Page 26 - February 2020

FIELD NOTES

Portland Storyteller Shines

in the Moth’s Spotlight

Erik Bergman, DTM

Amanda Davidson waited five years for her I listen to podcasts, and the Moth has a lot of
chance onstage at The MothStorySLAM. When them,” Amanda says. “I heard there were live

it came her turn, she was ready to tell her story— Moth events around town for telling human-
because of Toastmasters training. interest stories. I went to some and started to
“I’m not sure I could ever have done it without like the stories, the culture, and the community.”
Toastmasters,” Amanda says. “Toastmasters gave Although she had owned a coffee shop for 15

me confidence and support. I thought that even years and had ample experience interacting with
if I did bomb, I’d done it. When my name was customers, she confesses that public speaking
called, I was, ‘Here we go!’ Not until I was done “made me sweat, cry and shake.” That’s exactly
and sat down did the adrenaline hit me.” how she reacted when the principal at her son’s

Speaking on the theme of “Love Hurts,” she school asked her to speak to a group of 20
told of her journey raising a son with autism. Her prospective parents: “I was sweating, and my
speech resonated so well that the 250-member voice was shaking. I was so scared.”
audience in Portland voted her StorySLAM To conquer that fear, and to one day speak at

Champion. The Moth, she joined WE Toasted Toastmasters
Amanda joined Toastmasters in April 2019 for in Lake Oswego with a friend. The club gave
the sole purpose of competing as a speaker in this her the boost she sought. “At Toastmasters,
Moth event. Still, after four years of attending the structure of how we run meetings and the

she was not feeling bold enough to compete. discipline has been huge for me. We have to
“Some people would call it stalking — I call it practice and take on different roles. One day a
research,” she jokes. speaking role came open at the last minute, so
StorySLAM is a live storytelling competition I did a hot-seat speech about raising my son. I

similar to poetry slams and held in cities around had thought about the topic but had not put a
the United States. It is organized by The Moth, a speech together.”
nonprofit literary society in New York City. Each Afterward a fellow Toastmaster told her
storyteller has five minutes to tell a story based the speech could help a lot of people dealing

on a theme chosen for the event. No notes are with similar challenges. She vowed to work on
allowed; stories must be told and not read. polishing it.
She first learned of The Moth through her She had rich and deeply personal material
passion for marathon running. “While I run, to work with as a mother coming to terms with

26 ONE COMMUNITY