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Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen
Nina G bills herself as “The San Francisco Bay Area’s Only Female Stuttering Comedian.” On stage, she encounters the occasional heckler, but off stage she is often confronted with people’s comments toward her stuttering; listeners completing her sentences, inquiring, “Did you forget your name?” and giving unwanted advice like “slow down and breathe” are common. (As if she never thought about slowing down and breathing in her over thirty years of stuttering!)
When Nina started comedy nearly ten years ago, she was the only woman in the world of stand-up who stuttered—not a surprise, since men outnumber women four to one amongst those who stutter and comedy is a male-dominated profession. Nina’s brand of comedy reflects the experience of many people with disabilities in that the problem with disability isn’t in the person with it but in a society that isn’t always accessible or inclusive.
When Nina started comedy nearly ten years ago, she was the only woman in the world of stand-up who stuttered—not a surprise, since men outnumber women four to one amongst those who stutter and comedy is a male-dominated profession. Nina’s brand of comedy reflects the experience of many people with disabilities in that the problem with disability isn’t in the person with it but in a society that isn’t always accessible or inclusive.
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2019
9 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Nina G.
15 books13 followersNina G is a comedian, professional speaker and Disability advocate. She travels the country performing at comedy clubs and colleges and keynoting at conferences. She is part of the comedy troupe The Comedians with Disabilities Act, which brings laughter and awareness to audiences of all ages across the country. Nina lives in Oakland with her husband, Ethan who is a comedian and educator. Since comedians should never quit their day job, she also works as a counselor for students with disabilities at a California Community College, which she loves almost as much as stand-up comedy. She has contributed to numerous books on stuttering and disability studies, including her own children’s book, Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities.
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December 25, 2022in this book, nina g. details various aspects of her life as a person who stutters, including the helpful and not-so-helpful comments she receives about her speech. nina also has capd and dyslexia, and her dyslexia was brought up quite a bit as well. i loved nina’s sarcastic sense of humor and how this was balanced with more serious issues. as someone studying to be a speech-language pathologist, i learned a lot from this book and i’d recommend it to my classmates (though maybe not my teachers, at least until i graduate…too many penis jokes).
February 9, 2022
you’d think a comedian’s memoir would be funny
content/trigger warnings; ableism & internalized ableism (general and specifically regarding stuttering and dyslexia), medical experimentation, bullying, sexual abuse, anti-native language, depression, lesbophobia, racism, xenophobia, sexism, anxiety attack, fatphobia, sexual harassment, body shaming, r slur,
honestly i don’t like much about this. the author’s personality, writing, humor, and opinions just did not click with me. there’s lots of internalized ableism in this book, past and present, acknowledged and unacknowledged. she has some “not like other girls” vibes, there’s a bit of “disabled people can be normal and live normal lives too!!” stuff, she waxes poetic about howard stern and dave chapelle, and her sense of humor seems to just be “haha dicks and periods amiright!!!”. there’s a few bits that i like, but overall i’m pretty disappointed.
content/trigger warnings; ableism & internalized ableism (general and specifically regarding stuttering and dyslexia), medical experimentation, bullying, sexual abuse, anti-native language, depression, lesbophobia, racism, xenophobia, sexism, anxiety attack, fatphobia, sexual harassment, body shaming, r slur,
honestly i don’t like much about this. the author’s personality, writing, humor, and opinions just did not click with me. there’s lots of internalized ableism in this book, past and present, acknowledged and unacknowledged. she has some “not like other girls” vibes, there’s a bit of “disabled people can be normal and live normal lives too!!” stuff, she waxes poetic about howard stern and dave chapelle, and her sense of humor seems to just be “haha dicks and periods amiright!!!”. there’s a few bits that i like, but overall i’m pretty disappointed.
