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Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter
An intimate, candid memoir about learning to live with--rather than "overcome"--a stutter.
In the fall of 2019, John Hendrickson wrote a groundbreaking story for The Atlantic about Joe Biden's decades-long journey with stuttering, as well as his own. The article went viral, reaching readers around the world and altering the course of Hendrickson's life. Overnight, he was forced to publicly confront an element of himself that still caused him great pain. He soon learned he wasn't alone with his feelings: strangers who stutter began sending him their own personal stories, something that continues to this day. Now, in this reported memoir, Hendrickson takes us deep inside the mind and heart of a stutterer as he sets out to answer lingering questions about himself and his condition that he was often too afraid to ask.
In Life on Delay, Hendrickson writes candidly about bullying, substance abuse, depression, isolation, and other issues stutterers like him face daily. He explores the intricate family dynamics surrounding his own stutter and revisits key people from his past in unguarded interviews. Readers get an over-the-shoulder view of his childhood; his career as a journalist, which once seemed impossible; and his search for a romantic partner. Along the way, Hendrickson guides us through the evolution of speech therapy, the controversial quest for a "magic pill" to end stuttering, and the burgeoning self-help movement within the stuttering community. Beyond his own experiences, he shares portraits of fellow stutterers who have changed his life, and he writes about a pioneering doctor who is upending the field of speech therapy.
Life on Delay is an indelible account of perseverance, a soulful narrative about not giving up, and a glimpse into the process of making peace with our past and present selves.
In the fall of 2019, John Hendrickson wrote a groundbreaking story for The Atlantic about Joe Biden's decades-long journey with stuttering, as well as his own. The article went viral, reaching readers around the world and altering the course of Hendrickson's life. Overnight, he was forced to publicly confront an element of himself that still caused him great pain. He soon learned he wasn't alone with his feelings: strangers who stutter began sending him their own personal stories, something that continues to this day. Now, in this reported memoir, Hendrickson takes us deep inside the mind and heart of a stutterer as he sets out to answer lingering questions about himself and his condition that he was often too afraid to ask.
In Life on Delay, Hendrickson writes candidly about bullying, substance abuse, depression, isolation, and other issues stutterers like him face daily. He explores the intricate family dynamics surrounding his own stutter and revisits key people from his past in unguarded interviews. Readers get an over-the-shoulder view of his childhood; his career as a journalist, which once seemed impossible; and his search for a romantic partner. Along the way, Hendrickson guides us through the evolution of speech therapy, the controversial quest for a "magic pill" to end stuttering, and the burgeoning self-help movement within the stuttering community. Beyond his own experiences, he shares portraits of fellow stutterers who have changed his life, and he writes about a pioneering doctor who is upending the field of speech therapy.
Life on Delay is an indelible account of perseverance, a soulful narrative about not giving up, and a glimpse into the process of making peace with our past and present selves.
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First published January 17, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
January 24, 2023
I’ve sat here trying to write this review for over an hour. I’ve had a stutter for almost 25 years. There have been seasons in my life when I’ve struggled more or less with it, but never like I have over the last year. I went to college and got an undergraduate degree in mathematics with an emphasis on computer science. I’ve given many presentations in front of large groups of people. I now work at a job that I love as a software developer and it often requires me to talk to people in small groups (and at times during my career, really large ones). I used to say that I’ve always tried not to let my stutter control my life, and I think my life thus far is a testament of that.
Over the last year I’ve come to realize that I can’t say that anymore. I dread phone calls (h’s are the worst) and introducing myself to new people (yes, a stutterer’s first name will always be the single hardest word to say). It used to only be that difficult with new people, but I now struggle with even the shortest of conversations with friends and trusted coworkers, in small groups and one-on-one. I’ve stopped giving trainings at work; stopped volunteering to interview candidates; stopped wanting to talk within my own group of friends. I have those dating apps but can’t bring myself to go on even one.
