Jessica Lee Williamson & Don Ray Smith: StorySLAM Favorites

Summary

The Moth Podcast: Jessica Lee Williamson & Don Ray Smith - StorySLAM Favorites

Release Date: October 1, 2012

Episodes featuring Jessica Lee Williamson and Don Ray Smith share compelling true stories that delve into human experiences, societal issues, and personal transformations. This summary captures the essence of their narratives, highlighting key points, notable quotes, and the profound insights they offer.

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Jessica Lee Williamson: Strangers

Jessica Lee Williamson, a writer and artist based in Los Angeles, shares her poignant story titled "Strangers." Told live at a Moth Grand Slam in Los Angeles during the summer, her narrative explores themes of empathy, judgment, and the complexities of human interaction.

Key Points:

• Encounter with a Prostitute: Jessica recounts a chance meeting with a woman offering illicit services. The initial encounter is tense, highlighting societal judgments and preconceived notions about individuals in marginalized professions.

• Desire to Help: Moved by the woman's visible distress and injuries, Jessica reflects on the innate human desire to help strangers and the internal conflict that arises when motives are questioned.

• Reflection on Kindness: The story delves into the authenticity of kindness and whether genuine altruism exists or if actions are often self-serving. Jessica grapples with the impact of her gestures and their reception.

Notable Quotes:

• On Intentions: "A part of me felt bad for being an opportunist, and I wondered if I still would have helped her had my evening plans revolved around something more than reality television." [02:47]

• On Human Connection: "We hadn't been formally introduced. I ran into her a few nights later while I was out on a walk with my neighbor Bob." [04:15]

Insights: Jessica's story invites listeners to examine their own biases and motivations when offering help. It emphasizes the delicate balance between wanting to make a positive impact and the fear of being perceived as insincere. Through her narrative, Jessica underscores the importance of understanding and compassion in human interactions.

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Don Ray Smith: Childhood Memories and Racial Tensions

Don Ray Smith, a humorist and storyteller from Louisville, Kentucky, presents a deeply personal story that reflects on childhood experiences amidst racial segregation in the late 1950s.

Key Points:

• Growing Up in Segregated Louisville: Don recounts his upbringing in an all-white neighborhood in Louisville's West End during the 1950s. The stark racial divide is a central theme, illustrating the pervasive segregation of the era.

• Neighborhood Legends and Fears: The children in Don's neighborhood shared ghost stories, particularly about Wilson Avenue—a street symbolizing danger and the "land of no return" inhabited by African American residents. These stories fueled their fears and prejudices.

• Confrontation with Reality: A pivotal moment occurs when two African American children approach Don and his friends on Wilson Avenue. The encounter shatters their preconceived notions, revealing the humanity of those they feared and leading to a profound personal transformation.

• Loss of Innocence: This experience marks the end of Don's childhood misconceptions about race, highlighting how direct interactions can dismantle ingrained prejudices.

Notable Quotes:

• On Racial Segregation: "All the kids in school were white. All the teachers were white. All the people in the neighborhood were white." [09:57]

• On Shared Humanity: "I didn't know it at the time, but they were just like us in their own way." [13:45]

• On Overcoming Fear: "Wilson Avenue and the Land of no return was gone from my memory forever." [14:30]

Insights: Don's narrative offers a candid exploration of childhood innocence intertwined with societal prejudices. His story illustrates how fear and misinformation can foster division, but also how personal experiences can lead to profound change and understanding. Don emphasizes the importance of confronting and overcoming irrational fears to recognize our shared humanity.

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Concluding Reflections

Both Jessica Lee Williamson and Don Ray Smith deliver powerful stories that challenge listeners to reflect on their own perceptions and actions. Jessica's encounter with a stranger prompts introspection on the nature of genuine kindness, while Don's childhood experiences highlight the impact of societal divisions and the potential for personal growth through understanding.

Overall Themes:

• Empathy and Compassion: Central to both stories is the theme of empathy—whether towards a stranger in distress or across racial divides.

• Challenging Preconceptions: Both storytellers encourage questioning and dismantling preconceived notions that hinder genuine human connections.

• Personal Transformation: The narratives underscore how personal experiences can lead to significant shifts in perspective and behavior.

These stories from The Moth not only entertain but also inspire listeners to engage in deeper self-reflection and foster a more compassionate and understanding society.

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For more stories like these, visit The Moth and explore their extensive collection of true, personal narratives.