January 4, 2021
This book is a hilarious, personal, and important account of one person’s experience as a person who stutters(PWS). As a speech language pathologist, I appreciated her thoughts and the experiences she shares, as they help me better understand the children I support. I would have loved to have read this during grad school, as it is very accessible and synthesizes a lot of the emotional components to stuttering that come with facing discrimination, micro aggressions, etc. Highly recommend to anyone who knows/works with/loves PWS but probably more important for people who have little to no understanding of stuttering as they will likely interact with PWS at some point in their lives.
April 1, 2019
A Review of Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen Paperback — August 6, 2019
(This Review is from an advance Copy supplied by the Author)
“Why would someone for whom talking was torture want to talk all the time before thousands of Athenians? Because otherwise, he’d have drowned himself at high tide. My sister- so shy, so sincere- once wanted to be an actress. The best jazz drummer I’ve ever heard had only one arm. We all choose a calling that’s the most radical contradiction of ourselves.”
― David Shields, Dead Languages
I’ve known Nina G for years, but mostly as a colleague in the workplace. I’ve also seen her doing standup more than once at different venues. Genuinely funny, and surprisingly raunchy Nina has a razor wit and wry social commentary to her act that makes her a crowd favorite when she performs.
When you see Nina perform you will notice that she stutters while on stage. In fact, Nina G bills herself as “The San Francisco Bay Area’s Only Female Stuttering Comedian.” When Nina mentioned that she had a book coming out and wondered if I would like to take a look at it, I jumped at the chance.
Stutterer Interrupted chronicles the years of Nina’s life as a child growing up in San Francisco’s East Bay, to her years doing stand up in San Francisco Comedy Clubs. The work chronicles Nina’s childhood when very young she was diagnosed with a learning disability. Both of these issues had a large impact on Nina during her formulative years. However, having a family that was very supportive and “Took no shit” she had the advocacy to help her follow her dreams and set goals toward higher education and while also following her dream to be a stand-up comedian.
Nina G has a doctorate in psychology, and is self-described, “frustrated dyslexic-stuttering academic.” After her eight years of college, she states that “I never felt at home in academia. I knew I had important ideas, but my learning disability made it difficult to write them out, especially in a style that felt foreign and inauthentic to who I am.” Nina has used her education to become an advocate for the disabled and spends a lot of her time using social media and public appearances to speak for the misunderstood, marginalized and misrepresented.
When Nina started comedy nearly ten years ago, she was the only woman in the world of stand-up who stuttered. Nina does encounter the occasional heckler during her performances and deals with them summarily. Off stage she is often confronted with other’s comments toward her stuttering; listeners completing her sentences, giving her unwanted advice, or making mean-spirited digs meant to humiliate. With most comedians, the heckling ends outside of the club but Nina endures heckling every day of her life and in all arenas, “I have experienced interruptions my entire life. I don’t just mean people talking over me. I mean my entire development as a person has been interrupted, arrested, stunted, and whatever else it says in the thesaurus.” Nina had more than her fair share of heckling and when she encountered it as a comedian she had an interesting perspective to deal with them. “Hecklers are a safe outlet for dealing with assholes. If you tell your asshole boss to shut up, you get fired; if you tell an asshole heckler to shut up, you get applause. Thank God for hecklers! They taught me how to brush off insults and remain confident, both on and off the stage.”(Nina G.)
The stories in “Stutterer Interrupted” are all true (certain names and details have been changed to protect people’s privacy). Sometimes when reading the book, you may be shocked at the things that were said to Nina by strangers, peers, and other comedians. All of the comments written in the book are actual statements made to her. This gives you a small taste of the things that Nina has endured over the years from other people.
Nina’s brand of comedy reflects the experience of many people with disabilities in that the problem with disability isn’t in the person but in a society that isn’t always accessible or inclusive. As she said in the book “There were a million stories I could tell this audience, but it’s usually best to open with established material. I walked on stage and delivered my best jokes on stuttering, channeling my excitement into the performance. I was determined to break through their antipathy and find some common ground.”