Never in my life have I felt so frustrated, so defeated, so not in control of my own life. My self confidence is destroyed. And this book… this book. This book has put into words what I’ve struggled to say over the last year. I cried so many times while reading it, simply because of how relatable John’s experiences are. No, John, no, you don’t have to explain The Look to me - I know exactly what you’re talking about. I felt your pain and exhaustion when giving that speech at Kairos. I know what it’s like to work very hard for something that doesn’t mean very much. I too have dreamt of how different I would be if I didn’t have this disorder. I’ve felt the same shame, the same anger, the same frustration, the same resentment, the same fear.
For the first time in over 15 years, I sought out a speech therapist, one who also has a stutter. While I now know there’s no cure for this neurological disorder, I’m hoping that at the very least, I can have the same acceptance as John does.
Thank you for sharing your story, John. You’re not alone.
Over the last year I’ve come to realize that I can’t say that anymore. I dread phone calls (h’s are the worst) and introducing myself to new people (yes, a stutterer’s first name will always be the single hardest word to say). It used to only be that difficult with new people, but I now struggle with even the shortest of conversations with friends and trusted coworkers, in small groups and one-on-one. I’ve stopped giving trainings at work; stopped volunteering to interview candidates; stopped wanting to talk within my own group of friends. I have those dating apps but can’t bring myself to go on even one.
Never in my life have I felt so frustrated, so defeated, so not in control of my own life. My self confidence is destroyed. And this book… this book. This book has put into words what I’ve struggled to say over the last year. I cried so many times while reading it, simply because of how relatable John’s experiences are. No, John, no, you don’t have to explain The Look to me - I know exactly what you’re talking about. I felt your pain and exhaustion when giving that speech at Kairos. I know what it’s like to work very hard for something that doesn’t mean very much. I too have dreamt of how different I would be if I didn’t have this disorder. I’ve felt the same shame, the same anger, the same frustration, the same resentment, the same fear.
For the first time in over 15 years, I sought out a speech therapist, one who also has a stutter. While I now know there’s no cure for this neurological disorder, I’m hoping that at the very least, I can have the same acceptance as John does.
Thank you for sharing your story, John. You’re not alone.
February 21, 2023
I picked this up because of John Hendrickson's 2020 article in the Atlantic about Joe Biden's stutter, which I highly recommend. I don't think that you necessarily need to read this memoir after finishing the article, though it is moving and well-written. If you generally like memoirs, this is a good one to add to the list.
I may be biased, because John Hendrickson and I share several similarities. We are the same age, we graduated from college in the same year, and we come from Catholic families. We lived in the East Village at the same time (after Hurricane Sandy!). The most obvious similarity, though, is that we both stutter. When you get into the stuttering itself, though, things begin to look a little different. As an adult, I have become much more fluent and able to navigate most conversations. (I am probably less successful at this than I think I am, and it really depends on the day.) From watching Hendrickson's interviews on MSNBC, though, I don't think this is true for him. The stutter is always present for him, and it colors every interaction he has with the world.
The memoir starts with Hendrickson's early life and his first forays into speech therapy, moving through high school and to his career as a journalist in New York. I really liked two things about this book. The first is that it's actually a book about his family, how his stutter impacts their relationships, and where those relationships are today. It feels very personal and honest. The second is that Hendrickson spends a lot of time talking to other stutterers across the country and adds some of their stories to the book, so he is able to portray a wide variety of experiences.
It's absolutely bonkers to me that Hendrickson chooses journalism as a career, because I can't imagine anything scarier. Like, you have to cold call people! On the phone!! I can still remember starting my first (tech) job and getting a list of 20 people to call. I had to do it in an open plan office, and I think I might have had an out of body experience. Hendrickson has to call the lead singer of Wilco and conduct a phone interview. It's truly brave and very admirable. I'm glad that he's in a position now to write about his experiences, and bring that lens to people like Joe Biden. It serves us all well.