Transcript

[Dan Kennedy]

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[Jessica Lee Williamson]

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the Internet's leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature. For the Moth listeners, Audible is offering a free audiobook to give you a chance to try out their service. You may like to consider listening to Salman Rushdie, best selling author and recipient of the 2008 Moth Award. In his newest book, Joseph Anton, he tells his own extraordinary story of being forced to live under constant police protection because of a death sentence placed on him for writing a novel. That's Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie. It's available from Audible. To try Audible Free today and get a free audiobook of your choice, go to audible.comthemoth that's audible.comthemoth this week we bring you two stories from our Story Slam series. The first story by Jessica Lee Williamson was told live at the Moth this summer at our Grand Slam in la. The theme of the night was Strangers in celebration of the storytelling podcast called Strangers, which is produced by former Moth Executive Director Leah Tao. You can find that [e-mail] strangers or just search for KCRW strangers on iTunes. Okay, now let's hear Jessica's story.

[Don Ray Smith]

The first time I saw the prostitute, she was dressed in sexy western wear and offering her services to an older black gentleman. He politely declined, but when her advances became more aggressive, his no thank you quickly escalated to a bitch, you're crazy. And then, last but not least, to get your pimply ass out of my face. That's when she shouted, you're just jealous because I'm white. And then she swung a bag full of groceries at his head. She missed, but it was still very dramatic because the plastic bag broke in midair, forcing me to jump over a jumbo 3 liter bottle of generic soda and a roll of toilet paper when they came barreling down the sidewalk at a high rate of speed. After that, I felt like we were only strangers in the sense that we hadn't been formally introduced. I ran into her a few nights later while I was out on a walk with my neighbor Bob. We found her laying in some bushes near a Roche Dress for Less, and she had lost a fist fight and crawled in there to hide. Her hand was broken and her eye was swollen shut. And at that point I invited her to come back to my apartment with me because I had made up my mind that I was going to be the person who was going to change this woman's life, and she reluctantly came along. As we were walking back, I found myself thinking about future conversations and all the ways I could casually mention that I once helped a prostitute turn her life around. I imagine people telling me what a good person I was and me telling them that I only did what anyone else would have done. A part of me felt bad for being an opportunist, and I wondered if I still would have helped her had my evening plans revolved around something more than reality television. But I realized that I wasn't the only one thinking those things, because halfway back to our building, Bob and I found ourselves embroiled in a passive aggressive Good Samaritan face off competing for the best person prize by one upping each other's good deeds. Bob gave the woman half of his granola bar. I told her I liked her shirt and asked her if she got it from Forever 21. She said, what the fuck is Forever 21? Then Bob pointed out that her shirt had grass stains and offered her a change of clothing. So I volunteered to wash her clothes by hand. By the time we got back to our building, I felt like the clear winner because when Bob offered her an ice pack, I topped it with the promise of some Advil and a ride to the hospital of her choice. But she was so sick of the back and forth that she told us we could both go fuck ourselves because she. She didn't need either one of us for shit. And in hindsight, why would she want our help? It wasn't coming from a genuine place and after all, it was probably a moment of need and the kindness of stranger that led her to a life of prostitution to begin with. But that's hindsight. In the moment, I still had my eye on the prize. So I gave her a blanket, one that my mother had made for me to really prove my level of commitment. And then my brilliant mind came up with the idea that if I couldn't bring her to the hospital, I was going to bring the hospital to her. So I called 911 from my apartment and told them there was an injured woman in distress out on the street. Fifteen minutes later I watched from my window as an ambulance and two fire trucks cornered her in a cul de sac. A fireman was on a loudspeaker repeating the phrase we only want to help. She just stood there, lit up by a high powered spotlight, wrapped up in my childhood blanket and kicking and spitting at anyone who went near her. And I'd say that that was when the hindsight kicked in. So I called 911 again and told them I felt really bad and I asked if we could call it off. But it was too late. I couldn't bear to watch anymore. So I closed my curtain and tried my best to forget about the whole thing. And when I woke up the next morning, I had forgotten. At least for a while. Anyway. I took my dog for a walk and three blocks from my house I found my blanket laying in the middle of the sidewalk as if it had just slipped off her shoulders while she ran away into the night trying to escape from the life that she knew and from the self serving kindness of strangers. Thank you.