Ultimately, as biographies go, many that I’ve read over the years seem to have no unifying theme or solidifying conclusion. Nina’s is a rare jewel as she has an established cause and effect in her book. At the end of the book, there is a section that is titled “Transforming the Iceberg” that shows a “Sheehan Iceberg.” Dr. Joseph Sheehan compared stuttering to an iceberg. He stated that in his theory the stuttering behaviors we see at the surface, above the water (difficulties) are just the tip of the iceberg. The greatest portions of the iceberg and hence the issue are what emotions are effecting the stuttering that lurk below the surface of the iceberg. Nina has another theory. “We don’t refer to happiness as “not sadness,” or confidence as “not embarrassment.” The negative emotions in Sheehan’s Iceberg all have positive equivalents. I propose that we can do more than simply make the bad feelings go away; we have the power to transform fear, shame, anxiety, isolation, denial, guilt, and hopelessness into feelings of courage, pride, comfort, community, acceptance, kindness, and hope.”
I had a sense of triumph reading the book, it was nice seeing the author rise above the people who belittled, bullied and attempted to destroy any attempt she had of wanting a future, or the ability to follow her dreams. Like many people with disabilities, she was the target of condescension and ridicule. Debilitating for many people, constant criticism can suck away resolve. For some, it leads to giving up. Nina was dogged by negative self-image until she was able to rise above this and create a new reality for herself where her own self-image is more important and valid than what is being offered by others.
This is not Nina’s first rodeo with publishing. In 2013 she published “Once upon an Accommodation” with fellow comedian Mean Dave. (Who is mentioned quite a bit in Stutter Interrupted.) The book concerns advocacy skills that are essential for individuals with disabilities to develop. Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities tells the journey of Matt who is diagnosed with a Learning Disability, learns to embrace it, finds he isn’t alone and learns what it means to advocate.
The Good:
· Good solid chapters that had some very entertaining anecdotes.
· A rare insider view of what It’s like to be a standup comic
· Good solid references for anyone wanting to learn more about resources for Stutterers.
The Bad:
· I had no problems with this book. I gladly recommend it to adults who want an interesting, funny and poignant read.
About Nina G: Nina is a comedian, professional speaker and Disability advocate who lives in the Bay Area with her husband, Ethan who is also a comedian and educator. Nina works as a counselor for students with disabilities at a California Community College. Nina travels the country performing at comedy clubs and colleges and keynoting at conferences. She is part of the comedy troupe The Comedians with Disabilities Act, which brings laughter and awareness to audiences of all ages across the country. Nina has contributed to numerous books on stuttering and disability studies, including her own children’s book, Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities. Websites:
You can visit Nina G’s Website at:
www.NinaGcomedian.com
www.StuttererInterrupted.com
Twitter: @NinaGcomedian
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Ninagcomedian
www.Facebook.com/StuttererInterrupted
(This Review is from an advance Copy supplied by the Author)
“Why would someone for whom talking was torture want to talk all the time before thousands of Athenians? Because otherwise, he’d have drowned himself at high tide. My sister- so shy, so sincere- once wanted to be an actress. The best jazz drummer I’ve ever heard had only one arm. We all choose a calling that’s the most radical contradiction of ourselves.”
― David Shields, Dead Languages
I’ve known Nina G for years, but mostly as a colleague in the workplace. I’ve also seen her doing standup more than once at different venues. Genuinely funny, and surprisingly raunchy Nina has a razor wit and wry social commentary to her act that makes her a crowd favorite when she performs.
When you see Nina perform you will notice that she stutters while on stage. In fact, Nina G bills herself as “The San Francisco Bay Area’s Only Female Stuttering Comedian.” When Nina mentioned that she had a book coming out and wondered if I would like to take a look at it, I jumped at the chance.
Stutterer Interrupted chronicles the years of Nina’s life as a child growing up in San Francisco’s East Bay, to her years doing stand up in San Francisco Comedy Clubs. The work chronicles Nina’s childhood when very young she was diagnosed with a learning disability. Both of these issues had a large impact on Nina during her formulative years. However, having a family that was very supportive and “Took no shit” she had the advocacy to help her follow her dreams and set goals toward higher education and while also following her dream to be a stand-up comedian.
