PTSD, Lost Art, and The Berlin Wall - Nathan Englander

“In the night we've lost our train... I don't know what station, I don't know what country.”

Photo by Jason Falchook

 --- This episode is available on your local radio station, on PRX and via The Moth Player. It will be published on  iTunes | Spotify | RadioPublic | RSS on 4/20/2021 ---

The victim of a random stabbing struggles to reestablish his life while suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, author Nathan Englander describes coming of age at 19 while traveling through Europe to witness the fall of The Berlin Wall, and an artist and documentary film maker loses three years of work in an instant and finds it hard to continue. Hosted by The Moth’s Artistic Director, Catherine Burns. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.

Ed Gavagan is nearly stabbed to death by a gang, then loses his job and his home while working through PTSD.
Nathan Englander is still a teenager when he heads to Europe hoping to witness the fall of Communism in East Berlin.
Ellie Lee suffers an enormous setback in the making of her documentary but gets inspired, years later, to try again. 


PTSD, Lost Art, and The Berlin Wall

Ed Gavagan

Ed Gavagan Extra

Ed’s daughter on the streets of New York. Photo courtesy Ed Gavagan.

Nathan Englander

Nathan Englander Extra

Nathan at the Berlin Wall.

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The gate to East Berlin.

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Nathan helping to take down the Berlin Wall. All photos courtesy of Nathan Englander.

Ellie Lee

Check out Ellie’s full-length documentary, Repetition Compulsion:


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Some of the art from Ellie’s documentary. Courtesy of Ellie Lee.