I may be biased, because John Hendrickson and I share several similarities. We are the same age, we graduated from college in the same year, and we come from Catholic families. We lived in the East Village at the same time (after Hurricane Sandy!). The most obvious similarity, though, is that we both stutter. When you get into the stuttering itself, though, things begin to look a little different. As an adult, I have become much more fluent and able to navigate most conversations. (I am probably less successful at this than I think I am, and it really depends on the day.) From watching Hendrickson's interviews on MSNBC, though, I don't think this is true for him. The stutter is always present for him, and it colors every interaction he has with the world.
The memoir starts with Hendrickson's early life and his first forays into speech therapy, moving through high school and to his career as a journalist in New York. I really liked two things about this book. The first is that it's actually a book about his family, how his stutter impacts their relationships, and where those relationships are today. It feels very personal and honest. The second is that Hendrickson spends a lot of time talking to other stutterers across the country and adds some of their stories to the book, so he is able to portray a wide variety of experiences.
It's absolutely bonkers to me that Hendrickson chooses journalism as a career, because I can't imagine anything scarier. Like, you have to cold call people! On the phone!! I can still remember starting my first (tech) job and getting a list of 20 people to call. I had to do it in an open plan office, and I think I might have had an out of body experience. Hendrickson has to call the lead singer of Wilco and conduct a phone interview. It's truly brave and very admirable. I'm glad that he's in a position now to write about his experiences, and bring that lens to people like Joe Biden. It serves us all well.
December 23, 2022
I’ve been reading this slowly over the last week. I’ve cried - and I don’t cry at books. It’s caused me to think and reflect, and be grateful for the SLP in our lives. Hendrickson writes about different approaches by SLPs, with some being better than others. While my son does not stutter, he does have a lifelong speech disorder. I don’t have the right words for this book yet - but everyone should read it.
January 27, 2023
As a man who’s stuttered for his entire life, as well as a student studying Communication Sciences & Disorders with a plan to pursue Speech-Language Pathology with a Board Specialization in Fluency Disorders, stuttering has always been a crucial part of my life’s experience and my life’s focus. In the past few years I have felt immense motivation to read a variety of stuttering-focused memoirs to process my own experiences growing up as a stutterer as well as future SLP who needs to be as informed as possible!
After eagerly awaiting the release date of this book, I tore through it in three sittings, engrossed by its eloquence and detail. It touched me deeply and I was forced to interrupt my reading several times when struck by extreme emotion. I often struggle to express strong emotion, but this memoir effortlessly broke that barrier and allowed me to express joy, grief, and sorrow.
I am grateful for John’s eloquent prose and his ability to put name to the aspects of stuttering that I have never truly been able to express or verbalize.
This memoir broke the typical memoir model of solely recalling your history and the lessons you’ve taken away from it. Instead, it branched out to explore the world of stuttering, exploring a variety of perspectives, philosophies, and paths, interviewing countless individuals with invaluable insight to the stuttering experience.
If ANY person who stutters, loved one of a PWS, educator, or SLP missed the opportunity to read this, I would mourn the opportunity that they missed.
As a companion memoir, I recommend Every Waking Moment by Christopher Andersen.
This is an easy five stars.
After eagerly awaiting the release date of this book, I tore through it in three sittings, engrossed by its eloquence and detail. It touched me deeply and I was forced to interrupt my reading several times when struck by extreme emotion. I often struggle to express strong emotion, but this memoir effortlessly broke that barrier and allowed me to express joy, grief, and sorrow.
I am grateful for John’s eloquent prose and his ability to put name to the aspects of stuttering that I have never truly been able to express or verbalize.
This memoir broke the typical memoir model of solely recalling your history and the lessons you’ve taken away from it. Instead, it branched out to explore the world of stuttering, exploring a variety of perspectives, philosophies, and paths, interviewing countless individuals with invaluable insight to the stuttering experience.
If ANY person who stutters, loved one of a PWS, educator, or SLP missed the opportunity to read this, I would mourn the opportunity that they missed.
