A Memoir About Living with Dyslexia

Summary

All Of It: A Memoir About Living with Dyslexia

Podcast Information:

• Title: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Broadcasted By: WNYC
• Description: A show exploring culture and its consumers, engaging with thinkers, doers, makers, and creators to delve into the what and why of their work.

Episode Overview: In this episode of All Of It, Alison Stewart hosts comedian and author Phil Hanley to discuss his new memoir, "My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith." The conversation delves into Phil's personal struggles with dyslexia, his journey to a successful career in comedy, and the broader implications of dyslexia on education and self-esteem.

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1. Introduction to Phil Hanley and His Memoir

The episode opens with Phil Hanley introducing his memoir, "My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith," set to release on March 17, 2025. Phil shares his early struggles with dyslexia, highlighting how he was perceived academically compared to his peers.

Notable Quote:

• Phil Hanley [02:01]: "I'm extremely dyslexic, sir. And when I was a kid, I was in special ed all through school. My mom would do all my homework, all my projects, and then they still put me in special ed."

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2. Phil's Early Educational Challenges

Phil discusses his tumultuous school years, starting from first grade, where he struggled with reading, leading to a late diagnosis of dyslexia by eighth grade. The lack of understanding and support from educators compounded his challenges.

Notable Quotes:

• Phil Hanley [05:38]: "It was when I walked into first grade... it got real dark real quick because I was just so perplexed how these kids were just reading so passively."
• Phil Hanley [07:15]: "My mom was patient and my dad was really like, you know, 'you're smarter than them.'"

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3. The Role of Family Support

Phil emphasizes the crucial role his parents played in his life, particularly his mother's unwavering support and advocacy. Their positive reinforcement was instrumental in maintaining his self-esteem despite the negative feedback from teachers.

Notable Quotes:

• Alison Stewart [06:36]: "My mom showed mercy while she was pregnant with me... she put her arm around you and said, 'you're not dumb. Don't let anyone tell me that.'"
• Phil Hanley [08:07]: "I'm performing every single weekend all over... maintaining their self-esteem is so important."

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4. Listener Experiences and Strategies

The show features several listener calls sharing their own experiences with dyslexia. These stories illustrate the diverse manifestations of dyslexia and the importance of tailored support strategies.

Notable Contributions:

• Helen from Forest Hills [09:15]: Shares her struggles with reading due to dyslexia and her father's dedication to supporting her education.
• Meg from Patterson, New Jersey [13:24]: Describes her mother's diagnosis of dyslexia and the familial patterns of learning disabilities.
• Ava: Highlights the availability of resources like Learning Ally that provide audio books to assist dyslexic students.
• Cheryl [24:15]: Talks about her challenges with language separation and misunderstandings in early education.

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5. Phil's Path to Comedy and Embracing Dyslexia

Transitioning from his educational struggles, Phil narrates his unexpected foray into modeling and subsequently into stand-up comedy. He explains how comedy became a therapeutic outlet, allowing him to address and normalize his dyslexia through humor.

Notable Quotes:

• Phil Hanley [16:56]: "I'm so grateful that I'm dyslexic. I wouldn't be speaking to you if I wasn't dyslexic."
• Phil Hanley [27:20]: "Dyslexia is such a blessing... it's just getting through school and maintaining the self-esteem."

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6. The Therapeutic Power of Humor

Phil illustrates how using comedy to discuss his dyslexia not only helps him cope but also fosters connection with others who share similar experiences or understand the challenges faced by those with dyslexia.

Notable Quotes:

• Phil Hanley [28:10]: Shares a humorous anecdote from his stand-up act about his dyslexic third-grade teacher.
• Phil Hanley [29:15]: "If you can make people laugh about it or make light of it, in a lot of ways, it feels worthwhile."

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7. Final Insights and Encouragement

As the episode concludes, Phil offers heartfelt advice to listeners struggling with dyslexia. He underscores the importance of self-esteem, advocacy, and recognizing dyslexia as a potential source of creativity and unique problem-solving abilities.

Notable Quotes:

• Phil Hanley [31:51]: "Dyslexia is a gift... it truly is a gift."
• Phil Hanley [34:16]: "There's no shame in asking for help... And it really is a gift if you just kind of celebrate that."

