UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State alumnus John Hendrickson, currently a staff writer at the Atlantic, will return to Happy Valley to discuss his critically acclaimed book, “Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter.”
“A Conversation with John Hendrickson” will take place at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 10, in Paterno Library’s Foster Auditorium on the University Park campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. Advance registration is required for those who wish to attend virtually.
In “Life on Delay,” Hendrickson writes candidly about issues that he and other stutterers face daily. He uses the book to explore 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 readers 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. Hendrickson also shares portraits of fellow stutterers who have changed his life and writes about a pioneering doctor who is upending the field of speech therapy.
Hendrickson received his bachelor's degree in English from Penn State in 2010 and is the 2023 recipient of the Department of English's Outstanding Young Alumni Award. He has written and edited for Rolling Stone, Esquire, and the Denver Post in addition to his current position with the Atlantic. His 2019 feature in the Atlantic, "What Joe Biden Can't Bring Himself to Say," which chronicled the current president's decades-long journey with stuttering, was named one of that year's best stories by Longform.
Hendrickson’s visit is sponsored by the Department of English, the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Intercollege Minor in Civic and Community Engagement, and Penn State University Libraries.