As a companion memoir, I recommend Every Waking Moment by Christopher Andersen.
This is an easy five stars.
March 31, 2023
"She opens the glass door and moves her finger across the various beverages, looking at me for a 'yes' or 'no' nod. It's like we're playing Battleship, trying to hit the target."
I was drawn to this memoir after seeing author John Hendrickson featured in this hard-hitting, paradigm-shifting video essay in the New York Times.
25% of people who begin stuttering in childhood continue stuttering as adults. Many people who stutter never achieve true fluency; some who, at a superficial glance, seem to have "overcome" or "beaten" their childhood stutter have, in fact, merely developed workaround strategies that succeed at hiding their stutters from casual listeners most of the time: for example, they may substitute synonyms for words that are harder to say. Society's tendency to celebrate these "cured" stutterers may leave people who are not in the know with the harmful false impression that all stutters can be "overcome," if only the stutterers would put in enough effort.
Life on Delay addresses myths such as these; it posits a different way of living with a stutter, or living with people who stutter. It posits that our society might be better if we openly acknowledge and talk about these kinds of differences rather than hiding them in a closet, where they may potentially drive stutterers to feel isolated and possibly succumb to secondary ills such as depression and alcoholism. It posits that our society might be better if we encourage one another to be more patient listeners, to open ourselves up to a transformation of our relationship to listening -- our relationship to time itself.
In this memoir, Hendrickson and a number of the dozens of stutterers whom he interviews (including one of my other favorite essayists who has written eloquently about stuttering, Nathan Heller) express some version of the idea that their experiences have shaped them into better listeners and more empathetic humans in general. This is something that people who have no personal experience with stuttering but who grew up feeling marginalized for any number of reasons can easily relate to, I think. (There is actually a fascinating segment in this book in which one of Hendrickson's interview subjects compares his experiences as a stutterer and his experiences living with obsessive-compulsive disorder.) While there are stretches in this book that are a bit too young-man-waxes-poetic-about-moving-to-New-York for me, overall I found this a powerful and important read.
February 6, 2023
"No, I do not always like who I am when I stutter. But would I recognize myself if I didn't stutter?"
As a speech-language pathologist who was recently (and progressively) trained on stuttering, sometimes I take for granted my view was not the dominant view of stuttering amongst speech therapists not too many years ago. John Hendrickson lived in that world, where stuttering was viewed as inherently wrong. I was angry and sad reading about his early (and not so early) life experiences where he was ridiculed and how he internalized these thoughts, ultimately limiting his participation in life activities. Although some perceive disfluencies with more understanding now, many people (including speech therapists) still perceive stuttering as a deficient way of speaking. The author pushes you to challenges these assumptions. Who is fluency for? Who benefits from fluency? Who expects it and why? We live in a deeply ableist world, and even as we make strides towards inclusion and acceptance, people who stutter are faced every day with a society that doesn't understand what stuttering is and isn't.
Life on Delay is very readable and I loved how the author brought his journalism into his memoir. For example, after being immersed in a high school memory that left him embarrassed in front of the class, he brings us to an interview with the teacher about that exact moment many years later. He interweaves interviews with various PWS throughout the book. Overall the book is relatable to all, as it deals with themes of family, acceptance, and personal growth. The bonus is it can educate a reader along the way, nudging them towards greater understanding of stuttering and PWS.
As a speech-language pathologist who was recently (and progressively) trained on stuttering, sometimes I take for granted my view was not the dominant view of stuttering amongst speech therapists not too many years ago. John Hendrickson lived in that world, where stuttering was viewed as inherently wrong. I was angry and sad reading about his early (and not so early) life experiences where he was ridiculed and how he internalized these thoughts, ultimately limiting his participation in life activities. Although some perceive disfluencies with more understanding now, many people (including speech therapists) still perceive stuttering as a deficient way of speaking. The author pushes you to challenges these assumptions. Who is fluency for? Who benefits from fluency? Who expects it and why? We live in a deeply ableist world, and even as we make strides towards inclusion and acceptance, people who stutter are faced every day with a society that doesn't understand what stuttering is and isn't.
