Twenty-five years ago, Josh Cutler was a 16-year old living with Tourette’s Syndrome, a neurological condition that causes physical and verbal tics. For several months, he recorded cassette tapes of everything from conversations with his parents and classmates, to prank calls. This is his diary, which chronicles his attempts to live a normal teenage life with a brain that often betrays him.

Josh’s diary first aired as part of the Teenage Diaries series on NPR in 1996.

Message from Radio Diaries Host Joe Richman

Radio Diaries is celebrating 25 years on the air. To commemorate this moment, the team and I curated a list of our favorite episodes, stories that move us and help us understand the world differently. Josh’s Diary is my pick. From our producers to your ears, here are our 2021 staff picks.

Soul Sister: The Limits of Empathy
In 1969, Grace Halsell, a white journalist, published a book called Soul Sister. It was her account of living as a “black woman” in the United States.

The Women of Jane
In 1965, an underground network formed in Chicago to help pregnant women get abortions.

Melissa’s Diary Revisited
Longtime diarist, Melissa Rodriguez chronicles her life as a working, single mother and reveals things about her past that her son has never known.

Two Years in the Life of a Saudi Girl
Majd Abdulghani is a teenager living in Saudi Arabia, one of the most restrictive countries for women in the world. She wants to be a scientist. Her family wants to arrange her marriage.

Willie McGee and the Traveling Electric Chair
Bridgette McGee grew up knowing nothing about her grandfather, Willie McGee. Now she is on a quest to unearth everything she can about his life – and his death.