Teenage Diaries: Then & Now

by Radio Diaries, Joe Richman (Foreword)

Since 1996, the Teenage Diaries series has given tape recorders to young people around the country. They conduct interviews, keep audio journals, and record the sounds of daily life--usually collecting more than 30 hours of raw tape over the course of the year, edited into documentaries airing on NPR's All Things Considered. Whether it's the story of Amanda, the gay teen trying to understand her sexuality, or the story of Juan, who crossed the Rio Grande with his family illegally, these stories offer insight into the mysterious life of teenagers. Sixteen years later five of those diarists return to chronicle their grown-up lives. 

RADIO DIARIES has helped pioneer a new form of citizen journalism, empowering ordinary people to report on their own lives and histories. Radio Diaries has won every major award in broadcast journalism and produced some of the most memorable documentaries ever heard on public radio. Founder and Executive Producer Joe Richman is and award-winning producer and reporter. Before founding Radio Diaries, he worked on the NPR program All Things Considered, Weekend Edition Saturday, and Car Talk. He also teaches radio documentary at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. 

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Biography

2 pages, Audio CD

First published March 3, 2015

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed their stories and learning how things turned out for them 16 years later. However, I found their stories to be lacking in details and they certainly didn't cover their difficulties in depth. I understand their recordings were edited considerably but I felt as if their stories were a bit misleading as their struggles weren't really talked about. I wanted to hear their emotions, feelings, and thoughts. I know it was much harder than they let on, and for me their true stories were not conveyed.

[❤Marie Gentilcore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good. It is a short audiobook that shared audio diaries of five people, first as teens and then 16 years later. I wish it had been a little longer. The subjects were from various walks of life and it was really interesting to hear them tell about their younger lives and then find out how each person's life turned out. This review isn't doing it justice, but it was really good.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Line:

“Back in the mid-nineties I gave a group of young people tape recorders to report on their own lives for NPR, p.1.

Five teenagers, five different stories, five real people. Amanda is gay, Juan is an undocumented Mexican immigrant, Frankie is a football player, Josh has tourette, and Melissa is a new teen mother. Listen to each teenager share what’s happening in their lives as they record music, friends, and conversations with their parents. Then listen to them recount what has changed in the sixteen years since they recorded.

What Dazzled: I loved listening to this! First, the narrators were teenagers when I was and now we are adults around the same age. It was awesome to hear The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ playing in the background in part of Amanda’s tape. Each teen recorded for 6 months to a year, but their story was edited down to about 20 minutes. That’s pretty amazing editing in my opinion.

What Fizzled: Some parts of the audio was very hard to hear. The narrator would be talking to someone else, but the mike wouldn’t be close enough to their mouth so it was muffled.

Jots and Thoughts: What really stuck with me is how every single person has a story and it’s compelling. This book was paired with Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes and they both did a great job of reminding the reader that there’s ‘more than what meets the eye’ to a person. Teenage Diaries: Then and Now did it better doing it though. I think it’s easier to treat others without kindness when we think of them as flat 2-dimensional people, but when you know their story, even a part of their story, it’s harder to dehumanize them. If that makes sense. So it’s important to use your voice and to speak up, advocate for what you want and believe in. I’m not sure if NPR still does this type of program, but they do a podcast called StoryCorps which “covers the human heart”.

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Audiobooksync.com for giving this book away during their summer YA reading program.

While it was interesting to listen to the stories of these teens and how life turned out for them 16 years later, it was also very repetitive and shallow. Each teen that was interviewed had a real story to tell - filled with emotion and tragedy and strength. It felt like these in depth details were omitted and skimmed over. It would have been great to get into more of their lives and to really hear about their daily struggles.

Interesting to listen to or ready.

Enjoy!

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating audiobook - originally an NPR project from the 1990s in which teenagers were given tape recorders to record their thoughts and life events and followed up 16 years later to see how their lives had changed.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept of this book. Unfortunately it was not as in depth as I hoped.

[Powder River Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moments in time - teenage years then 16 years later. The thoughts and experiences of several youth for NPR which starts in 1994 and revisits them in 2010. Interesting.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think students would love these, and it would help them realize they will survive whatever they're going through.

[Lucila Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five teens are given a recording machine. Each one would record parts of what they think is important in rheir day, and life. All of them are living with circunstances that we can call 'difficult'. There is a teen whose father went to prison, and recently found football and the sport is filling many of the blank spaces in his life. tthere is another teen, son of hard working illegal inmigrants, but very poor; there is a pregnant teen with lot of questions and few answers; and a teen who has Tourette's syndrome. And a gay girl, who just came out to her very religious and traditional parents, and the situation is tense in her life.
We get to know them, they explain how they live and feel, and what their plans for the fiture are. Teens are full of hope, rebellious, fighters, change seekers.
They are given a recording device about 16 years later. Oh my God! How life had changed for all of them. Some for better, others not so.
Very interesting! (less)

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, an interesting listen. Each individual recorded themselves as a teenager and then revisits their life later as an adult to see what has changed. It was interesting to see where the lives lead and how things were different, but I cannot say that I was surprised. The people weren't all that different! Sure, they matured a bit, but Amanda was still gay, Juan was still undocumented, Frank followed in his father's footsteps and Josh was still kind of a jerk. I don't personally know anyone with Tourettes, so I'm not sure how much of his insufferable attitude was due to the illness or just him.

