Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn't Happen

Nina G bills herself as “The San Francisco Bay Area’s Only Female Stuttering Comedian.” On stage, she encounters the occasional heckler, but off stage she is often confronted with people’s comments toward her stuttering; listeners completing her sentences, inquiring, “Did you forget your name?” and giving unwanted advice like “slow down and breathe” are common. (As if she never thought about slowing down and breathing in her over thirty years of stuttering!)

When Nina started comedy nearly ten years ago, she was the only woman in the world of stand-up who stuttered—not a surprise, since men outnumber women four to one amongst those who stutter and comedy is a male-dominated profession. Nina’s brand of comedy reflects the experience of many people with disabilities in that the problem with disability isn’t in the person with it but in a society that isn’t always accessible or inclusive.

Nina G is a comedian, professional speaker and Disability advocate. She travels the country performing at comedy clubs and colleges and keynoting at conferences. She is part of the comedy troupe The Comedians with Disabilities Act, which brings laughter and awareness to audiences of all ages across the country. Nina lives in Oakland with her husband, Ethan who is a comedian and educator. Since comedians should never quit their day job, she also works as a counselor for students with disabilities at a California Community College, which she loves almost as much as stand-up comedy. She has contributed to numerous books on stuttering and disability studies, including her own children’s book, Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities. Websites: www.NinaGcomedian.com and www.StuttererInterrupted.com Twitter: @NinaGcomedian Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Ninagcomedian and www.Facebook.com/StuttererInterrupted