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Conclusion

This episode of All Of It provides a profound exploration of living with dyslexia, highlighting the resilience required to overcome educational barriers and the transformative power of support and humor. Phil Hanley's journey from a dyslexic student to a successful comedian and author serves as an inspiring testament to the potential within neurodiversity.

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Final Note: Phil Hanley’s memoir, "My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith," is set to release on March 17, 2025, offering further insights into his experiences and triumphs over dyslexia.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Phil Hanley]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you are here. On today's show. Actor Brian Tyree Henry will be here to talk about his new series, Dope Thief. We'll continue our Women's History Month series about women in engineering and producing with Patrice Rushin. And we'll learn about the life and work of photojournalist Consuelo Canaga, one of the first female staff photojournalists to work at a major US Newspaper. She's the subject of a new exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. That is our plan. So let's get this started with the new memoir Spellbound. When Phil Hanley was in first grade, he noticed that while his peers were learning to he couldn't seem to make progress. By the eighth grade, Phil was told he was still reading at a first grade level. That's being like 13 years old and being told that you read like a six year old. What could go wrong? He was finally, finally diagnosed with dyslexia. He guessed his job would be at the Mini Mart across from his high school in Oshawa, Canada, where he applied. But a series of events led to his current career as a successful comic where he doesn't shy away from his life story. Here's a bit of Phil talking about what it was like doing homework with his mom as a kid.

I'm extremely dyslexic, sir. And when I was a kid, I was in special ed all through school. My mom would do all my homework, all my projects, and then they still put me in special ed. And my sweet mom would always say to me, you know, there's nothing to be ashamed about being in special ed. And I'm glad she felt that way because technically she was in it too. It's wild if your mom does your homework. Parent teacher conferences. It's like a different, it's a different vibe. The teacher would be like, I think Phil needs to put in more effort. And my mom would be like, how dare you? He's working full time. He's raising three kids. He is, he's a modern woman.

And Now Phil has written a whole book. It's titled My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith. It's coming out tomorrow, and comedian Phil Hanley joins me in studio. It's nice to meet you.

Hey, so nice to meet you. Thank you.

So you decided to write the book. You tell us about it on the last pages. You give it to Colin Gwynne. He says, I think you got a book in here. What went through your mind, given that you decided to write a book, given that you have really struggled with reading and writing?

Yeah, I. I was approached by my manager and my literary agent. They, like, proposed it. And it seemed so. The appeal of it is. It seems so hard that I was like, okay, this. This seems like a. Something that I should, you know, dedicate I. From the beginning, the idea to. When they suggested it to now is like eight years.

Wow. That long?

Yeah. Yeah. But as a dyslexic, you do the hardest things of just. That's. Everything is so hard that it seemed like the thing to do.

What was your process? Did you use a microphone? Did you write? How did you do it?

I started. I made lists. I mean, the prep was crazy. The proposal took four years. So the prep I started, I made a list of everyone I'd ever met and then every place I'd ever been to, just to try to jar memories and stuff. And then with no writing ability, I wasn't even really taught English in school. I thought exclamation marks were called loud marks when I sold the book. So, yeah, I just proceeded.

Wow. Listeners, we want to hear from you. Do you have dyslexia? What's been your experience like in education and navigating the world? What strategies or tools did you learn to help you? How did it make you feel about yourself? Give us a call. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Or maybe you're a parent or an educator who works with dyslexic kids. We want to hear your perspective, too. Give us a call. 212-432-12433. WNYC. You write a lot about being from. Pronounce it for me. How do you say it?

Oshawa.

Oshawa, Ontario. You say Oshawa is like the. Is like Detroit minus the European flair.

Yes.

Made me crap me up. What was something about Oshawa on Canada that lets us know that you're from there?

Something that's like, Oshawa is. It's a. It's a tough Town. It's a hockey town. It's. I mean, with saying that it, like, my favorite people still, my best friends and stuff like that were from there. And comedy, there wasn't a lot going down there. And being funny was really important.

Yeah. When did you first realize, in terms.

[Alison Stewart]

Of the way you learn, that it was different for you?

[Phil Hanley]

It's when I think back to. So kindergarten was great. Kindergarten went very well. And then, like, the second I walked into the first grade, when I think back, it almost seems like, like a scene from, like, Oliver Twist. It was just, like, got real dark real quick because I was just so perplexed how these kids, they were just reading is such a. It looks so passive. You point your face at something and you get the information. And I would do that and nothing would occur.