Nina G has a doctorate in psychology, and is self-described, “frustrated dyslexic-stuttering academic.” After her eight years of college, she states that “I never felt at home in academia. I knew I had important ideas, but my learning disability made it difficult to write them out, especially in a style that felt foreign and inauthentic to who I am.” Nina has used her education to become an advocate for the disabled and spends a lot of her time using social media and public appearances to speak for the misunderstood, marginalized and misrepresented.
When Nina started comedy nearly ten years ago, she was the only woman in the world of stand-up who stuttered. Nina does encounter the occasional heckler during her performances and deals with them summarily. Off stage she is often confronted with other’s comments toward her stuttering; listeners completing her sentences, giving her unwanted advice, or making mean-spirited digs meant to humiliate. With most comedians, the heckling ends outside of the club but Nina endures heckling every day of her life and in all arenas, “I have experienced interruptions my entire life. I don’t just mean people talking over me. I mean my entire development as a person has been interrupted, arrested, stunted, and whatever else it says in the thesaurus.” Nina had more than her fair share of heckling and when she encountered it as a comedian she had an interesting perspective to deal with them. “Hecklers are a safe outlet for dealing with assholes. If you tell your asshole boss to shut up, you get fired; if you tell an asshole heckler to shut up, you get applause. Thank God for hecklers! They taught me how to brush off insults and remain confident, both on and off the stage.”(Nina G.)
The stories in “Stutterer Interrupted” are all true (certain names and details have been changed to protect people’s privacy). Sometimes when reading the book, you may be shocked at the things that were said to Nina by strangers, peers, and other comedians. All of the comments written in the book are actual statements made to her. This gives you a small taste of the things that Nina has endured over the years from other people.
Nina’s brand of comedy reflects the experience of many people with disabilities in that the problem with disability isn’t in the person but in a society that isn’t always accessible or inclusive. As she said in the book “There were a million stories I could tell this audience, but it’s usually best to open with established material. I walked on stage and delivered my best jokes on stuttering, channeling my excitement into the performance. I was determined to break through their antipathy and find some common ground.”
Ultimately, as biographies go, many that I’ve read over the years seem to have no unifying theme or solidifying conclusion. Nina’s is a rare jewel as she has an established cause and effect in her book. At the end of the book, there is a section that is titled “Transforming the Iceberg” that shows a “Sheehan Iceberg.” Dr. Joseph Sheehan compared stuttering to an iceberg. He stated that in his theory the stuttering behaviors we see at the surface, above the water (difficulties) are just the tip of the iceberg. The greatest portions of the iceberg and hence the issue are what emotions are effecting the stuttering that lurk below the surface of the iceberg. Nina has another theory. “We don’t refer to happiness as “not sadness,” or confidence as “not embarrassment.” The negative emotions in Sheehan’s Iceberg all have positive equivalents. I propose that we can do more than simply make the bad feelings go away; we have the power to transform fear, shame, anxiety, isolation, denial, guilt, and hopelessness into feelings of courage, pride, comfort, community, acceptance, kindness, and hope.”
I had a sense of triumph reading the book, it was nice seeing the author rise above the people who belittled, bullied and attempted to destroy any attempt she had of wanting a future, or the ability to follow her dreams. Like many people with disabilities, she was the target of condescension and ridicule. Debilitating for many people, constant criticism can suck away resolve. For some, it leads to giving up. Nina was dogged by negative self-image until she was able to rise above this and create a new reality for herself where her own self-image is more important and valid than what is being offered by others.
This is not Nina’s first rodeo with publishing. In 2013 she published “Once upon an Accommodation” with fellow comedian Mean Dave. (Who is mentioned quite a bit in Stutter Interrupted.) The book concerns advocacy skills that are essential for individuals with disabilities to develop. Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities tells the journey of Matt who is diagnosed with a Learning Disability, learns to embrace it, finds he isn’t alone and learns what it means to advocate.
