Josh in New York City: Growing Up with Tourette's
Series: Teenage Diaries
From: Radio Diaries
Length: 00:12:24
Josh has Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics and involuntary verbal outbursts.
"It feels like there's a big balloon inside my stomach. And the balloon keeps growing bigger and bigger, like every second extra the tic stays inside it feels like somebody blows up the balloon another notch, until I let it out."
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Piece Description
Josh has Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics and involuntary verbal outbursts. "It feels like there's a big balloon inside my stomach. And the balloon keeps growing bigger and bigger, like every second extra the tic stays inside it feels like somebody blows up the balloon another notch, until I let it out."
2 Comments
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Review of Josh in New York City: Growing Up with Tourette'sFirst rate piece by the maestro of the audio diary form. It contains many memorable moments including what has to be a first for radio: the sound of a Tourette tic unleashed after being stifled all day at school. This piece achieves what Joe Richman's other diary pieces do -- documenting the life of a teenager, in this case, one who lives with a neurological distoder, in his own words, surrounded by the sounds of his life. It's a moving, funny and arresting portrait of a wonderful kid. Run as a series, the Teenage Diaries would be a very special treat for listeners this summer or perhaps for back to school. |
Transcript
Josh in New York City, New York: "Growing Up With Tourette's"
TEENAGE DIARIES
Produced by: Joe Richman
All Things Considered (NPR)
4/15/96
ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: This is All Things Considered. I'm Robert Siegel.
LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: And I'm Linda Wertheimer. Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary tics, such as sudden movements and verbal outbursts. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 100,000 Americans have the condition. Most begin showing symptoms at around the age of 10 and the tics often increase during the teen years. Josh Cutler is 16 years-old and lives in New York City. He was diagnosed as having Tourette's syndrome when he was 10. As part of our series of Teenage Diaries, Josh was given a tape recorder to document his life with Tourette's syndrome. This is his story.
JOSH CUTLER: I'm getting ready for sc...
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Jonathan Groubert
Posted on May 07, 2004 at 06:39 AM | Permalink
Review of Josh in New York City: Growing Up with Tourette's
Painfully honest poke inside the head of a kid, clearly soon to be an adult, with Tourettes. All the typical teenage stuff is there: angst, depression, insecurity masked with anger. But the noises and expletives make the difficulties somewhat harder to shrug off as merely "awkward years".
Awkward is what it must be for all involved in the production of this item, as Tourettes provokes particularly difficult situations in our society.
It's no different here except that, instead of tuning Josh out like you would on the street, you'll want to listen more to his vulnerability through the safe filter of your radio.