Oh, wow. But teachers kept passing you along through school A little bit.

Yeah. Just they didn't want to. That was the last thing they wanted to do. My mom would go in just. And fight for me.

[Alison Stewart]

How?

[Phil Hanley]

Just about. So I get so emotional talking about it. Of course, yes. My mom would just go in and really advocate.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. You write the nicest things about her in this book. You write, my mom showed mercy while she was pregnant with me. She had worked with teaching children with disabilities. Then I came along and she had to do it at home. When it was time to do homework, she came to the kitchen table armed with enough positivity for the two of us. And later on, she put her arm around you and said, you're not dumb. Don't let anyone tell me that.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

So as you had to deal with these teachers, some of whom were not kind at all.

[Phil Hanley]

No. I would go so far as to say they were all not kind. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

How did you deal with them?

[Phil Hanley]

I like, it was the perfect combination of. My mom was patient and my dad was really like, you know, you're smarter than them. That was his. I don't know if that's the best thing to tell a little kid. But, yeah, my parents really built me up at home. And that's what I say. Like, I meet a lot of. You know, I'm performing every single weekend all over. You know, all over the States and now kind of all over the. Starting all over the world. And I tell. Parents will meet me and after a show, and they'll be like, you know, my child is diagnosed with dyslexia. And to me, now that I've been through it, that's not a negative thing. But what I say to them is, like, it's so important to maintain their self esteem. And because you can't help but feel stupid in school.

[Alison Stewart]

Did you feel that way?

[Phil Hanley]

Oh my God, yes, of course. And, but if you, like, if you're a dyslexic kid, if you have a dyslexic kid, you're nine and you have the grit of someone that's been through three marriages, like you've been through something, you have character. So if you can maintain their self esteem, they're gonna finish school. They're like a coiled spring and they're gonna apply that tenacity to whatever they get into. And that's what I, I mean, I finished school with some self esteem intact thanks to my parents. And then, I mean, there's no way I've been doing standup so, so long. And I just continued and continued and continued and continued. And now I'm starting to sell tickets and I have, I get to talk to you and I have all these opportunities and I was able to write a book and all that stuff. But that's just because I had the built. I had a lot of people that stopped doing standup, the people that I'd started with, but those are people that were good at everything. I'd never had any ability until I started standup. Anything that was measurable on a scoreboard or a report card.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's take a couple of calls. Let's talk to Helen from Forest Hills. Hi, Helen. Thank you so much for making time to call in today.

[Helen]

Of course. Thank you for taking my call. I, I so identify with your guest because that's what made me call. I was never formally diagnosed, but I had dyslexia. I have dyslexia. And I so understand it's so important for parents to support their kids. I was a very. I'm 71, but I was a very loquacious and articulate kid. I knew a lot of vocabulary words because of my parents. They were that way too. We always talked and it was a huge surprise when in the first grade, my teacher called my parents and told them that I was flunking out because I couldn't read. I understood reading, but the words kept, the letters kept flying around and I just couldn't read. So my dad, I remember it so well, sat down every day after dinner for an hour. We would read my book, deconstruct words, letters. And that was the basis which changed my life completely. I always had difficulty. I read slower. But I got through school, through university, I went to Columbia Graduate School and I finished. And that's really, that's what did it. I've always had a problem, but as your guest says, they always said to me, you can do this. Take the time. It was very, very hard. I worked longer hours, always than anybody else did. But I had a good life, a good career, and, yeah, it's just a thing.

[Phil Hanley]

Helen, thank you so much for calling in. We really appreciate it. What did you do during those years as strategies for you, while you're a kid in school, to take care of yourself?

I personally didn't have strategies. My mom worked with me every night. And, yeah, I mean, the bright spot in my life was socializing. I was always social. And I find that's the case with, like Helen was saying, it's often when you're. It's. They're. It's. People are shocked when the per. The. When the chick. The kid can't read because they're, you know, precocious and smart and engaging with adults and conversational stuff. That's part of being dyslexic is you. You. You know, they. You have to be, like, above average intelligence, and you have all these different interests. It's just you can't get that information from the page. Like, I remember when I was a kid, they couldn't figure out what's wrong with me. And I remember getting a test. My parents paid for this person to test me, and they would. I would read a story and then try to answer the questions, get zero. And then they would read to me, and I'd get the questions perfectly, and they would be like, we're so perplexed. And I'm like, it's so clear. It's so clear, you know.

