Proud Stutter
Maya Chupkov
Subscribe
A podcast about changing how we understand and talk about stuttering, one conversation at a time.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
10 hours ago
Stuttering Stigma and Amanda Mammana’s America’s Got Talent Audition
Amanda Mammana’s America’s Got Talent audition put a national spotlight on stuttering. At first, I couldn’t understand why it made me feel so uncomfortable watching it. Shouldn’t I be happy for a fellow woman who stutters getting this opportunity? And then I read Courtney Margulis’ post. She put words into what I had been feeling while watching the video of the audition.
In Season 2’s first bonus episode, I speak with Courtney and TikTok star Marc Winski about the audition, how it perpetuates stigma around stuttering, and what we can do about it.
Courtney’s post can be read here: An open letter to America’s Got Talent
You can follow Marc Winski @marcwinski
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@marcwinski?_t=8UVRwcjQ83G&_r=1
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marcwinski/?hl=en
Reach out and donate to Marc at https://linktr.ee/Marcwinski
Episode Overview
* [6:45 - 13:00] Inspiration Porn and Perpetuating Stigma
* [13:10 - 15:30] Educating via social media comments
* [15:30 - 16:48] Singing and stuttering
* [16:50 - 18:50] Pointing out the stigma
* [19:04 - 20:37] The varying responses to the audition
* [27:20 - 34:00] Calls to action to spread awareness to end the stigma
Want to support this work?
* Tell us what Proud Stutter has meant to you by leaving a voicemail (415-964-0140) or writing (info@proudstutter.com).
* Make a monthly or one-time donation on FlipCause.
* Leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, or Spotify.
* Sign up for our newsletter.
playlist_add
Jul 29, 2022
Stuttering, Code Switching and Redefining A Good Day With Dana Amihere
In our debut episode of Season 2, Maya speaks with the show's first Australian who stutters, Cameron Raynes, a lecturer at the University of South Australia. The co-host for this week is Dana Amihere, executive director of Afro LA, a community focused news outlet centering the black experience in and around greater LA. Also listen if you want to hear Maya try a British accent.
Topics Covered
* Stuttering in an open plan office
* Practicing stuttering in front of strangers
* Finding wellbeing and strength in stuttering
* Saying yes to public speaking
* Connections between writing, reading, and stuttering
* Arts-based therapy for stuttering
* Accents & Fluency
* Authenticity & Finding Your Voice
* Code switching to be taken seriously
* Intersecting invisible disabilities, power, and control
Also Mentioned
* Writing Program at SAY NY
* Out With It by Katherine Preston
* Brain imaging with actors
* First Person Shooter by Cameron Raynes
* Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Episode Overview
[3:05 - 6:28: Redefining A Good Day]
[6:30 - 9:12: Public Speaking]
[9:57 - 11:13: Stuttering & Writing & Telling Jokes/Stories]
[11:13 - 12:29: Reading and Stuttering]
[12:52 - 18:54: Arts-based therapy, Acting, Accents]
[18:56 - 20:30: Code Switching]
[20:31 - 21:31: Invisible Disabilities + Internalized Racism]
BE PART OF THE SHOW:
Rate this pod: https://ratethispodcast.com/proudstutter
Have a question or comment - Leave a voicemail for Maya & Cynthia at (415) 964-0140 - this is a voicemail-only line, so we promise you won't have to talk to someone in person!
Be a guest on the show - we would love to talk with you! Send us an email at: info@proudsutter.com
SUPPORT MAYA
Donate: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTUzOTE2
Buy cute Merch: https://www.proudstutter.com/shop
Share Proud Stutter with your friends: https://pod.link/1588336626
playlist_add
Jul 11, 2022
Exploring Stuttering and Intersectional Identities (Live Interview!)
Intersectional identities overlap, connect, disconnect and can even attempt to cancel each other out. During a live interview at the National Stuttering Association's 39th Annual Conference in Newport Beach California, I talked with multiple people who stutter about their intersectional identities and how these different identities show up in their lives.