The Good:
· Good solid chapters that had some very entertaining anecdotes.
· A rare insider view of what It’s like to be a standup comic
· Good solid references for anyone wanting to learn more about resources for Stutterers.
The Bad:
· I had no problems with this book. I gladly recommend it to adults who want an interesting, funny and poignant read.
About Nina G: Nina is a comedian, professional speaker and Disability advocate who lives in the Bay Area with her husband, Ethan who is also a comedian and educator. Nina works as a counselor for students with disabilities at a California Community College. Nina travels the country performing at comedy clubs and colleges and keynoting at conferences. She is part of the comedy troupe The Comedians with Disabilities Act, which brings laughter and awareness to audiences of all ages across the country. Nina has contributed to numerous books on stuttering and disability studies, including her own children’s book, Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities. Websites:
You can visit Nina G’s Website at:
www.NinaGcomedian.com
www.StuttererInterrupted.com
Twitter: @NinaGcomedian
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Ninagcomedian
www.Facebook.com/StuttererInterrupted
May 11, 2019
“Stutterer Interrupted – The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen” addresses the disability of stuttering. Okay, that is a given. That it is written from a first person perspective, and addresses real life experiences, is impressive. Nina G is indeed a comedian, but she is also a professional speaker and Disability advocate, and a counselor for students with disabilities at a California Community College.
This is a very interesting book, in that it is written as a series of stories reflecting Nina G’s life and experiences. You find things out, like the fact that she comes from a traditional Italian family, and that there are other disabilities within her family (her father has a hearing loss, as did his father, and his father’s mother). Also, Nina G has a second disability, in that she is dyslexic.
One warning that I would have about this book is that it does contain some strong language. However, having said that, the language is part of who Nina G is, and not an attempt to shock her readers, or appear to be this big, bad person.
One of the first things noted is that those who stutter are often interrupted by people who want to supply a word or finish a sentence. I have seen this happen, and it is not right. Have patience, and be respectful, people!
There is also the fact that stutterers are treated differently from everyone else. And everyone wants to give them advice on how to stop stuttering. I can tell you that I would not handle that well!
Through her stories we see the world through Nina G’s eyes. It is hard being the “weird” person. It is hard trying to fit in. It is hard when one of your worst stuttering moments happens when you have to introduce yourself. Which may explain why she is a huge Howard Stern fan! Or not.
It is an interesting journey to watch, as Nina G goes through college, makes the decision to go into comedy, and begins to work with organizations that address disabilities. She is finding herself in many different ways. (And she marries a fellow comedian.)
At the end of the book are chapter notes, and a list of resources for the stuttering community.
There is a lot of back and forth between mini-rants and solid intellectual presentation. All in all, this is a serious subject addressed in a straightforward manner.
This is a very interesting book, in that it is written as a series of stories reflecting Nina G’s life and experiences. You find things out, like the fact that she comes from a traditional Italian family, and that there are other disabilities within her family (her father has a hearing loss, as did his father, and his father’s mother). Also, Nina G has a second disability, in that she is dyslexic.
One warning that I would have about this book is that it does contain some strong language. However, having said that, the language is part of who Nina G is, and not an attempt to shock her readers, or appear to be this big, bad person.
One of the first things noted is that those who stutter are often interrupted by people who want to supply a word or finish a sentence. I have seen this happen, and it is not right. Have patience, and be respectful, people!
There is also the fact that stutterers are treated differently from everyone else. And everyone wants to give them advice on how to stop stuttering. I can tell you that I would not handle that well!
Through her stories we see the world through Nina G’s eyes. It is hard being the “weird” person. It is hard trying to fit in. It is hard when one of your worst stuttering moments happens when you have to introduce yourself. Which may explain why she is a huge Howard Stern fan! Or not.
It is an interesting journey to watch, as Nina G goes through college, makes the decision to go into comedy, and begins to work with organizations that address disabilities. She is finding herself in many different ways. (And she marries a fellow comedian.)