What did it feel like when you were diagnosed with dyslexia?

Well, I mean, it's. It's a relief. I also. I have. I also have ocd. And I remember being diagnosed with ocd. And you're like, oh, thank goodness there's a name for what's going on in my brain. So I felt. When I was a kid, I was so frustrated that I, like, you know, my mom became an expert on dyslexia. I didn't want to talk about it and stuff, ironically, as a kid, because now as an adult, it's like my favorite topic. So. But I felt relief that there was. It was a sign that you're okay. So I'm not dumb. There is a name for what's going on that I have, you know.

My guest is comedian Phil Hanley.

[Alison Stewart]

We're discussing his new book, My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith listeners. We want to hear to you, hear from you. Do you have dyslexia? What's your experience been like in education and navigating the world? What strategies or tools did you learn to help you? Or maybe you're the parent of a child who is dyslexic. Give us a call. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Let's talk to Meg in Patterson, New Jersey.

[Phil Hanley]

Hey, Meg, thank you so much for.

[Alison Stewart]

Calling all of it. You're on the air.

[Meg]

Thank you. I just wanted to say my mom had learning she had dyslexia, and she told us stories about when she was growing up in the 30s. There was no diagnosis for it, so they just thought she was stupid and couldn't read. And they actually put her in like a, like an insane asylum is the way she described it. And she was there until her family came to visit. And then when they saw where she was, they pulled her out of there. But she got diagnosed with my older sister when we were probably 13, 12 to 13 years old. And that was when she learned she was dyslexic. And the doctor told her that if all of her children had the same kind of learning disabilities, don't worry about it. We all probably are dyslexic. But my experience with dyslexia is in the form of numbers. Like, I can't, like, I have difficulty with time. I have difficulty just keeping a sequence of numbers. And we were just all told growing up that we were lazy, that, you know, if we only tried harder, we could do better.

[Alison Stewart]

Did you get the try harder?

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, I got the lazy try. Try harder? Yeah, constantly. But it's, it's like just, just me getting here on time. I put in more effort. There's no lazy dyslexics. They wouldn't leave the house. So, yeah, I got that a lot. And I talk to kids. I work with Eye to Eye, which advocates for people with neurodiversity. And I'll talk to kids. And it's what a dyslexic goes through to hand in their homework is. It's just so much more than just being able to sit down and answer the questions.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Ava. Hey, Ava, thank you so much for calling, all of it. You're on the air.

[Helen]

Hi.

[Ava]

Thanks for taking my call. Longtime listener, first time caller. I'm a parent of a kid with dyslexia, and this is such a great program. And I Just, I really resonate with your guest what he's saying about my daughter has such a high eq. I think it's because it's how she takes in the world and she's tapped into people's feelings and what they need and is a really good friend. But also just want to say that there's a lot of great free resources out there now that didn't exist. One that I love called Learning Ally, which has like almost every book you can find that they're reading in school, and it's audio and so she can read along with it while she's listening. And it helps her just get into reading a little more, which would take her maybe a lot longer, and she could listen. And so finding those resources and finding your people and hearing programs like this is really great when you're a parent of a kid with dyslexia.

[Phil Hanley]

So thanks.

Thanks for calling. I want to ask you about the conversation you had with your folks, Phil. They help you get through high school, but they sit down and they ask you, like, college probably not in it for you.

Yeah.

What was that moment like?

It was like a little bit disheartening because all my friends were going to college and I had friends that were like a year or two older than me. So I would go and, you know, hang out with them on the weekends and stuff. And it was certainly, you know, it was like, really fun, but I was also relieved and it also kind of made sense to me because you learn as a dyslexic, you learn really early on, like your life is going to be different. It's not just going to be a standard one.

Yeah.

And you know, in, in my book, like, it starts dark, but it becomes very light by the end because I mean, the. I'm so grateful that I'm dyslexic. I wouldn't be speaking to you if I wasn't dyslexic. I wouldn't be living in New York City or, you know, performing or meeting all the people that, that I've met. So dyslexia is such a blessing, but it's just getting through school and it's maintaining the self esteem. I keep saying that because it's so, so important and it's hard to do because you're felt. You're called lazy if you're not called dumb. I was. But if you're not, it's certainly implied always. And the statistics of kids with learning disabilities that are like, incarcerated and stuff like that, it's horrific. The percentage and of Course, you're frustrated all day. You're going to steal something, you're going to get in a fight, you're going to get in trouble because it feels very unfair. The world feels very unfair to you.

