I can only speak for my own experience but showing up as a person who stutters led to that spontaneity and joy in the workplace. Stuttering can be ever-present but not at the center of everything. It can exist in that space without concealment and shame. Don't let it be the elephant in the room. – Stephen Greene Stephen Greene has been a prolific presence within the online stuttering community. Based in Ireland, Greene has supported the stuttering community for nearly 20 years as an advocate, influencer, blogger, support group leader, and Former Chair of the Irish Stammering Association (ISA ..read more

SLPs should ask themselves: “Why am I teaching this person to change their speech patterns? Why are they learning this particular skill?” Perhaps even more importantly, stutterers need the opportunity to explore those questions for themselves. – Dr. Ryan Pollard On the evening of Saturday, June 3, 2023, I had the opportunity to attend a live taping of the Mile High Stash podcast at Roots Music Project in Boulder, Colorado. Another friend and colleague was also there that night of the taping: Dr. Ryan Pollard. Pollard is a fellow Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), a board-certified stuttering ..read more

“Too often, young people who stutter receive communication that the performing arts are not 'for' them, and therefore don’t have the opportunity to channel their incredible imaginations and voices into these mediums. And what a loss that is. People who stutter are brilliant, and deserve the time they need to speak. People who stutter deserve to be in the arts, in all of their authenticity, stutter and all.” – Kate Detrick, Person Who Stutters and Director of Confident Voices “Once you prove to yourself that you can do the thing you're most afraid of, what else is possible for you? I will never ..read more

“…the young warrior said, ‘How can I defeat you?’”…“Fear replied, ‘My weapons are that I talk fast, and I get very close to your face. Then you get completely unnerved, and you do whatever I say. If you don’t do what I tell you, I have no power. You can listen to me, and you can have respect for me. You can even be convinced by me. But if you don’t do what I say, I have no power.’ In that way, the student warrior learned how to defeat fear.” – Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart I am standing on a stage and a bright light is shining directly into my eyes. As I face the camera, exposed and vu ..read more

“We are definitely willing to go to the dark places, even if there’s this push toward stuttering positivity…but being around other people who stutter kind of transforms that darkness into a power.” When I first touch base with Emma Alpern about the possibility of an interview, she responds by saying, “I have been feeling a bit out of the stuttering loop lately…but maybe we can talk about stuttering apathy.” With such a strong, supportive voice for stuttering positivity, her use of the word “apathy” catches me off guard. I am immediately intrigued. Alpern has been a leading voice in the stutte ..read more

“I’m beginning to imagine what I could tell kids. [I’d like to tell them] it’s hard to disarm other human beings so fast, so treat [stuttering] like the superpower that it is.” – Steve Varney “I’d love to have you at my home; it’s such a sweet little farm,” musician Steve Varney says as we set up a time and date for an interview. The home he’s referring to is Starling Farm, a six-acre community farm in Boulder, Colorado. The property is owned and operated by none other than Gregory Alan Isakov, Varney’s bandmate and Grammy-nominated folk musician. The two live at Starling Farm in separate dwe ..read more

"There was a new generation of young people who stutter, who thought like I did, who did not see stuttering as something that needed a cure, and who were even having conversations about how we and how the world around us benefits by the presence of our stutter." – Barry Yeoman When I was given the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation about stuttering with Barry Yeoman, I’ll admit I felt intimidated. After all, it isn’t every day that you write an article about one of the country’s most well-regarded non-fiction writers. Yeoman, the lauded investigative journalist, is an internation ..read more

"I believe my experience as a stutterer has increased my capacity for empathy... And that openness serves me as an artist. It also helps remind me that I’m capable of any challenge my profession can throw at me." – Jihad Milhem I first had the privilege of seeing Jihad Milhem perform in a professional production of A Christmas Carol. That well-known and often told story about Ebenezer Scrooge opening his hardened heart to the true spirit of Christmas. As the Ghost of Christmas Present (and a variety of other character roles) I found his performance to be honest, unique and downright compellin ..read more