In 1996 the then St. Petersburg Times published a series called Three Little Words.
It was noticeable for several reasons. It ran in short chapters over 29 days in February (it was a leap year). It contained a narrative about what was then a shameful family secret – AIDS.
It was the story of Jane Morse, who lived in St. Petersburg, and told of the death of her husband and the fear of his illness. It was written by Roy Peter Clark, who had worked at the Times as a writing coach until he switched to faculty at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg. The newspaper occasionally published his work as a contributing writer.
Mick and Jane married in June 1968. He had been one of their high school teachers. [ MORSE FAMILY PHOTO | FAMILY PHOTO ]
“In 1996 the response was overwhelming, and it came from so many directions,” said Clark. “Some readers were frustrated when I withheld some dramatic information until another chapter. Many admired Jane and understood her struggle as the wife of an AIDS sufferer. But others wish she had made other decisions. “
The series turns 25 this year but is brought to life as a podcast available today, World AIDS Day, from your favorite podcast service. The five-part series was written and produced by Austin Fast, a former intern with the Times. Fast is now assistant producer on the National Public Radio investigation team.
Austin Fast at the Tampa Bay Times recording studio. [ Austin Fast ]
Hear from the Morse family and get an update on their lives on the podcast, titled Three Little Words. And you will hear how the AIDS epidemic has developed over the past few decades and what striking parallels have with the pandemic we are going through.
“When it comes to disease, there is always fear and stigma,” said Clark. “The lessons of the Three Little Words can help us find a more hopeful path.”
Visit www.tampabay.com/threelittlewords to find all of the episodes from the podcast, read Clark’s original 1996 series, and explore related bonus material such as photos, news articles, and video content.
For Fast, the resumption of Three Little Words meant sharing the Morse family’s experiences through another medium with their own voices.
“The original series describes Jane Morse wrestling with feelings of betrayal, but a bite of sound can say a thousand words,” he said. “Listeners will immediately recognize these complicated emotions in the sighs and pauses as Jane searches for the right words.”
Almost didn’t want the podcast to simply brush up on the 1996 series, so he spent hours interviewing the family and health experts to help bring the arc of AIDS into the 21st century. The pandemic limited his ability to shadow family while reporting, but COVID-19 provided a frame of reference for younger listeners.
He was inspired by the Morse family, who made it possible to tell such a personal story. “I admire how close the Morse family is today,” he said. “No family is without problems, but I can say that there is a lot of love there.”
Roy Peter Clark [ C. Dykes ]
Clark is still amazed that the Times back then backed his idea of breaking the story over so many chapters. But the Times had produced serial narrative before, and as the teacher Clark points out, this style is an ancient form of storytelling that is still common today. Think of TV series that play this way and, of course, many of your favorite podcasts.
The “Three Little Words” podcast is a reminder that “AIDS is still with us. Almost 40 million people are infected with HIV worldwide, ”said Clark. “There is no cure. There is no vaccine. But here is the main message: There are very effective treatments.”
Fast said it was important to remember that some people still fear and condemn HIV-AIDS patients.
“Roy Peter Clark wanted to help overcome this stigma 25 years ago,” said Fast.
Erin Morse, Jane Morse-Swett and Meghan Rice. [ Swett family ]
from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/a-podcast-follows-a-familys-dramatic-struggle-with-an-aids-diagnosis/
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