At the end of the book are chapter notes, and a list of resources for the stuttering community.
There is a lot of back and forth between mini-rants and solid intellectual presentation. All in all, this is a serious subject addressed in a straightforward manner.
July 17, 2021
As a speech language pathologist I loved this book! It was hilarious, informative and touching. I throughly enjoyed the author’s perspectives and stories she shared. (She had me chuckling often!) I learned so much, and it opened my eyes to things I didn’t fully realize as a fluent person…and SLP for that matter. This book is not only for those who work with and know people who stutter, but also for those who don’t. Acceptance is such a big part of her story and that message is shared beautifully throughout the book. It’s an easy and fun read that you no doubt will enjoy. It���s not bogged down with a ton of research and statistics and will have you turning the page to see what story she shares next.
August 28, 2019
A must read for young women with disabilities
Nina G. Has a humorous way of describing the disability experience and her journey through the comedy scene to become a female stuttering comedian. From shame to acceptance, this book tells a wonderful story.
Nina G. Has a humorous way of describing the disability experience and her journey through the comedy scene to become a female stuttering comedian. From shame to acceptance, this book tells a wonderful story.
August 27, 2019
Excellent, positive, funny, real.
September 22, 2019
This book is for EVERYONE who likes memoirs. It can also be for people who particularly like stand-up comedy memoirs or just comedy. If you are a fan of any of these types of books and you don't read this one you are missing out. This book is literally inspiring.*Note below.
This memoir is well paced with the perfect balance of musings and events. Like Michelle Obama's memoir (and any good story) Nina G focuses on what she did, not what happened to her. Because she is an active participant in her life the reader feels like they are as well.
After reading you don't only feel like you know the author, but you also feel like you know the starts of the stand-up comedy scene, not only in Northern California but anywhere. You also come away with a deeper understanding of what human beings want and need when they talk about acceptance.
In today's culture where you are either labeled a "snowflake" or an "asshole" this book shows you what wanting and striving for acceptance truly is. It shows you that yes, snowflakes can be assholes and true assholes are snowflakes. It shows you acceptance isn't about expecting people to never say anything that personally offends them. It's about wanting to be heard (at times literally) not just because you exist but because you've worked to have ideas worth being heard as much as the next guy. In this case the "guy" happens to be a cisgender disabled woman who stutters but made careers in academia and comedy.
*I used the word "inspiring" not because the author has a disability. People often say a disabled person is "inspiring" when they really mean: "If you a lowly disabled person somehow can manage to be less than miserable, why not me??" Obviously, this is not how I mean it. I mean the book has inspired me to say this as a disabled person:
This book can also be read by people who want to understand disability more. BUT...it is NOT ONLY for people with disabilities ANYMORE Than a Dave Chappell memoir would ONLY be for African American comedians.*If you find the idea that "only black people will read black people books" offensive and outdated please know that this STILL happens to everything written in the disability community.
You know how annoying it is when you hear "Diversity is in."? Well, that comment is often followed up by "even people with disabilities are being represented." That's not annoying but downright offensive. So, I hope people read this book not to be "inspired" but because they want a good life story as well as an education about comedy, academia, and/or the stuttering scene...and Italian girl dick jokes.
This memoir is well paced with the perfect balance of musings and events. Like Michelle Obama's memoir (and any good story) Nina G focuses on what she did, not what happened to her. Because she is an active participant in her life the reader feels like they are as well.
After reading you don't only feel like you know the author, but you also feel like you know the starts of the stand-up comedy scene, not only in Northern California but anywhere. You also come away with a deeper understanding of what human beings want and need when they talk about acceptance.
In today's culture where you are either labeled a "snowflake" or an "asshole" this book shows you what wanting and striving for acceptance truly is. It shows you that yes, snowflakes can be assholes and true assholes are snowflakes. It shows you acceptance isn't about expecting people to never say anything that personally offends them. It's about wanting to be heard (at times literally) not just because you exist but because you've worked to have ideas worth being heard as much as the next guy. In this case the "guy" happens to be a cisgender disabled woman who stutters but made careers in academia and comedy.