We're discussing the new book My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith. Listeners, you can call in or you can text us at that number. We understand our lines are full. So if you have a story you want to text to us, you can do that, too. The number is 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. We'll have more with my guest Phil Hanley and take more of your calls after a quick break. This is all, this is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest is comedian Phil Hanley. We're discussing his new book, My Life.

[Alison Stewart]

As a Dyslexic Wordsmith.

[Phil Hanley]

It is out tomorrow. We are taking your calls as well. So after college, your friend calls up and is like, are you still tall?

[Alison Stewart]

Are you still skinny? Do you want to go out for modeling a job?

[Phil Hanley]

What did you think when you got that call?

I was shocked. So all my friends went to college. I'm in Oshawa in my hometown, really with a lot of ambition to do something but I didn't exactly know what as a non reader writer. And yes, Shalom Harlow, someone from my hometown who was a hugely successful model.

Huge model.

Yeah. And is just a great friend and someone who's, you know, thinks of other people was, didn't like the idea that I was stuck at home. And yeah, I wish I had never thought of myself as a model or whatever. And it was just a great time. I was skinny with long hair and, and it was when the heroin cheek thing was, was, you know, booming. And yeah, it got me out of Oshawa and it got me I lived in Europe for four years.

You're fairly successful for a male model.

Yeah, I did, I did some good. I did some big jobs for I did fashion shows for Armani and Dolce Gabbana and I did some campaigns for like Levi's and stuff like that. But the big thing that it did was it introduced me to people that loved what they did. These photographers that were like, I got a camera when I was six and that's all I ever wanted to do and stylists and designers and stuff like that. And it made me think like, oh, I want to do that. Because growing up I didn't no adult had a job they liked. You Know, my dad loathed his job. My friend's parents didn't love their jobs. So after the misery of being in school, I was really wanted to do something that I looked forward to doing every day. So, yeah. So that I knew modeling wasn't that, you know, it was a great experience. And then I slowly found my way into comedy.

There's this funny. This funny point when Giorgio Armani says, you look like a sick chicken.

Yes.

Because your legs are so skinny.

Yeah.

Yeah. I wondered what that taught you about the world. The way that people. The way that modeling. And they judge you on your looks. What did it teach you about the way that people look at one another?

It's funny, my mom would always say to me, I would say that she's so happy that I didn't take it personal, like modeling. You, especially for the shows, you go to Milan and you go to these castings every day. I mean, you're walking around Milan for eight, nine hours a day, and they look at your book and they open a page, and if they're interested in you being in the fashion show, you might try on a sport coat or a shirt or whatever, but often they would open, they'd look at your book and they'd just be like, grassy, and they'd push your book back and you'd be on your way. But if you've been judged for your intellect your whole life, if some Italian fashion designer doesn't think that you're perfect for his pants, you don't. I didn't bat an eye with that, being judged for my appearance because I'd been judged for, you know, my intellect negatively, you know, Since I. From 5 to 18. So I really didn't take it. I really was never insulted by that, you know.

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

You also got really into meditation.

[Phil Hanley]

Yes, I still am. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

So you still do it?

[Phil Hanley]

Yes, I do. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

What was it about meditation that was helpful for you?

[Phil Hanley]

I was so, again, growing up in Ashra, I didn't know anyone that had ever meditated or, you know, even, like, I don't think you could. There was nowhere you could do yoga or anything when I was a kid growing up. But I was drawn to meditation, I think, because I wanted to. I knew it would involve the brain, and I knew that my brain, at the time, when I got into it, I really thought that my brain needed to be changed in some way. Way. Also, if you are dyslexic or neurodiverse, you experience anxiety because you are, you know, for a plethora of reasons. And I really wanted to reduce that.

[Alison Stewart]

You're really into the Dead, right?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. The Grateful Dead. Yeah, in my life.

[Alison Stewart]

Bob Weir's really into meditation.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, Bob Weir's really into meditation. And Bob Weir's very dyslexic.

[Alison Stewart]

What's the. What is the connection between the three things while we're meditation and dyslexia?