Interviewees include Christian, an Asian American man who stutters and a film and TV producer, Sam, a multi-racial queer woman who stutters in the mental health field, Alicia, a Latino also in the healthcare field, and Eugene, an African American, Irish and Native American man who stutters.
Mentioned in the episode:
* Maya and the Three (Netflix show)
* Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
* The King’s Speech
* Behind Porky Pig’s Voice
Today’s Episode:
[3:56] What is Intersectionality?
[8:12] TV & Film & Shifting The Stuttering Narrative
[8:27] Characters Who Stutter & Examples of Representing Stuttering Right
[13:46] Covert Stuttering
[17:04] Creating A World Where We Stutter Freely
[19:50] Mini Interview with Alicia
[21:24] Mini Interview with Sam
[24:12] Mini Interview with Eugene
Connect with Maya and Proud Stutter: Twitter | Instagram | Website | LinkedIn | Support | Subscribe | E-Newsletter | Shop
SUPPORT PROUD STUTTER
Support Proud Stutter By Signing Up on Ko-Fi [Similar to Patreon]
OR
Make a One-Time Donation
playlist_add
Jun 21, 2022
Communicating In A Second Language and Stuttering: An Interview with Dad
Maya’s dad is one of her biggest fans. He’s listened to every episode and now it’s time for his podcast debut. In this bonus episode, Maya talks to her dad, also known as “Aba,” about his experience moving to a country where he didn’t speak the language, what he’s learned from listening to Proud Stutter, and more!
Mentions:
* Proud Stutter S1, Ep12: A Teenager’s Journey to Finding Pride In HIs Stutter
* Creating a Safe Spaces for Students Who Stutter (Proud Stutter Bonus Episode)
* Proud Stutter S1, Ep3: Real Talk With Mom
* The Bachelor’s Abigail Heringer
* Netflix Shows That Center on Disabilities
Today’s Episode:
[1:58 - 5:26] Living and communicating in a country while not speaking the language
[8:49 - 10:17] Advice for parents and fathers who have a child who stutters
[10:45 - 11:45] What stuttering topics does Maya’s Dad want to hear more of?
[11:45 - 15:20] Israeli Reality TV Show Features Person Who Stutters
Connect with Maya and Proud Stutter: Twitter | Instagram | Website | LinkedIn | Support | Subscribe | E-Newsletter | Shop
SUPPORT PROUD STUTTER
Join Proud Stutter’s Membership Program
Make a One-Time Donation
playlist_add
May 31, 2022
NSAW Recap, Season 2 Announcement, Public Speaking With A Stutter, and The Evolution of Speech Therapy
It’s always National Stuttering Awareness Week with Proud Stutter. Maya highlights the festivities from NSAW for this bonus episode, including an edited version of the Creating Safe Spaces For People Who Stutter panel, featuring Mariam Elba, Mike Meaney, and Dr. Rick Herder.
Be sure to listen to the entire episode to find out about Season 2 - launch date and theme!
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on Proud Stutters' Website: https://proudstutter.com/proud-stutter-bonus-3
Mentions:
* National Stuttering Awareness Week Press Coverage
* Creating Safe Spaces For People Who Stutter [full recording on YouTube]
Today’s Episode:
[1:50-3:05] Season 2 announcement
[3:10- 5:40] National Stuttering Awareness Week Recap
[6:11 - 17:32] Creating Safe Spaces - Connection To Stuttering
[17:32 - 20:44] ] Creating Safe Spaces - Speaking at the SF Stuttering Rally
[20:44 - 27:17] Creating Safe Spaces - Being a Public Speaker Who Stutters
[27:17- 29: 48] Creating Safe Spaces - Speech Therapy Transformations
Connect with Maya & Proud Stutter: Twitter | Instagram | Website | LinkedIn | Support | Subscribe | E-Newsletter | Shop | Coaching
SUPPORT PROUD STUTTER
Join Proud Stutter’s Membership Program
Make a One-Time Donation
playlist_add
May 13, 2022
Can 'Flow' Activities Have A Positive Impact on Stuttering?
