Peter Aguero, Me & Her & It
Born in New Jersey, Peter Aguero currently lives in New York City. Aguero is a regular host at events held by The Moth, a nonprofit group dedicated to the art of storytelling, and is also the lead singer of The BTK Band, an improvised storytelling rock band based in New York City. In this audio clip, Aguero describes his wife’s lifelong battle with epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures.
Source: TheMoth.org
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The Moth
Questions for Study and Discussion
After listening to the audio clip, consider the questions below. Then submit your responses.
1. What tone(s) does Aguero create in his story? Does it remain constant throughout the whole story? Explain.
2. What dominant impression of his wife does Aguero give? What descriptive details help create this impression?
3. What descriptive details, figurative language, and adjectives does Aguero use to describe his wife’s seizures?
4. At many points in Aguero’s story, you can hear the audience laughing in the background. Evaluate Aguero’s use of humor throughout his story. Do you think it helped make his story more effective? Why or why not?