Overview of The Moth Podcast: Calling In
This episode is a celebration of The Moth’s Pitchline, the voicemail-style submission system where people record two-minute story ideas for possible live performance. Host Chloe Salmon frames the episode around why pitching matters: even without a live audience, people still want to share, connect, and tell meaningful stories. The episode features a full story by Sophia Romero, originally developed from a pitch, followed by several recent pitch submissions and commentary on what makes them compelling.
Main Story: Sophia Romero — “Calling In” and the Placenta Burial Tradition
Sophia Romero tells a deeply personal story about being pregnant with her second child and learning about a Filipino tradition of burying a placenta with symbolic tokens for the child’s future.
Key elements of the story
- She and her husband decide to honor the tradition after hearing about it from a relative.
- The placenta is stored in the freezer for three years, becoming a quiet, unresolved symbol of her identity and immigrant experience.
- Sophia reflects on her complicated relationship to:
- her Filipino roots
- her life in the United States
- the idea of belonging
- When their refrigerator dies, she is forced to finally deal with the placenta.
- The family eventually buries it at a house on Long Island that carries personal meaning, along with tokens symbolizing wishes for the children’s lives.
- Her husband contributes symbolic objects too, including:
- a sheet of music
- a compass
- Wired magazine
- dice
- Sophia concludes by planting a butterfly bush, tying together her birth country, adopted home, and a sense of finally claiming belonging.
Themes in Sophia’s story
- Immigration and identity
- Home vs. homeland
- Tradition and adaptation
- Parenthood and legacy
- The emotional power of rituals
Why This Story Worked as a Pitch
Chloe explains that Sophia’s original pitch already had a strong core:
- a vivid cultural tradition
- a memorable problem
- a personal reflection on immigration and home
But when developed into a full story, it gained:
- richer details
- more emotional depth
- additional symbolic meaning
The episode uses Sophia’s story as an example of how a pitch can become something much larger when there is room to explore it.
Notable Pitchline Examples
The episode then shares several pitch submissions to show what The Moth looks for in a strong pitch.
Michael Ivory — Grandmother, Graduation, and the $100 Bill
Michael pitches a moving story about:
- his grandmother’s two dreams for him
- walking through her nursing home in his graduation regalia so she could witness his achievement
- later needing to spend the $100 inheritance she left him on groceries after losing his job
Why it stands out:
- emotionally specific
- strong visual moments
- turns a familiar theme into a personal, lived story
Kathy Etheridge — Halloween Invitations Gone Wrong
Kathy tells a humorous story about how her elaborate Halloween invitations:
- looked like suspicious biological specimens
- prompted a neighbor to call the police
- led to a bomb squad evacuation
Why it stands out:
- high-concept and funny
- includes escalating stakes
- shows personality and commitment to the bit
Carla Brizuela Perez — Finding Out Her Father Was the King of Malaysia
Carla describes:
- growing up without knowing her father
- being told he was royalty
- later discovering that it was true
- meeting him in London
- navigating a life shaped by that surprising connection
Why it stands out:
- dramatic reveal
- strong surprise factor
- emotional complexity beyond the twist
Martha Ruiz Priya — Dental Residency in a War Zone
Martha pitches a terrifying story about:
- doing dental residency in a violent area in Colombia
- being taken hostage by guerrillas
- treating a child’s abscess at gunpoint
Why it stands out:
- immediate tension
- high stakes
- unforgettable premise
What The Moth Says Makes a Good Pitch
Chloe offers practical guidance for pitch submissions:
Do:
- Tell the whole story, not just the hook
- Include specific details and moments
- Show why the story matters to you
- Let the pitch feel like a real narrative, not just a tease
Don’t:
- End with a cliffhanger expecting the listener to chase you down later
- Hold back the ending
- Leave the listener without enough context to understand the story’s significance
Takeaways
- A strong story is often built from specific, lived moments, not general summaries.
- The Moth values pitches that already contain the bones of a story: character, conflict, detail, and emotional stakes.
- Personal stories become more powerful when they reveal something larger about identity, family, memory, or belonging.
- The Pitchline is a major source of stories for The Moth and a reminder that anyone can have a story worth telling.
Call to Action
The episode closes by encouraging listeners to:
- visit themoth.org
- find upcoming live events
- submit their own pitch at themoth.org/pitchline
The overall message: wherever you are and whoever you are, The Moth wants to hear your story.