Life on Delay is very readable and I loved how the author brought his journalism into his memoir. For example, after being immersed in a high school memory that left him embarrassed in front of the class, he brings us to an interview with the teacher about that exact moment many years later. He interweaves interviews with various PWS throughout the book. Overall the book is relatable to all, as it deals with themes of family, acceptance, and personal growth. The bonus is it can educate a reader along the way, nudging them towards greater understanding of stuttering and PWS.
October 29, 2024
“This is the tension that stutterers live with: Is it better for me to speak and potentially embarrass myself or to shut down and say nothing at all?”
I cried so many times reading this book. The focus of the book is on John’s stutter, but his stutter is inseparable from all his relationships and his entire self-image. What follows is an unflinching exploration of his experience of being othered every day of his life and how that plays into his relationships with family, romantic partners, friends, and strangers. And although he writes honestly about the cruelties and humiliations that people close to him have inflicted on him, he writes with such empathy, compassion, and thoughtfulness that it never reads as vengeful or resentful.
Anyone with a disability or non-socially acceptable difference can relate to John’s emotional journey. How does a person get to a place of self-acceptance when an integral part of you feels so wrong and shameful? How do you work through the anxiety, the depression, the shame, the temptation to abuse drugs and alcohol? He explores this not just with his own journey, but by interviewing hundreds of stutterers and stuttering experts and interspersing their perspectives throughout the book. The result is that the reader gets a rich glimpse of the infinite ways stuttering affects a person’s life.
5/5 would recommend, just be prepared to cry.
I cried so many times reading this book. The focus of the book is on John’s stutter, but his stutter is inseparable from all his relationships and his entire self-image. What follows is an unflinching exploration of his experience of being othered every day of his life and how that plays into his relationships with family, romantic partners, friends, and strangers. And although he writes honestly about the cruelties and humiliations that people close to him have inflicted on him, he writes with such empathy, compassion, and thoughtfulness that it never reads as vengeful or resentful.
Anyone with a disability or non-socially acceptable difference can relate to John’s emotional journey. How does a person get to a place of self-acceptance when an integral part of you feels so wrong and shameful? How do you work through the anxiety, the depression, the shame, the temptation to abuse drugs and alcohol? He explores this not just with his own journey, but by interviewing hundreds of stutterers and stuttering experts and interspersing their perspectives throughout the book. The result is that the reader gets a rich glimpse of the infinite ways stuttering affects a person’s life.
5/5 would recommend, just be prepared to cry.
October 16, 2024
4.5
Wow. It’s such a shame I’ve had this book on my TBR shelf for so long and just didn’t give it the time of day. I really appreciated the author’s blending of the science behind stuttering with his own experiences. And omg the interviews with others… so good! Also when the author has the heart-to-heart with his brother who used to bully him 🥺🥺🥺. I definitely am sticking to my promise with this book about learning from the things I read.
Also shoutout to literally tinder for finding John’s wife. Iconique.
Wow. It’s such a shame I’ve had this book on my TBR shelf for so long and just didn’t give it the time of day. I really appreciated the author’s blending of the science behind stuttering with his own experiences. And omg the interviews with others… so good! Also when the author has the heart-to-heart with his brother who used to bully him 🥺🥺🥺. I definitely am sticking to my promise with this book about learning from the things I read.
Also shoutout to literally tinder for finding John’s wife. Iconique.
January 8, 2024
Talk about a gut-punch. This is one of the best books I have ever read.
August 30, 2023
John Hendrickson is the author of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 article “What Joe Biden Can’t Bring Himself to Say,” an article about Biden’s verbal stumbles; an article about his stutter. The article went viral, forcing Hendrickson, a stutterer himself, (and his family, friends, and former teachers/mentors) to basically overnight “publicly confront an element that still caused great pain.” (book jacket)
Thus the book, in 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺: 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.
𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺 is heartbreaking, but it is also a story of amazing perseverance. The book is incredibly honest in some difficult ways. I would recommend this book to everyone. It is readable and accessible.
I have a friend who has a college-aged son with a stutter. She read this book. The two things she said to me after reading was something along the lines of “Everyone wants fast in 2023. Sometimes we just have to slow down and give people the time they need to share their words and thoughts.” The second was a quote from the book, one from civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Treating different things the same can generate as much inequality as treating the same things differently.”
A very strong 5 / 5 stars
Link to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 article in case you missed it: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...
Thus the book, in 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺: 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.
𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺 is heartbreaking, but it is also a story of amazing perseverance. The book is incredibly honest in some difficult ways. I would recommend this book to everyone. It is readable and accessible.
I have a friend who has a college-aged son with a stutter. She read this book. The two things she said to me after reading was something along the lines of “Everyone wants fast in 2023. Sometimes we just have to slow down and give people the time they need to share their words and thoughts.” The second was a quote from the book, one from civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Treating different things the same can generate as much inequality as treating the same things differently.”
A very strong 5 / 5 stars
Link to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 article in case you missed it: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...
February 26, 2023
Every person who stutters and every speech-language pathologist needs to read this book. This was the best look into the mind of someone who stutters, and I can’t thank John Hendrickson and the interviewees enough for sharing their experiences. It’s raw and real and broke my heart but also left me feeling so proud to be in the same crowd as these amazing and resilient people.
May 30, 2023
I was just complaining recently about a book in my invented genre of the misery memoir. John Hendrickson could have easily written a miser memoir here as well, living with a stutter is obviously a really tough row to hoe. Fortunately, his take on his life and that of others is more measured, plenty of honesty about the tough parts, but also some acknowledgement that his life has plenty of good in it as well.
I guess the one thing I would have liked to take away from this book is a sense that there is actually something to be done about stuttering, and it's kind of interesting to note that no, there doesn't really seem to be much that helps. We subject stutterers to all sorts of therapy and treatment, but does an of it do any good? This book has me wondering about that.
Anyway, a great book with a lot of person insight, enjoyed it a lot, and am more appreciative of ever that I have a level of speech fluency that is probably smack dab in the middle of the bell curve.
I guess the one thing I would have liked to take away from this book is a sense that there is actually something to be done about stuttering, and it's kind of interesting to note that no, there doesn't really seem to be much that helps. We subject stutterers to all sorts of therapy and treatment, but does an of it do any good? This book has me wondering about that.
Anyway, a great book with a lot of person insight, enjoyed it a lot, and am more appreciative of ever that I have a level of speech fluency that is probably smack dab in the middle of the bell curve.
March 28, 2024
This book was written in such a powerful way, leading us through each stage of his life with his stutter unwavering, and always at his side. He authentically described how his stutter unfolded and changed depending on life’s circumstances, yet it remained constant. The consistent yet dramatic transformation of his stuttering, or rather “the impact of stuttering” is inspiring to read. Especially after meeting John and many of the people who stutter mentioned in the book, the words became real.
May 8, 2023
Even though I haven't struggled with stuttering, I was able to learn a lot of what stutters experience.
June 12, 2023
What a beautifully written memoir of a person who stutters. As a person who stutters, it was a powerful read. There are things that I have and continue to experience that are weaved throughout this book—only someone with this speech impediment could understand or communicate. I rented it from the library but I’ll be buying a copy to reread in the future. I’m grateful for someone who can provide such a raw and relatable voice for people who stutter. I’m inspired!
April 20, 2025
Unpretentious and life-affirming <3
March 28, 2023
Can’t recommend this enough!
