Teenage Diaries Then and Now

Gr 7 Up—In 1996, independent producer and Radio Diaries founder Richman asked five teenagers from a variety of backgrounds to use tape recorders to record diaries. They shared their adolescent existences: interests, challenges, hopes for the future, and families—or lack thereof. The resulting narratives were broadcast on NPR. Diarists shared stories of neurological challenges, coming out to traditional parents, incarcerations, immigration, and pregnancy. Considering the relatively short length of the narratives, they provide a surprising amount of insight into the personalities of each contributor, inspiring varying degrees of empathy and sympathy. For this work, NPR revisited five of the diarists 16 years later to learn about their adult lives. The recording is easy to understand and well edited. The producer's notebook on the CD case provides interesting insights.