The Moth Presents: A Point of Beauty: True Stories of Holding on and Letting Go

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An inspiring and entertaining collection of unforgettable true stories about finding unexpected beauty in life’s transitions—from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elizabeth Gilbert, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and many more.
 
“The Moth taught me how to be vulnerable, how to take my time, and how to listen to someone else’s story and share in their moments of triumph, laughter, or, yes, sometimes embarrassment with an open heart.”—Mike Birbiglia, from the Foreword
 
An international rescue mission for Paddington Bear. A family matriarch running numbers in Detroit. An epic Lucha Libre showdown in Mexico City. A beach vacation spent looking for the Kennedys. Storytellers from around the world share times they found real beauty in the moments when their lives changed forever—for better or for worse.
 
Carefully selected by the creative minds at The Moth and adapted to the page to preserve the raw energy of stories told live, on stage, and without notes, A Point of Beauty features voices familiar and new. This collection offers a shared message: If we look closely enough, we can find power in strengthening frayed bonds but also in having the courage to walk away from things that no longer feed our spirit. Through these storytellers’ passion and their hope, they teach us all about what’s worth holding on to: our relationships with those we love the most, our understanding of ourselves, and—of course—gathering together to tell and listen to our stories.

The Moth is an acclaimed nonprofit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. A 2012 recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, The Moth has presented more than fifty thousand stories, told live and without notes to standing­-room-only crowds worldwide, over the past twenty-six years. Their Peabody Award–winning The Moth Radio Hour airs weekly on over 570 public radio stations nationwide, and The Moth Podcast—the 2020 Webby People’s Voice Award Winner for Best Podcast Series—is downloaded one hundred million times a year. To date, The Moth has published four critically acclaimed and bestselling books: The Moth: 50 True Stories, All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown, Occasional Magic: True Stories of Defying the Impossible, and How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth. The Moth has also released its first card deck, A Game of Storytelling. The Moth’s second podcast, Grown, is out now on all major streaming platforms.