Amanda's Diary: Girlfriend > Comments > "Review of Amanda from New York: Girlfriend"
Piece Comment
Commenter Profile
- Eric Nuzum
- Username: ericnuzum
- Location: Washington, District of Columbia
- Joined PRX: Sep 06, 2003
Piece Information
- "Amanda's Diary: Girlfriend"
- Summary: Amanda's family is Catholic. Amanda is bisexual. And she's having a hard time getting her parents to understand that this is not just a phase. "When I was in the first grade, I remember one day we were playing a game that was kind of like Sleeping Beauty where like the prettiest girl on the block fell asleep on a picnic bench. And you know, somebody had to go and wake her up, to like, kiss her and revive her and it would always be one of the boys. And I always felt like I wanted to go and revive her." Amanda first recorded her story with Radio Diaries 16 years ago. We've given her a recorder again to document her life today and to hear what's happened since. Hear Amanda's original diary below and our recent podcast with the Amanda of today. This story is part of the Teenage Diaries series produced by Radio Diaries for NPR.
2 comments
5 star: |
|
(1) |
4 star: |
|
(1) |
3 star: |
|
(0) |
2 star: |
|
(0) |
1 star: |
|
(0) |
Review of Amanda from New York: Girlfriend
Eric Nuzum
Posted on April 26, 2004 at 07:05 AM
Listening to this diary is an odd experience. It provides intimate insight into Amanda's life and the conflict with her parents, but stops short of any type of conclusion, transitional moment, or resolution. It is as if a window into Amanda's life is randomly opened, then quickly closed. While the piece feels so real, a listener could be confused as to the purpose of the piece or what they should make of it.
In programming discussing gay rights, gay (or even straight) teen culture, or nontraditional relationships, this piece can put a human voice to issues that tend to get lost in loud rhetoric and heated debate. However, if a station wants to use this piece, they need to be prepared to provide the missing sense of closure and context.