*I used the word "inspiring" not because the author has a disability. People often say a disabled person is "inspiring" when they really mean: "If you a lowly disabled person somehow can manage to be less than miserable, why not me??" Obviously, this is not how I mean it. I mean the book has inspired me to say this as a disabled person:
This book can also be read by people who want to understand disability more. BUT...it is NOT ONLY for people with disabilities ANYMORE Than a Dave Chappell memoir would ONLY be for African American comedians.*If you find the idea that "only black people will read black people books" offensive and outdated please know that this STILL happens to everything written in the disability community.
You know how annoying it is when you hear "Diversity is in."? Well, that comment is often followed up by "even people with disabilities are being represented." That's not annoying but downright offensive. So, I hope people read this book not to be "inspired" but because they want a good life story as well as an education about comedy, academia, and/or the stuttering scene...and Italian girl dick jokes.
January 7, 2022
I bought this book directly from Nina after a comedy show in which she performed. I told her I was buying it for a friend who stutters and she graciously wrote a note to him and signed it.
However, as a speech pathologist, I was just too curious to not read it first! And what a compelling, funny and thought-provoking read it was.
My first and most consistent thought while reading this book was: ATTENTION SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY GRAD PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS!!!! (Yes, I am shouting.) Please add this book to your curriculum immediately. The first-hand account of what it feels like to have dysfluent speech is invaluable to fluent clinicians who mean well, but will certainly benefit from learning about the human experience of stuttering and not just the science of stuttering.
The next major take-away, was: really, everyone can learn from and most definitely enjoy this book. Whether with disabilities or not, we are all of us on some sort of journey in this life. Nina’s memoir is a painful, yet funny account of a truly remarkable strength and sense of self that led her to embrace and find her best self. And isn’t that what we’re all aiming for?
Last take-away? I really need to get this book to my friend now :)
However, as a speech pathologist, I was just too curious to not read it first! And what a compelling, funny and thought-provoking read it was.
My first and most consistent thought while reading this book was: ATTENTION SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY GRAD PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS!!!! (Yes, I am shouting.) Please add this book to your curriculum immediately. The first-hand account of what it feels like to have dysfluent speech is invaluable to fluent clinicians who mean well, but will certainly benefit from learning about the human experience of stuttering and not just the science of stuttering.
The next major take-away, was: really, everyone can learn from and most definitely enjoy this book. Whether with disabilities or not, we are all of us on some sort of journey in this life. Nina’s memoir is a painful, yet funny account of a truly remarkable strength and sense of self that led her to embrace and find her best self. And isn’t that what we’re all aiming for?
Last take-away? I really need to get this book to my friend now :)
August 22, 2020
Nina G is a stand up comedian who stutters. Stutterer Interrupted guides us through her story, from stuttering in Catholic school in the 80s while nursing a secret dream of being a comedian, to the transforming experiences that led her to finally start pursuing her dream as an adult. She also talks about important topics such as stuttering while dating, self-acceptance, being an ally to people with disabilities, and dealing with jerks! Whether or not you stutter yourself, you will find a lot to relate to in this book. A fast, fun and enlightening read for all!
December 31, 2019
How appropriate that I would learn about the author's reading/talk at my local independent bookstore just as I'm dealing with an extended period of stuttering. Nina gave me a whole new perspective on my own stuttering, along with a heaping helping of lots and lots of funny. Meeting her was very special, too.