I also felt that there were a lot of things missing from their lives. The follow up was so short. I got the bare bones of what their life was currently like, but I would have liked to know more. I would have enjoyed more of Juan's story. I liked the concept and it inspired me to create an activity in my health class that has to do with telling their life story, so it was inspiring on some level. Since it was a short audiobook, it was easy to listen to while cleaning the house, making dinner, and walking on the treadmill.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this audiobook through the AudioSync teen summer program. It was interesting, but since there is not an actual print or e-book available, I actually find this should be classified as a podcast and not an audiobook. It was very short, only about 2 hours. This man (forget his name) gave recorders to a bunch of teens back in 1999 to document their life for a program on NPR radio, I believe; 16 years later, he has 5 of them do it again with where they are now. Rather interesting, but I can't make myself give it more than 2 stars (ok). Reminds me of an audio version of the MTV show in the 90s or early 2000s, Real Life.

[Erikka · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved the concept and I found the stories to be interesting, I felt like some of them were too short (Juan) and others were too long (Frank). I also found Josh, the guy with Tourette's, to be an insufferable jerk. It had nothing to do with his Tourette's--he was just really full of himself and rude to everyone he talked to. I found Amanda's story to be touching, especially how her parents changed.

I think this would be a great resource for teachers and counselors, as students could hear the stories of these teens, maybe one who is going through something similar to them, and realize there is light on the other side.

[Reg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty neat production. Interesting to get snapshots in these kids' lives. More interesting to see how they ended up. Not to mention how my opinion of them changed.

Honestly, it's probably a better read for someone my age (late 20s or a bit older) than for a teen. It put me in mind of what a fucking dumbass I was back then.

Personal take away: Don't be too hard on kids. They're probably going through stuff you might not know about and they're still learning. Judge them when they're adults :p

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging nonfiction/documentary program with excellent production. I found myself more engrossed in this than I thought I would, fascinated by the immediacy of the medium and the poetry of people's lives. Teenage Diaries wouldn't be the same in print. The various accents/dialects, the cacophony of New York streets and the clinking of the family table and the shuffle of feet in sand bring so much to these stories. With the exception of one, however, I was more interested in the teen lives than the adult lives, although such an organization is smart. Definitely recommend this.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Audiobook Sync free audiobook for their YA summer program: week 3

From NPR's All Things Considered, this was a great project with interesting results giving a handful of teens recording equipment to share some of their daily lives and issues, and then following up with them 16 years later. This format brings 5 of those stories together for a short 2 hours that's like listening to a podcast rather than a book.

[Terri Floccare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved listening to this. NPR gave several teenagers from very different families and lifestyle a tape recorder and asked them to keep an audio diary. I was surprised at how open and honest the teens were. If the audio book ended here it would have been an interesting listen, but NPR followed up 16 years later. It was sometimes encouraging and sometimes heartbreaking to learn what the now adults lives were like. Well worth the listen!!

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

NPR had teenagers in the 90s make recordings about their lives, and then again 16 years later they went back to the same individuals and had them make new recordings. It was interesting to see where their lives had taken them after high school. Many had children and families in the later diaries, and they looked back to what had happened in the intervening years and how their choices and circumstances had affected their lives.

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

My phone could use some space and I downloaded all the weekly free audiobooks over the summer, so I thought I’d polish a few of the shorter ones off in the next few days. This was one of those and a really pleasant surprise. I think it was paired with Bronx Masquerade, which was fine but nothing special. That one was a fictional group of teenagers sharing their lives - it turns out hat listening to real teens do so, and then reflect back 16 years later, was so much more interesting.

[Toni FGMAMTC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very short, but I enjoyed it. It started with everyday American teenagers telling about their lives. They are very varied backgrounds. You hear from their point of view about their situations. Then it goes to those same people 16 years later. Hearing how their lives changed is really interesting. I recommend it.

[B.A. Malisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a podcast than a book, but it's definitely worth a listen. I received it free from SYNC, which is why I gave it a try, and I'm glad that I did. These real stories are interesting, charming, upsetting, and inspiring. There is a good variety of different lifestyles represented, which makes the perspectives quite interesting, especially when paired together.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tape recorders were given to a handful of teenagers from around the United States and they were asked to record their thoughts, interactions, music, whatever for about a year. They then had these same teenagers record 16 years later. Some of the stories brought tears to my eyes with the situations they were in and how they either improved or spiraled downward after 16 years. Reality.

[Mary Havens · Rating 5 out of 5]

NPR talking to teens??? Yes please!
A collection of five audio diaries from teens and then the same teens as adults 16 years later.
I miss stories like this from NPR (granted, I know I could do the whole podcast thing and I'm getting there....ish); those real life glimpses into lives that I know nothing about.
All in all, give is a whirl if you like to hear people's stories. Warning though: it's all a bit heartbreaking. :/

[Katie Harder-schauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm working on writing my review now (I know, y'all are waiting on loads of reviews from me at the moment, they're coming, I promise). I did find this audiobook really interesting and definitely worth listening to.

[Nikki Gomez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this one because it was part of the free Sync Audio summer books (and because it was super short). It was interesting to hear the original stories and then to follow up with them 16 years later.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cool project. Currently free on audiosync.com though 5/17/17. This would be a great way to introduce teens to digital storytelling or start a unit where they do podcasts.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio file book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting listen.

[Dalene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting audiobook to listen to. We were all teenagers at once and this just shows how not easy it is. It's worth a listen though.

[MsJohnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #11 of the Book-a-Day Christmas reading challenge.

[Emily Maughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick little audiobook. It was pretty interesting hearing the same people and their lives with a 16 year gap. Nothing life-changing but interesting.