[Phil Hanley]

I mean, they're all see another aspect of the Grateful Dead. Their lyricist, Robert Hunter, who he's passed away, tells these amazing stories. And for a kid that couldn't read but love storytelling, it was great for me to listen to these songs and be able to hear these stories and feel really inspired by them.

[Alison Stewart]

This text says I have dyslexia and am an artist. I struggled through school and was embarrassed by my learning disability. I worked very hard and was able to attend Dartmouth College. After learning more about how many artists who are dyslexic, my attitude changed, and I now see it as my superpower. I'm so thankful for my dyslexia now. This one says I have dyslexia. People have always told me I wasn't dumb. I was just a little slow. I wrote a song about my struggles in school. One of my lyrics. I may be stupid, but I'm smart enough to know being dumb is the same thing as being slow. Listening to Henry Winkler talk about his experiences growing up with dyslexia was a huge eye opener for me. Let's also talk to Cheryl. Is Cheryl there? Hey, Cheryl. Thanks for calling, all of it.

[Cheryl]

Thank you. Boy, it's so nice not to be isolated. I grew up before. I didn't hear the word dyslexic until I heard it applied to my sister's kids. I was 22, 23 at that point. And all of the labeling of, you know, you're not trying and slow, etcetera, in spades. When I was growing up, verbally, just fine, what I had growing up, I couldn't separate languages. Among other things, I didn't understand that. I didn't understand that there were ro. That musical notation and small letters and capital letters and Hebrew writing and Hebrew printing and. And my first spelling test, they wanted the word stop, so I drew a stop sign that makes, you know, with all. Because I didn't know. And it was very pretty, but it didn't make sense. I mean, it made sense to me. And they wanted me to spell slow, so I put in a lud, because why not?

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you so much for your call. We really appreciate it. This says for dyslexic, Seniors ask to get into your school records. Before the Freedom of Information act, teachers wrote unbelievable things. It's a real eye opener.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, it's funny. I was in Vancouver. I played Vancouver, where my parents live, last week, and I par my. I wanted to get some of the old report cards and I wanted to get report cards when I was researching the book. And my mom had thrown out the report cards from when I was a kid because she said they were just so mean that she couldn't have them in the house. But going back to what Cheryl said, one of the things that inspired me to write the book was I read a small book about someone that was dyslexic. And I couldn't. I was like. I couldn't believe. When you struggle as a dyslexic, you feel like you're the only person in the world because your world is your classroom and likely you're the only kid that is dyslexic in the classroom, and you think it's only you. So I'd gone through my whole life, my adult life, everything, thinking that these experiences were just me. And then, yeah, like nine years ago, eight years ago, I read a book about someone else that was dyslexic. And you were just like, oh, my goodness. Other people. People experience this thing that I experience, and it feels so individual and you kind of bury it. I mean, that's why if I talk about my mom or I talk about my experiences as a kid, I can't help but feel instantly emotional. Also, when I talk about the Grateful Dead, they really bring up emotion in me, too.

But what did you decide to. To make comedy out of it once you got into Tom, once you got.

Into comedy, Once I started stand up, you really start evaluating, you know, what makes you different. You want original material. And I immediately went to dyslexia. And it's so crazy that I can go on stage for an audience that is intoxicated at 11 o'clock at night on a Friday. And it's my dyslexic material that connects to people because either they are dyslexic or they know someone that is. Or, I mean, it's. Everyone has a challenge of some sort. And that's the beauty of comedy, is you can have the bad experience and then you. When you get a laugh from it, all of a sudden it feels worthwhile.

Let's take a listen to another bit of your standup act. This is from the third grade.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen.

[Phil Hanley]

Third grade, the teacher was old and she learned to teach before dyslexia was invented. So she didn't think it was a thing. She thought it was something that people made up to get attention, like a gluten allergy. She'd make the whole class read and then it would be my turn and I'd be like, I can't read. It's the same situation as yesterday. She would say, sound it out. Even as a kid, I'm like, yeah, that's just reading. You know, it is so insensitive to tell a dyslexic child to sound it out. It'd be like if someone pulled you aside and was like, hey, I can't eat this. I'm deathly allergic to peanuts. And you're like, chew slowly.

How does it feel? We're all laughing.

Oh, good. Yeah. Throughout this. That means a lot to me. I'm looking into the control room when people are laughing. Thank you.

