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Speak Up, Speak Out, Stutter On!

By Eric, 14 years old

Shady Trails 2014 Reunion

“Shady Trailers, hats off to thee!”
August 15 ‐17, 2014

General information

Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, author of the just released children's book A Boy and A Jaguar, is one of the world’s leading big cat experts, and has been called "The Indiana Jones of Wildlife Conservation" by TIME Magazine.

A Boy and A Jaguar

A Boy and a Jaguar by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz

Alan loves animals, but the great cat house at the Bronx Zoo makes him sad. Why are they all alone in empty cages? Are they being punished? More than anything, he wants to be their champion—their voice—but he stutters uncontrollably.

Except when he talks to animals…Then he is fluent.

VINCE VAWTER

Vince Vawter, author of the 2014 Newbery Honor Book Paperboy, is a native of Memphis. He worked in newspapers for 40 years, rising from sports writer to newspaper publisher.

Paperboy

Paperboy by Vince Vawter is about an 11-year-old boy living in Memphis in 1959 who throws the meanest fastball in town, but talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering, not even his own name.

SCOTT DAMIAN

In November of 2013, Scott Damian’s long-awaited memoir, Voice: A Stutterer’s Odyssey, hit bookshelves through Behler Publication. In this gritty, raw memoir, Mr.

V-V-Voice: A Stutterer’s Odyssey

V-V-Voice: A Stutterer’s Odyssey by Scott Damian

ANNA OLSWANGER

Anna Olswanger is a literary agent, children's book author, book promoter, miniature book publisher, music licenser, and trainer. Her book Greenhorn is a powerful story that gives human dimension to the Holocaust.

Minding Miss Manners: Advice for Speaking with a Person Who Stutters

For Immediate Release
Contact: Greg Wilson
greg@curleycompany.com
571-239-7474

Pages

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, was well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones spoke some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

Marilyn Monroe

From Edward S. Herrington's letter to Southcoasttoday.com

I am writing in response to "The importance of voice" (May 29), which mentioned that famous actor James Earl Jones struggled with stuttering. Another famous voice that you cited was the trademark breathy voice of Marilyn Monroe; however, you did not make mention of the fact that Marilyn Monroe also struggled with stuttering at various points in her life, sometimes very painfully.