January 18, 2023
A wonderful debut memoir that also has a significant amount of reportage, utilizing John's skills as a reporter and journalist. Quite moving in many scenes from childhood through adulthood—understanding the struggles and shame that anyone with a stutter lives with—and ultimately inspiring tale about how to heal family fissures through communication and empathy. Plus, all you Jeff Tweedy fans will love the moment when he interviews him! In the chapter that details The Look, everyone will feel implicated, but it's not about casting blame, but rather being transparent and finding understanding. Highly recommend!
February 14, 2023
I so appreciated this book. I would highly recommend it. So very eye opening and honest. Thank you John Hendreickson for sharing and writing for us.
March 31, 2024
I have a ton of feelings about this book and about my own dealings with those who stutter. I've already written paragraphs and paragraphs, deleted, started again, and deleted again. Here: This is an excellent book. It might help the stutterer in your life understand that this incurable thing isn't something that can be fixed or overcome (although some "outgrow" their stutter), but there are ways to make peace with it. Incredible writing. You'll cry.
November 8, 2023
This is an absolutely beautiful, heart wrenching book that I never would have found if not for the review of a family member.
March 13, 2023
Super cool and ignored perspective from a guy who has stuttered his whole life. I enjoyed it most when he was telling his story, and it enjoyed it less when he veered into interview/journalist territory. But still a fascinating viewpoint
January 27, 2023
I have speech issues as well, and so there was a lot to relate to - the self-loathing, the avoidance of situations where you have to talk, the times when I changed what I originally wanted to say because I couldn’t say those words properly, the fear and anxiety you have when you’re grasping at your next word and you feel like you’re wasting everyone’s time. I have not read any other books that deal with these issues, so reading this was very important to me.
I would have liked more character in the author’s voice, however. The writing itself was quite mediocre. I feel like the sections where he talked about the emotional impact of his stutter were the strongest, and I think he could have expanded on those sections. The book is very straightforward, and mostly unfolds chronologically. I couldn’t immerse myself in a lot of the events because the author would talk about it in hindsight, instead of putting the reader directly in the moment. I would have liked it if the author wrote it in the present - like we were actually going through his life with him.
I would have liked more character in the author’s voice, however. The writing itself was quite mediocre. I feel like the sections where he talked about the emotional impact of his stutter were the strongest, and I think he could have expanded on those sections. The book is very straightforward, and mostly unfolds chronologically. I couldn’t immerse myself in a lot of the events because the author would talk about it in hindsight, instead of putting the reader directly in the moment. I would have liked it if the author wrote it in the present - like we were actually going through his life with him.
February 16, 2023
My brother was teased and saw speech therapists for much of his childhood because he was slow to develop fluency; and I was picked on in middle school for how slowly and stilted I spoke (major new-kid anxiety made it difficult to speak up and process my thoughts into words), and have been hesitant and self-conscious about speaking in group settings ever since. Neither of us ever had stutters, and we're both more or less "normal" speakers now, but I know The Look, and I know what it feels like to not talk like everyone else. I found this memoir immensely moving - John tells his story, and the stories of others, with so much empathy - and I hope anyone who's dealt with similar experiences in their life, and anyone who hasn't, gets to read it.
April 14, 2023
Excellent memoir of growing up with a severe stutter. The author is brutally honest about his family, the Church, and his relationships. His story of becoming his true self, stutter and all, was excellent.
August 18, 2023
a real tear-jerker!!! also best book i’ve ever read in my whole life
September 5, 2023
This is one of those truly inspired unions of a story worth telling and a writer worth reading. Though I've known people with stutters, I understood little about the condition before reading journalist John Hendrickson's story: how a boy who couldn't get his words out turned into a man who still struggles to do so, but who nevertheless chose a career whose entire point is talking to people.
The book is full of many such dichotomies; for example, Hendrickson describes how speech therapies meant to curb stuttering often make stutterers less confident and less able to articulate themselves. He also interviews many former and current stutterers (the most prominent being Emily Blunt and Joe Biden), discovering that many who are said to have "stopped" stuttering have just learned to recover well from it and that many who continue to stutter feel it makes them who they are. Hendrickson also interviewed many of his non-stuttering friends and family members, adding the dimension of how fluent speakers see stuttering and what attitudes are and are not helpful to stutterers.
