Salon Illuminates Invaluable Connections Between Poetry and Stuttering

At Salon, Mary Elizabeth Williams writes about the significance of Joe Biden's stutter, and about how, as a child, he would memorize poetry to help him manage his stutter. She also asks Jordan Scott, poet and author of the children's book I Talk Like a River (Neal Porter Books, 2020), to weigh in:

"I do not stutter because I am nervous," he says. "I do not stutter because I am weak or fearful. I do not stutter because I'm unintelligent. I do not need help finishing my thoughts. I do not need help saying what I am about to say."

He adds, "When speaking, don't we all forget words? Don't we all hesitate or pause? Don't we all sometimes wish we said something else or found a better word to express ourselves? This is what I often refer to as the regime of fluency or a structure of continually promulgated beliefs about how someone should sound or speak in order to be considered credible and intelligent."

Scott says he thinks fluency "is a fiction." "When I listen to Biden I hear vulnerability, confidence, rupture, hesitation, boldness, blockages, clarity," he told me. "When I listen to Biden I hear the true nature of speech in all its extraordinary nuance."

That nuance is the result of years of disciplined effort. Growing up, Joe Biden memorized poetry and practiced his recitation skills in front of a mirror to manage his stutter. As he wrote to the Stuttering Foundation of America five years ago, "When you commit yourself to a goal and when you persevere in the face of struggle, you will discover new strengths and skills to help you overcome not only this challenge but future life challenges, as well. I promise you — you have nothing to be ashamed of, and every reason to be proud."  

Read more at Salon.