Josh Hanagarne, now thirty-five, first began experiencing symptoms of Tourette’s at the age of six. For the next thirty years, Josh wrestled with that kamikaze pilot, whom he eventually nicknamed “Misty,” short for “Miss T.” The Tourette’s symptoms—verbal and facial tics, body spasms, self-inflicted punches—increased and intensified as he grew older. Moments of calm were few and far between.
Fortunately, for Josh, Tourette’s was not the only constant in his life. Josh’s father nudged him off the couch and to the gym, where he discovered a new found measure of control over his mind and body. The progress he makes there encourages him to make progress in other areas of his life.
Seeing his symptoms as a challenge, he searches for a career that will help him control them. What better place than a library? And better yet, a library with its own workout area in the basement. Combining the forces of his two refuges, Josh becomes “the world’s strongest librarian” and starts a blog in which he shares his reflections, thoughts on books and his ongoing battle with Tourette’s. His new book is: The World’s Strongest Librarian.
