Fade in, a recording studio in New York.
It's small but cozy, with sound dampening mats on the wall and two mics on either side of the table.
One of the mics is unused, but in front of the other mic sits our protagonist.
Close up, the face of Jodie Powell, younger, 30s.
Her expression is one of excitement.
She's ready to share stories, ready to welcome listeners to The Moth Podcast.
Welcome to The Moth, I'm Jodie Powell.
There are moments in our lives that feel especially cinematic.
Maybe it's not when you're recording a podcast,
but maybe it's your first kiss with a long time crush,
your belly in knots and you can almost hear the music swell.
Or at a trap meet when you're in second place and you're right about to catch up to the front runner and you feel just like Rocky Balboa.
Or maybe it's just a golden hour view of the Montana countryside that looks exactly like a moment from a Terrence Malick film or Summer in Harlem.
painted by Spike Lee.
Dominoes, fire hydrants and Al Green's love and happiness on the score.
On this episode, to celebrate the Oscars, we've got two stories that feel especially cinematic.
One that's more independent coming of age, the other a bit Judd Apatow.
First up is Jitesh Jaggi, who told this story at a Chicago Grand Slam,
where the theme was deal breakers.
Here's Jitesh, live at the mall.