill of personal storytelling to high schools and colleges in New York, and educators around the world; The Moth Global Community Program, which develops and elevates true, personal stories from extraordinary individuals in the global south; The Moth Podcast, which is downloaded more than 61 million times a year; MothWorks, which uses the essential elements of Moth storytelling at work and other unexpected places; and the Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour which airs weekly on 500 public radio stations nationwide. To date, The Moth has published three critically acclaimed books: The New York Times Best Seller The Moth: 50 True Stories (Hachette Books, September 2013), All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown (Crown Archetype, March 2017) — described as “wonderful” by NYT’s Michiko Kakutani and Occasional Magic: True Stories of Defying the Impossible (Crown Archetype, March 2019) which debuted at #12 on The New York Times Best Sellers List. www.themoth.org.