Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"The kind of memoir that educates, endears, impacts and devastates, often simultaneously....Personal yet informative, Life on Delay delves into the internal poeticism of someone who feels perpetually on the fringe." BookPage (Starred Review)
Review
"[A] moving exploration....A wealth of fascinating detail....But the real draw lies in [Hendrickson's] account of his personal experiences, which convey something essential about the challenge of being human." The New Yorker
Review
"Powerful....The author is a thoughtful reporter, and he delivers a visceral understanding of how he compartmentalized his shame. This memoir casts a necessary light on a disability that too often goes unseen." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Inspiring and empowering....[A] thoughtful, well-reported memoir....This is a potentially life-changing read for everyone, not only for people who are struggling with feeling different. " Booklist
Review
"Soulful....Hendrickson provides a raw, intimate look at his life with a stutter. It's a profoundly moving book that will reshape the way you think about people living with this condition." Esquire
About the Author
John Hendrickson is a senior editor at The Atlantic. He previously wrote and edited for Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The Denver Post. His Atlantic feature "What Joe Biden Can't Bring Himself to Say" was named one of the best stories of 2019 by Longform. He lives in New York City with his wife.