Is there an activity where you feel 'at one' or ‘in the zone’? There's a term in psychology for this state of being called 'flow'.
For this bonus episode, Maya talks to Jayne Devlin, a Community Dance Artist and Co-Artistic Director of Inner Ground Dance Company.
Her research interests include exploring how participation in arts, creativity and culture may promote an enhanced sense of wellbeing and connection for individuals.
Her works focus on the intersections between dance, health, and wellbeing, specifically relating to aging and neurodegenerative health conditions (Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias) and Stroke.
Jayne is currently in her final year of an MSc Psychology course at Plymouth University (UK).
[4:00 - 7:53] Dancing and ‘Flow State”
[7:53 - 9:38] ] Releasing tension and psychology
[12:31 - 24:17] Acceptance and Transient moments
Mentions:
* Talk Live A River by Jordan Scott
* Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934 – 2021), a Hungarian American psychologist
* Jayne’s call for interviews for her research: transient wholeness for people who stammer
* Stamma, the British Stammering Association
RESOURCES
Become A Member of Proud Stutter
The Stuttering Coach
Proud Stutter
StutterNav
playlist_add
Apr 27, 2022
National Stuttering Awareness Week 2022: Be Part of It!
This year, National Stuttering Awareness Week is May 9 - May 15. Let’s talk about its history, why it matters, and how you can help spread the word.
IN THIS EPISODE
* [1:24 - 2:59] History behind National Stuttering Awareness Week
* [3:07 - 3:48] How you can be part of National Stuttering Awareness Week 2022
* [4:22 - 8:00] A Story from a Proud Stutter Listener
LINKS:
* National Stuttering Awareness Week
* Proud Stutter Local Resolution Toolkit
* Proud Stutter NSAW May 2022 Events
* Buy Proud Stutter Merch
* Proud Stutter, Season 1
RESOURCES
Become A Member of Proud Stutter
The Stuttering Coach
Proud Stutter
Have a question or comment - Leave a voicemail for Maya at (415) 964-0140 - this is a voicemail-only line, you won't have to talk to someone in person!
playlist_add
Apr 15, 2022
Nina G on Stuttering Representation in TV, Film, and the Media
Proud Stutter launches its new membership program today. All funds of the program will go back into the podcast. We won't be able to do the show without your support! Sign up here: ko-fi.com/proudstutter/tiers.
Popular culture and the media has a huge power to shift the hearts and minds of our society. Unfortunately, TV, film, and the media have not done the best job in representing people who stutter and have largely left out the voices and experiences of women stutterers.
This week we talk to Nina G, a stuttering comedian, about where popular culture misses the mark on the stuttering experience and how we can do better.
Also mentioned:
* Come-backs in response to stuttering jokes
* Protesting against stuttering discrimination
* Women and stuttering
* Stuttering Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen
* Dating someone who also stutters
* Stuttering guilt
* The problem of the inspiration story
* Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History
* Proud Stutter’s Launch Party
Films and TV representations mentioned:
* “Today, Junior,” in Billy Madison
* “Did I Stutter,” in The Office
* Change of Habit
* Porky Pig
* The King’s Speech
* My Cousin Vinny
* Moses Play
Nina’s Upcoming Live Shows:
* April 15: 501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
* April 16: 4920 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
* April 22: 1344 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501
playlist_add
Mar 25, 2022
A Teenager's Journey to Finding Pride In His Stutter
Eli Taulman is a teenager who has had a stutter since he first started talking. While he is proud of his stutter today, he didn’t always feel that way. He hid from the world by self-isolating and was deeply ashamed of his stutter growing up. A key turning point was attending his first National Stuttering Association conference where he met other stutterers for the first time.
