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David Shields Turns Stuttering Into a Metaphor.

Novelist David Shields. His second novel, Dead Languages, uses the experience of stuttering as a metaphor for the difficulty of all interaction. It's the story of Jeremy Zorn and his efforts - sometimes comic - to overcome his stutter. The story parallels Shields' experiences. Shields says the inspiration for the novel grew from the paradox between his own comfort and security in the written word, contrasted with his virtual paralysis with speech. (Rebroadcast. Original date 5/10/89).

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Other segments from the episode on November 20, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, November 20, 1989: Interview with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth; Review of the New Music America Festival; Interview with David Shields; Review of the television…

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