What exactly is the cause of Kaitlyn's stutter? Was it caused by some
traumatic childhood event? A by product of the attack and poisining her
mother recieved?

>What exactly is the cause of Kaitlyn's stutter? Was it caused by some
>traumatic childhood event? A by product of the attack and poisining
>her
>mother recieved?

Gryph has already stated that nobody knows for sure. That it smooths out some when she's talking to someone she knows well, and altogether when she's singing, suggests that it's psychological rather than physiological in nature. If it's physiological, then it'll disappear when her Detian genes kick in fully; if it's psychological, presumably it'll fade over time. One hopes, anyway; but, most who stutter as children eventually manage to overcome their stutter by adulthood. (It can still come back in moments of stress.)

I never stuttered as a child, but I'm given to understand that it's incredibly frustrating, trying to get the words out and they just won't come. (Neil Gaiman stuttered as a child, and he talks about this occasionally. It's one of the reasons he was such a bookworm.) Since many (in fact, from what I've read, most) stutterers don't stutter when they sing, some actually sing every word they say to get around it.

I wonder if Kaitlyn has tried this.

-- Sean --

http://www.thebrokenlink.org The Broken Link 4.0 is live!
"All tribal myths are true, for a given value of 'true'." -- Terry Pratchett
Follow my random thoughts
Follow my creative process

>If it's physiological, then it'll disappear
>when her Detian genes kick in fully

(maybe, maybe not)

>Since many (in fact, from what I've read, most) stutterers don't
>stutter when they sing, some actually sing every word they say to get
>around it.
>
>I wonder if Kaitlyn has tried this.

Makes her feel a bit silly.

Although you'll notice she doesn't stutter when reciting verse, even if it isn't particularly musical.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/

>>If it's physiological, then it'll disappear
>>when her Detian genes kick in fully
>
>(maybe, maybe not)

I intended to qualify the statement. Slip on my part.

>>I wonder if Kaitlyn has tried this.
>
>Makes her feel a bit silly.
>
>Although you'll notice she doesn't stutter when reciting verse, even
>if it isn't particularly musical.

I hadn't actually noticed that.

Hmmm... so if she memorized something like lines for a part in a play, would she stutter when reciting them? Not talking about reciting them in front of an audience, but just rehearsing them?

Not that I see her getting into a play. Playing music for an audience is one thing; for a stutterer to get up on stage is another thing, I'd imagine. I do know, from personal experience, that I get a lot more nervous about speaking in front of an audience than I do playing an instrument in front of one; it's almost like the bass is a shield between me and them. Of course, it helps that people usually don't pay much attention to the bass player in a rock band. (Doesn't help so much when you're playing jazz or funk, though. Especially when the bass solo rolls around.)

-- Sean --

http://www.thebrokenlink.org The Broken Link 4.0 is live!
"All tribal myths are true, for a given value of 'true'." -- Terry Pratchett
Follow my random thoughts
Follow my creative process

>>Although you'll notice she doesn't stutter when reciting verse, even
>>if it isn't particularly musical.
>
>I hadn't actually noticed that.
>
>Hmmm... so if she memorized something like lines for a part in a play,
>would she stutter when reciting them? Not talking about reciting them
>in front of an audience, but just rehearsing them?

I think it has more to do with the verse structure than the memorization - ie, she could read poetry she'd never seen before out of a book without stumbling over it.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/

>What exactly is the cause of Kaitlyn's stutter? Was it caused by some
>traumatic childhood event? A by product of the attack and poisining
>her
>mother recieved?

This has been answered. See

http://www.eyrie-productions.com/Forum-docs/DCForumID1/21.html#29

Eric J. Heckathorn
ericjh@stargate.net