Maya and Cynthia chat with Eli, Proud Stutter’s youngest guest, about how he became proud of his stutter and offers advice for teens who may be struggling with their stutter.
Mentioned in the episode:
* National Stuttering Association
* Registration for NSA Conference
* National Stuttering Association Teen Advisory Council
BE PART OF THE SHOW:
Rate this pod: https://ratethispodcast.com/proudstutter
Have a question or comment - Leave a voicemail for Maya & Cynthia at (415) 964-0140 - this is a voicemail-only line, so we promise you won't have to talk to someone in person!
Be a guest on the show - we would love to talk with you! Send us an email at: info@proudsutter.com
FOLLOW PROUD STUTTER & ITS CREATORS:
Maya’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mayasharona
Maya’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/MayaSharona
Cynthia’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cynthsta
Podcast website - www.proudstutter.com
Support us:
Donate: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/proudstutter
Buy cute merch: https://www.proudstutter.com/shop
Share Proud Stutter with your friends: https://pod.link/1588336626
playlist_add
Mar 11, 2022
Uncovering The Causes of Stuttering, An Interview With A Neuroscientist
There is no definitive answer to why a person stutters. However, thanks to Frank Guenther and his research lab at Boston University, the mystery of stuttering has become a little clearer. With advances in brain activity monitoring technology, neuroscientists like Frank are able to explore stuttering in exciting new ways.
Frank joins Maya and Cynthia for a conversation about his research on the underlying causes of stuttering and how it may be related to speech production.
Other topics mentioned in the episode:
* History of stuttering research and early misconceptions
* Correlations between behavior development in childhood and fluency
* Similarities between stutterers, neurotypical children, and adults with Parkinson’s
* Is there a connection between being bilingual and having a stutter?
* Stuttering differences in males and females
* Opportunities for future stuttering research
Quotes from the episode:
“There are probably subtypes of stuttering that we will eventually need to separate out if we truly want to understand the behavior because otherwise we will just keep seeing variability from study to study.”
“Relatively little research has been done in females who stutter so one of the things that we hope to learn from our collaboration with Dr. Chang’s lab is whether there are different developmental trajectories for males and females that might give us more insight into what's happening and why it's more likely that a males will continue to stutter, compared to a female who stuttered as a child.”
Mentioned in the episode:
* Guenther Lab at Boston University
* Speech Neurology Lab at the University of Michigan
* NIH Policy and Guidelines on The Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research
BE PART OF THE SHOW:
Rate this pod: https://ratethispodcast.com/proudstutter
Have a question or comment - Leave a voicemail for Maya & Cynthia at (415) 964-0140 - this is a voicemail-only line, so we promise you won't have to talk to someone in person!
Be a guest on the show - we would love to talk with you! Send us an email at: info@proudsutter.com
FOLLOW PROUD STUTTER & ITS CREATORS:
Maya’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mayasharona
Maya’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/MayaSharona
Cynthia’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cynthsta
Podcast website - www.proudstutter.com
Support us:
Donate: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/proudstutter
Buy cute merch: https://www.proudstutter.com/shop
Share Proud Stutter with your friends: https://pod.link/1588336626
playlist_add
Feb 25, 2022
Creating a Safe Space at Work For People Who Stutter
People who stutter are starting to create support groups at their workplaces as a way to create a safe space to discuss stuttering and sharing tips and strategies. Mike Meaney is one of these people. He recently started a stuttering support group at one of the biggest technology companies in the world.
Maya and Cynthia talk with Mike about how he started a support group at Meta (formerly known as Facebook), and how it has transformed his workplace environment for the better.
Topics covered include:
* Coming out as a person who stutters at work
* Managing a team as a person who stutters
* Advocating for speech therapy accommodations at Meta
* Opening up about the toughest moments growing up with a stutter
* Advice for managing stress at work
* Stuttering and its connection to having a high vocabulary
BE PART OF THE SHOW:
Rate this pod: https://ratethispodcast.com/proudstutter
Have a question or comment - Leave a voicemail for Maya & Cynthia at (415) 964-0140 - this is a voicemail-only line, so we promise you won't have to talk to someone in person!