Read
November 4, 2023“Our work . .. what does that mean? It means promoting realistic images of stuttering to counter misrepresentation in the media. It means funding research that will measure and address discrimination in personal and professional environments. It means reaching out to the people who have never been to a stuttering conference and removing barriers to access. It means identifying not only as stutterers, but every aspect of ourselves, so that issues of gender, sexual orientation, race, culture, and disability and their intersection with stuttering can be understood and celebrated. It means teaching law enforcement, educators, and employers how to interact with people who stutter, and teaching people who stutter to know their rights. It means challenging speech pathologists, social workers, psychotherapists, and other professionals to advocate for stuttering rights and to use their influence not simply to treat our speech, but to treat the prejudices of society.”
Great book and loved the insight into Nina G’s life and career, but super unfortunate Dave Chappelle and Howard Stern features (ick) so be warned. She puts a huge disclaimer on her affection for Stern but not for Chappelle (???) who had been blatantly transphobic for years by the time this was published.
Great book and loved the insight into Nina G’s life and career, but super unfortunate Dave Chappelle and Howard Stern features (ick) so be warned. She puts a huge disclaimer on her affection for Stern but not for Chappelle (???) who had been blatantly transphobic for years by the time this was published.
May 7, 2023
Helpful for interaction with persons with disabilities
I liked learning about offensive comments from the perspective of the person with the disability and even recognized some mistakes I've made, inadvertently.
This is a quick and simple read and the information can be applied to all disabilities as well as communications with those of other races and religions. A key point for me, it's not up to the affected person to educate me on their condition. I need to do the research myself to make myself a better ally.
I liked learning about offensive comments from the perspective of the person with the disability and even recognized some mistakes I've made, inadvertently.
This is a quick and simple read and the information can be applied to all disabilities as well as communications with those of other races and religions. A key point for me, it's not up to the affected person to educate me on their condition. I need to do the research myself to make myself a better ally.
November 27, 2024
2.5 stars
While the book had plenty of heartwarming, coming of age stories from Nina’s childhood to adulthood with a stutter, her humor detracts so much from the book. I’m sure in person she’s a good comedian, but it was giving 80s gen X humor the whole time and I couldn’t get over it. Sorry Nina G :/
While the book had plenty of heartwarming, coming of age stories from Nina’s childhood to adulthood with a stutter, her humor detracts so much from the book. I’m sure in person she’s a good comedian, but it was giving 80s gen X humor the whole time and I couldn’t get over it. Sorry Nina G :/
July 27, 2019
Funny, vivid and touching stories regarding Nina’s struggles to find her voice as an academic and comedian who stutters and has dyslexia. I like her sarcastic tone and matter-of-fact advice on how to treat folks with disabilities.
July 6, 2023
read this for a class. loved the comedic side, but also the truthful side behind people who stutter.
February 16, 2025
A wonderful, open and funny reflection on a journey towards acceptance, self-fulfillment and becoming a comedian as a person with stuttering. I enjoyed every page and read it in one sitting.
Read
November 28, 2025I misinterpreted the cover, thought it’d be a funny and quirky fiction novel, but it turned out to be an autobiography of a very uninteresting and unfunny person.
Checked out the comedian on YouTube, suffice to say she’s very much so on the stage too, not just in writing.
Didn’t bother to read the second half. Funnily enough, even the neighbourhood second-hand books dealer turned it down saying it won’t sell; instinct doesn’t deceive.
Gave it away to my building’s library to get rid of it. At least I stamped and embossed my name and social handle on it to ensure sufficient following online. Many thanks to the brain dead left woke libtards who ensure continuous readership of such slop.
Not surprised at all that she grew up in Cali.
Checked out the comedian on YouTube, suffice to say she’s very much so on the stage too, not just in writing.
Didn’t bother to read the second half. Funnily enough, even the neighbourhood second-hand books dealer turned it down saying it won’t sell; instinct doesn’t deceive.
Gave it away to my building’s library to get rid of it. At least I stamped and embossed my name and social handle on it to ensure sufficient following online. Many thanks to the brain dead left woke libtards who ensure continuous readership of such slop.
Not surprised at all that she grew up in Cali.
November 18, 2025
I read this for a fluency course I am currently taking. I appreciated the author’s perspectives, experiences, and humor.
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