Piece image

My Name Is Ryan

Series: Incarcerated Youth Speak Out
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project
Length: 00:04:53

Weed, cocaine, morphine, oxycontin, crack, Ryan has tried them all. Once he developed a tolerance for one, he just moved on to the next. Now he's incarcerated, serving time for six drug charges, and slowly discovering the benefits of sobriety. But staying clean is still a daily challenge. Read the full description.

Lcydcfenceedit_small Ryan has tried just about every drug you can think of, and maybe even some you can't. Now incarcerated at Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, Maine, trying to face up to a drug-free life.

To hear the full audio, sign up for a free PRX account or log in.

Also in the Incarcerated Youth Speak Out series

Piece image

Illegal Mail (00:08:47)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

For students locked up in Maine's Long Creek Youth Development Center passing notes is a crime... and an art form. Jacorey investigates.
Piece image

Speaking to My Heart (00:06:25)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

When Nikki became a mother of two at the age of seventeen she promised to leave her life of drugs and crime behind. It was a promise she couldn't keep.
Piece image

Lovesick and Locked Up (00:09:19)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

Matt and Cassie are addicted to drugs, alcohol - and each other.
Piece image

The School of Hard Knocks (00:04:05)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

When KC was eleven her mother kicked her out of the house. Forced to figure out how to survive on her own, she turned to drug dealing and prostitution.
Piece image

Voting Behind Bars (00:02:28)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

The voices of incarcerated first-time voters (and ardent non-voters) from the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, Maine.
Piece image

My Sentence (00:04:08)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

An experimental look at what it's like to be committed to the Long Creek Youth Development Center.
Piece image

My Criminal Life (00:04:33)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

This dreamy feature puts listeners in the mind of Mark, a young man who feels hopeless against the cycles of drugs and violence in his life.
Piece image

What I did for Drugs (00:04:47)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

Two young women tell their stories of drug addiction.
Piece image

Two Teen Addicts (00:06:24)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

Jeremy interviews Mark about addiction. They are both teenagers and recovering addicts.
Piece image

Alcoholic at Birth (00:03:33)
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project

Incarcerated youth producer, Zack, interviews his sister and grandmother to gain some insight on his own life and the life of his alcoholic mother.

Piece Description

Ryan has tried just about every drug you can think of, and maybe even some you can't. Now incarcerated at Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, Maine, trying to face up to a drug-free life.

4 Comments Atom Feed

User image

Review of My Name Is Ryan

"My Name Is Ryan" is very personal. It focuses on the real problem of debilitating addiction, be it smoking, drinking, illegal substances, or anything else you could possibly think of. Ryan tells us of his journey through the streets and his life as a addict. For him to tell all of us that he hit rock bottom, yet still have the optimism a person needs to survive, is amazing. His choice of music enhances the mood of his addiction. It fades in and out and emphasizes the important points of his addiction. The act that really sticks out to me is when he said that he started smoking marijuana not expecting anything bad to come, but he was wrong. In the end he said that he believes life is what you make it, and he re-lives his philosophy day and day again. This piece needs to be heard by everyone, be him an addict, so they are reassured that there life is not over and they still have a chance to be re-born, or a person with out any problems. This piece is expiring and motivating. It allows a person to see how ig of an issue addiction really is.

User image

Review of My Name Is Ryan

The title made me think that the piece was about a silly kid who just wanted to pull a joke. But once I heard the dark music I knew he was talking about a serious matter. When he first spoke, I knew that he had to prove a point. His tone fits his whole story very perfectly. Ryan explains to listeners reasons why marijuana and other such drugs can be addictive and can affect the way you look, and at the end, he talks about looking for help in rehab. His experience influenced me from everything he said: from becoming an addict, to going homeless to later getting arrested. Listening to this piece gave the real deal of the cause and effect of drug use.
-AdoMaKo

User image

Review of My Name Is Ryan

My Name is Ryan is an extremely compelling narration of a teenager's decline into drug addiction. Concise and honest, the piece lets the tragic subject matter speak for its self. The sincerity of the piece is evident throughout and quickly draws in the listener. Admirably simple, My Name is Ryan is a vivid look into a life most of us could not imagine.

See all 4 comments >>

Broadcast History

This piece originally aired on the Blunt show, "Life Changing Experiences."

Related Website

http://www.bluntradio.org