Be a guest on the show - we would love to talk with you! Send us an email at: info@proudsutter.com
FOLLOW PROUD STUTTER & ITS CREATORS:
Maya’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mayasharona
Maya’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/MayaSharona
Cynthia’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cynthsta
Podcast website - www.proudstutter.com
Support us:
Donate: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/proudstutter
Buy cute merch: https://www.proudstutter.com/shop
Share Proud Stutter with your friends: https://pod.link/1588336626
playlist_add
Feb 11, 2022
Stuttering in the Newsroom with Pro Publica’s Mariam Elba
The movement to expand diversity and inclusivity in newsrooms is growing. Yet stuttering, a speech disability affecting nearly 1% of the population, is seldom talked about in the newsroom.
This week, Mariam Elba speaks with Maya and Cynthia about what it’s like to have a stutter in the newsroom. Mariam, a woman who stutters, is a research reporter at Pro Publica and an adjunct professor at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Journalism School. Mariam talks about her journey to becoming a reporter and how she didn’t let her stutter get in the way of pursuing journalism as a career and teaching.
“Don't be afraid to kind of go after what you feel really passionate about. Like if there are stories that you like, that you're seeing, and that you want to write about and report on that you're not seeing elsewhere, you should be the person to do that reporting. And that like, you know, your stutter doesn't like make you any less qualified to be someone speaking in like a public-facing setting.”…
playlist_add
Feb 4, 2022
Stuttering, Blackness, and Music with JJJJJerome Ellis, Part 2
Blackness, stuttering, music, and religion are all complex topics in their own right. Yet, Jerome Ellis combines them beautifully in his work, like when he uses academic and theoretical language to parse out the relationship between blackness and music.
In the second part of our interview with Ellis, we talk more about his album, The Clearing, and how he draws out the beauty of stuttering through various mediums – history to show the connection between music and blackness, and comparing waiting birds and trees to the unknowingness of stuttering.
“If I were...if I were repeating the first syllable of a book title than they…then [people] would be less likely to hang up because they would hear like, and they might be like – Oh, he's stuttering right now – but, because [my] glottal block so often sounds silent…people don't know what's happening, and…it's been so painful for so many years, but I gradually I’ve been able [to see there is something important there] in the no…
playlist_add
Jan 28, 2022
Stuttering, Blackness, and Music with JJJJJerome Ellis, Part 1
JJJJJerome Ellis talks with Maya and Cynthia about the intersections of being a black person who stutters and a musician, how his views of his disability evolved since childhood, and why it was so important for him to connect his stutter to his ancestral history of slavery in his work. He also highlights how the stage is a safe space for stuttering and music is a source of healing the pain he experienced as a child.
“Growing up I felt so much of the pain and also the beauty of the stutter. Over time I’ve come to feel the stutter alters time, and music is another way that we can alter time. Part of what I was trying to do with The Clearing is to try to undo some of the things that have been told to me about stuttering and to transform the stuttering narrative through poetry, music, history, and philosophy.”
Other topics include:
* Stuttering easily with animals
* Intersectionality
* Pain in not being able to connect with people
* The stage as a safe space
* Comparing…
playlist_add
Jan 14, 2022
The Unpredictability of Covert Stuttering and Passing as Fluent
Not everyone who stutters shows it all the time. There are people who become very good at hiding it by substituting words, avoiding high-octane situations, and choosing to remain quiet to avoid stuttering. People like this are often identified as having a "covert" stutter.
Both Maya and guest Sarah Nelson identify as covert stutters. In this episode, they talk about passing as fluent, disclosing to their families and friends, and analogies that describe their experiences. Other topics include:
* “Do I Stutter Enough?”
