Host Ira Glass enters Michael Phillips’ life, provides catalyst for transformation

Eric Deggans, writing in the St. Petersburg Times, documents the unlikely partnership between This American Life’s Ira Glass and Michael Phillips, a 27-year-old with a genetic muscle disease that has left him with the ability to move only his face and his thumb. Their collaboration became the story that kicked off TAL’s second television season last weekend.

Glass had heard about Phillips through one of his producers, and was

… drawn in first by his matter-of-fact recounting of how often he nearly dies when there is a problem with his respirator.

“The way he wrote about what those moments were like was utterly without melodrama,” said the host, who was intent on avoiding a typical, corny story about overcoming a disability. “It was just a very easy reporting of, ‘Here’s everything that goes through my head when I realize I may die in a minute.’ It was kind of amazing.”

After the exchange of many email messages, Phillips realized he wanted more independence from his mother, who still sleeps each night at his bedside so that she can respond if his breathing tube pops out.

Another goal was to spend more private time with his girlfriend Sara Rosenbaum (above, with Phillips), a St. Petersburg Times reporter whom he met through an online ad.

“There was no space in his life for me,” [Rosenbaum] said. “As he started writing Ira, he began to change; he realized what he wanted in his life . . . (and) after Ira left, I began to realize how much I cared for Mike after all.”

An excerpt of the show can be seen on the Showtime site here. Actor Johnny Depp provides the voice for Phillips’ emails.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 7:43 pm and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, celebrities, direct support workers, disabilities, families, genetics, independent living, parents, television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post