[Jessica Lee Williamson]

Jessica Lee Williamson is a writer and artist living in Los Angeles. She grew up in a small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore. After moving out west, she graduated from the Second City Conservatory. You can see more of her work@themeaningless thoughtsofjlw.com this story was told as part of our collaboration with the Strangers Podcast, which is produced by Leah Tao. You can learn more about her new [e-mail] they have a Kickstarter campaign going on right now, so look for strangers on Kickstarter. The next story you're about to hear was told live at a Moth Story Slam last year in Louisville. The theme of the night was Neighborhood. Here's Don Ray Smith from Louisville telling a story about his childhood, circa 1959.

[Leah Tao]

I grew up in a typical neighborhood in Louisville. It was in the West End all the kids in school were white. All the teachers were white. All the people in the neighborhood were white. All the shopkeepers were white. In other words, it was a typical all white Louisville neighborhood. In the West End, in the summertime, the kids used to stand under a streetlight. And we would sit in the glow, the yellow glow of the light, kind of like this matter of fact. And we'd tell ghost stories. We'd tell a typical. About the monster, about the maniac with the hook for a hand. You know, that guy. But the scariest story of all was about a street in our neighborhood. That street was called Wilson Avenue. On our side of Wilson Avenue, all the kids, as I said, everything was white. On the other side of Wilson Avenue, that's where they lived. They were the colored people at the time. They lived in what we called the land of no return. We didn't know a whole lot about that area, but we did know that if any of us kids ever got too close to Wilson Avenue, we'd never come back alive. Didn't know what would happen to us. But none of us ever took that chance. The only kid that we knew of who met that qualification was an unnamed guy, a fellow in our group. One of the kids named Butchie Phelps knew who he was. But he conveniently could not remember the guy's name when we demanded to know the facts of the situation. Nevertheless, we halfway believed Butchie because after all, he was the fastest runner in the fourth grade. So he had credibility, right? One of the. One of the stories that was typical went like this. We sat in the yellow light under that street light, and Butchie pointed out into the shadows. See that manhole cover right there? He'd say. All the kids would look out and look into the shadows to see it. That's where the N words come out. You know the N words? Yeah. That's where the black kids come out at night. Everybody knows they travel through the sewer system all over Louisville. Well, in that case, we were all paying rapt attention to him. They'll crawl through that sewer system. Might come up through that very manhole tonight, Pushie said. Might come to where you're asleep, or you. Or you grab you and drag you back to the land of no return and we'll never see you again. One of the girls would scream. You mean they'd kill us? Puchy spit on the ground to let us know how tough he was. Kill us, he said. If you're lucky. About a week later, the unthinkable happened. All the kids were playing out in the front yard in the middle of the afternoon. And here comes a bicycle down the street with one of the black kids riding. No, there were two actually, because the second kid was on the handlebars. Well, the bicycle got close to us and when he spotted it, Butchie Phelps yelled, what the hell? And he took off running after the bike and all the other kids ran behind him. And of course we were yelling, cursing, telling those kids to get out of our neighborhood. This was our neighborhood. Well, one of the kids on the bike, the guy on the handlebars, happened to look back and I saw absolute terror in his eyes. And eventually the bike outraced even Butchie and the rest of us crossed Wilson Avenue. And when it did, the kids stopped and turned around to utter their own curses and profanities back at us. Butchie and the rest of the kids came back to my house. Butchie was having quite a good time running these kids out of the neighborhood. I went in the house because I could feel the shame burning across my face. I could still see that kid's eyes and the look of entire total terror. I never really felt the same about Butchie after that. Tell you the truth, I never felt the same about those kids who are our age who lived on the other side of Wilson Avenue. Matter of fact, I didn't know it at the time, but they were just like us in their own way. But on that night, Wilson Avenue and the Land of no return was gone from my memory forever. Thank you.

[Jessica Lee Williamson]

Don Ray Smith is a humorist, journalist, feature writer, book author, storyteller and part time tour guide from Louisville, Kentucky. For the last dozen years he has pursued his lifelong dream of writing humor for fun and and virtually no money. To date, he's been wildly successful on both counts. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com, the Internet's leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times best sellers. To try Audible Free today and get a free audiobook of your choice, go to audible.com audible the moth our podcast.

[Dan Kennedy]

Host, Dan Kennedy is the author of the book Rock on An Office Power Ballad.

[Jessica Lee Williamson]

Learn [e-mail] thanks to all of you for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. The Moth podcast and the Radio Hour are presented by prx, the public radio exchange helping make public radio more public at prx. Org.