* Harmful phrases that perpetuate ableism
* A good example of someone reacting to your stutter
* Getting through interviews with a stutter
* “Am I Disabled Enough?” - Embracing a disability identity
Mentioned in the episode:
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
BE PART OF THE SHOW:
Rate this pod - https://ratethispodcast.com/proudstutter
Have a question or comment - Leave a voicemail for Maya & Cynthia at (415) 964-0140 - this is a voicemail-only line, so we…
playlist_add
Dec 31, 2021
Stuttering with Confidence: A Conversation with a Speech Therapist Who Stutters
Did you know there is a community of Speech-Language Pathologists who stutter? Bailey Levis, a speech therapist and proud person who stutters, is the founder of the San Francisco Speech and Fluency Center. Bailey’s approach to stuttering treatment is unique in that he centers his practice around acceptance, confidence-building, and goal setting.
Maya and Cynthia speak with Bailey about his stuttering treatment philosophy and what led him to become a speech therapist. Other topics covered include:
* The positives of having a speech therapist who also stutters
* An incident that stopped Maya’s dream of becoming a speech therapist
* Avoiding certain classes
* Neurodiversity
* What advice would Bailey give his 8-year-old self?
Addendum for Episode 6 of Proud Stutter: When Bailey mentions the term "neurotypical" in the episode, he meant to use the term "neurodiverse."
(A full transcript of the episode is available here)
Quotes
At 5:45 - “As adults, we-we-we're gonna ha…
playlist_add
Dec 17, 2021
Stuttering and Looking Beyond First Impressions
Maya and Cynthia talk to James Hayden, a person who stutters, a Tedx speaker, and the author of “Dear World, I Stutter.”
Many stutterers like James and Maya have been discriminated against because of their stutter, whether it be in a job, during an interview, or at school.
So often, we pass judgments on people by our first impressions of them, often without giving it a second thought. But how often do we take the time to look beyond our first impressions of someone?
In this episode, Maya and Cynthia talk to James about first impressions and how to let go of self-judgment when stuttering in front of new people.
LINKS!
Purchase Jame’s book here.
Read writings by James here, here, here, and here.
Support us:
Donate
Buy cute merch
Email: info@proudsutter.com
playlist_add
Dec 3, 2021
Stuttering Subreddit: Building Community Online
Maya and Cynthia explore the Stuttering Subreddit, a supportive online community for people who stutter. Topics include parenting choices, stuttering through the pandemic, and the serious consequences of misunderstanding people who stutter.
Links!
Stuttering Subreddit
2021 NSA Keynote: Dream. Speak. Live: How To Navigate Fluency Conformity And Reduce Stuttering Stigma
Support us:
Donate
Buy cute merch
Email: info@proudsutter.com
playlist_add
Nov 19, 2021
Real Talk with Mom: Stuttering Acceptance vs. Fluency
Maya and her mom have a raw and emotional conversation about her stutter.
Before this interview, Maya had never shared with her mom how she really felt about growing up with a stutter, how exhausting speech therapy was after school, and how hiding her stutter took so much out of her mentally.
“Having all these tools to practice was just another kind of thing I had t-to think about when I never really wanted to do it in the first p-place. But at th-the same time, I really appreciate you going above and beyond t-to help me especially b-because at that time I really did hate my stutter...I felt so alone in it.”
Support us:
Donate
Buy cute merch
Links!
Therapy referral lists of speech-language pathologists
International Stuttering Association Events
playlist_add
Nov 5, 2021
Dating with a Stutter
Cynthia asks Maya about what it was like to date with a stutter. Maya’s perspective may surprise you. Hint: Filtering system.
playlist_add
Oct 22, 2021
Stuttering, The Coming Out Story
After hiding a part of herself for most of her life, Maya reveals things about her stutter she has never told anyone, not even her family.
playlist_add
Sep 30, 2021
Introducing Proud Stutter!
Proud Stutter is a podcast series about shifting the narrative around stuttering.
playlist_add