This is a thoughtful, honest, well-written memoir that manages to feel both personal and comprehensive. Whether you've stuttered or not, I think you'd benefit from picking it up.
Note on the format: I listened to the audiobook, read by George Newbern. His performance is overall excellent, but I especially appreciated the way he portrays stutters aloud.
The book is full of many such dichotomies; for example, Hendrickson describes how speech therapies meant to curb stuttering often make stutterers less confident and less able to articulate themselves. He also interviews many former and current stutterers (the most prominent being Emily Blunt and Joe Biden), discovering that many who are said to have "stopped" stuttering have just learned to recover well from it and that many who continue to stutter feel it makes them who they are. Hendrickson also interviewed many of his non-stuttering friends and family members, adding the dimension of how fluent speakers see stuttering and what attitudes are and are not helpful to stutterers.
This is a thoughtful, honest, well-written memoir that manages to feel both personal and comprehensive. Whether you've stuttered or not, I think you'd benefit from picking it up.
Note on the format: I listened to the audiobook, read by George Newbern. His performance is overall excellent, but I especially appreciated the way he portrays stutters aloud.
January 29, 2023
“Life on Delay” moved me on many levels:
First, it’s impeccably written. It was a pleasure to read and impossible to put it down;
Second, I learned so much about a neurological issue I knew nothing about;
Third, the manner in which the author and his family were able to proactively address past challenges head on was inspiring;
Fourth: the lesson of directly confronting, and speaking about, issues as opposed to burying them to be addressed in the future, was a theme that permeated throughout the book; and
Fifth: knowing one of the people described in the book made its message personal, heightening it’s resonance. But this book will resonate deeply to anyone that picks it up.
First, it’s impeccably written. It was a pleasure to read and impossible to put it down;
Second, I learned so much about a neurological issue I knew nothing about;
Third, the manner in which the author and his family were able to proactively address past challenges head on was inspiring;
Fourth: the lesson of directly confronting, and speaking about, issues as opposed to burying them to be addressed in the future, was a theme that permeated throughout the book; and
Fifth: knowing one of the people described in the book made its message personal, heightening it’s resonance. But this book will resonate deeply to anyone that picks it up.
December 31, 2023
I cried a lot during this book, it was emotional for me but also informative. In the beginning I did wish there was more scientific knowledge behind the facts and theories, but towards the end of the book I accepted the fact that the book really is a memoir and I shouldn’t make it what it isn’t.
Overall, great book. Language and being able to express yourself in the world is taken for granted with those that aren’t being misunderstood, heard, or given the patience. I’ve been fascinated with the speech world and speech impediments this year, alongside the nature of language itself and what it can do to a term or feeling. Being able to communicate the way we do is some form of Magic!
Overall, great book. Language and being able to express yourself in the world is taken for granted with those that aren’t being misunderstood, heard, or given the patience. I’ve been fascinated with the speech world and speech impediments this year, alongside the nature of language itself and what it can do to a term or feeling. Being able to communicate the way we do is some form of Magic!
June 11, 2024
As someone with a degree in communication disorders, this was very eye-opening to see which therapists helped him through the years — what worked, what wasn’t helpful.
But as a mom of a 9 year old with a stutter, it gutted me. John is very open with his personal struggles with self image, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and what it is like being someone who stutters. There is much more going on beneath the surface that you don’t realize as an outsider. If you have someone in your life with a stutter, it’s a must-read. They are some of the bravest people you will ever meet.
But as a mom of a 9 year old with a stutter, it gutted me. John is very open with his personal struggles with self image, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and what it is like being someone who stutters. There is much more going on beneath the surface that you don’t realize as an outsider. If you have someone in your life with a stutter, it’s a must-read. They are some of the bravest people you will ever meet.
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