Everybody's laughing about it. But you're really talking about something really painful.

Oh, so painful. So very, very painful. Yeah.

What is that like?

I mean, now it's. And to me, I almost feel like insensitive, telling, like I'm almost. When someone tells me that their child is dyslexic or something like that, like, I know because I can see into the future, I'm like, that's. I'm almost happy for them because I know you're going to excel in a different area again. If the parent can maintain their self esteem, and I don't mean maintain their self esteem by like forcing them to play piano for eight hours a day. I mean, just whatever they're good at and whatever their child is naturally drawn to. To kind of celebrate that. If it's Lego or storytelling or stuff. But that's the best part about comedy, again, is to something bad. And if you can make people laugh about it or make light of it, in a lot of ways, it feels worthwhile.

Let's talk to John. Hi, John. Thank you so much for taking the time to call in. I believe you're calling from Brooklyn.

[John]

I am, and thank you so much. It's so great to hear this. I'm a proud owner of dyslexia and adhd. My friend has ocd. I have no CD because I'm a mess. But it's great to hear this. And third grade was huge for me. I was going to be held back and we had the conference with my third grade teacher and we kind of with my mother agreed, okay, I would be. And we got into the car and I burst into Tears. And I said please, please, please don't make me stay back. And she got a hold of my teacher and my mother was very a great advocate for me. Like, like we've heard several times, thank God for parents that really care and really, really give us some self esteem. I was never called dumb or stupid, but when you're put in the bluebird reading class, you look around and you figure out that oh, oh, I am at a dumb class.

[Phil Hanley]

John, we really appreciate you calling in. We have to wrap up this segment and before I go, I do want to ask you, Phil, is there anything you'd want to say to someone listening right now who is struggling with dyslexia? Who hasn't figured out what they should do, how they should think about it?

Yeah, I mean I could talk, you know, for days to the.

You got two minutes.

Okay. All right. Well, yeah, like I really. One I hope I would recommend. I just recorded my audiobook and I think that anyone who's dyslexic or anyone who's struggling with neurodiversity or struggling would get inspiration from that. And it dyslexia, it really is. I truly believe that it's a gift. I wouldn't, I'm so grateful that I have it now. And we dyslexics, we're the most creative people and we figure it out. Cheryl said that she was asked to spell stop and she drew a stop sign. That's a little kid who's so creative and just problem solving. And that's what we do. And when we read there's a different part of our brain is working than a non dyslexic and it's not. I mean, wouldn't you want to be different in this world right now than just like a, you know, standard functioning brain? I really think dyslexia is a gift. And I, and I have complete faith that with the support you really need someone to advocate for you and you need support. I need support. I'm gonna book a hotel in San Francisco. My manager's gonna do that for me. You know, I have, I am asked for support and help when I mail a letter, when I just. There's nothing to be ashamed about being dyslexic. And it really is a gift if you, if you just kind of. Again I keep saying it, but it's so important for people to maintain kids self esteem and, and given a world that's not basically the only area we can excel is the way that school is structured. That's the only place and in my book, as soon as I got someone who read the test answers to me and let me dictate my answers, I won all these awards as the most improved student and finished at the top of my class. But it was the final year of high school where I was like, they were like, let's give him what he needs. You know, it's a disability, like another disability. You need help to do certain things.

[Alison Stewart]

And you should ask for help.

[Phil Hanley]

One, there's no shame in that because you're asking for help to do this mundane thing that everyone can do reading. But then you don't need help in all these other areas that a lot of people can't even fathom. Doing a little girl drawing a stop sign to me, that's like so much more impressive than everyone else who just spells the word our text says.

[Alison Stewart]

This guy is a joy. He is a brilliant mind. To watch him accumulate information from his audience and speedily make connective jokes between them is astounding and belly achingly hilarious.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, that's very nice.

[Alison Stewart]

The book is called Spellbound. It is out tomorrow. Phil, thanks for coming in.

[Phil Hanley]

Thank you so much for having me and letting me speak about this. Thank you. I'm Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, our team has been reporting high quality news about science, technology and medicine. News you won't get anywhere else. And now that political news is 24 7, our audience is turning to us to know about the really important stuff in their lives. Cancer, climate change, genetic engineering, childhood diseases. Our sponsors know the value of science and health news. For more sponsorship information, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.