Best of
Disability

2011

The Running Dream


Wendelin Van Draanen - 2011
    She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award

Juicy


Pepper Pace - 2011
    This interracial love journey is the tale of Juicy who has spent much of her adolescence being bullied because of her dark skin and her weight, until circumstances forced her to stand up for herself. And Troy, whose mental illness forced him into the streets. Now, as an adult, Juicy has grown into a woman that is filled with anger and a distrust of whites instilled in her by her mother. After an altercation, Juicy finds herself rescued by an unlikely individual; a white, homeless man that she has thoughtlessly nick-named; 'Mr. Cracker.' After exploring mutual stereotypes and attempting to understand their differences, Juicy and Troy find themselves drawn to each other. Out of a sense of loneliness and true friendship the two outcasts finally find something deeper than friendship and their journey to self discovery begins.

Dani's Story: A Journey from Neglect to Love


Diane Lierow - 2011
    Danielle spoke only in grunts and yelps, walked on her tiptoes, was not toilet-trained and drank from a bottle. She was almost seven years old. But hope and help were waiting for this little girl. In October 2007, Bernie and Diane Lierow, a hard-working couple with five boys of their own, adopted her and utterly transformed her life. This book tells the moving story of how the Lierows rescued Dani and helped her recover to the point where she can not only communicate, something once thought impossible, but can say of herself, "I pretty." Dani's Story was featured on Oprah and the subject of a Pulitzer Prize-winning article published by the St. Petersburg Times. The Lierows describe their struggle to adopt Dani, how they bonded with her and made a home for her, how they satisfied her craving for contact and stimuli, how Dani began to overcome her severe learning disabilities, how she learned she no longer had to steal food, and how their son Willie may be the greatest brother ever. Charting a perilous journey from hardship to hope, a new family, and a second chance at life, Dani's Story is a book you cannot put down and will never forget.

A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny


Amy Julia Becker - 2011
    Amy Julia opens eyes and softens hearts as she brings readers into her own story of disappointment turned to blessing. This is a journey of discovering strength through weakness, and the author learns to embrace the face that we are all dependent on God and one another. This books will inspire readers who appreciate beautiful writing coupled with deep insights about life and faith.

A Bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion


Jordan Castillo Price - 2011
    Although killing them is no longer an option, he's as determined as ever to stop the spread of vampirism.Wild Bill is a lover, not a fighter-so he's tickled when Michael's new agenda, to dispense condoms and sterile phlebotomy gear among vampires, replaces the old "heads will roll" approach. It takes courage to track down vamps in their own territory and deliver a lecture on safe sex, and more importantly, safe bloodletting. Michael's never been short on audacity...but he's finding that he and Wild Bill aren't the only ones with agendas.

Love Cake


Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha - 2011
    LGBT Studies. Asian American Studies. In these poems, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha explores how queer people of color resist and transform violence through love and desire. Remembering and testifying about the damage caused by the racial profiling of South Asian and Arab people post 9/11, border crossings and internal and external wars in Sri Lanka and the diaspora, LOVE CAKE also documents the persistence of survival and beauty--especially the dangerous beauty found in queer people of color loving and desiring. LOVE CAKE maps the joys and challenges of reclaiming the body and sexuality after violence, examining a family history of violence with compassion and celebrating the resilient, specific ways we create new families, take our bodies back, love, fight, and transform violence.

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid


Daniel Stefanski - 2011
    In this intimate yet practical book, author Daniel Stefanski, a fourteen-year-old boy with autism, helps readers understand why autistic kids act the way they do and offers specific suggestions on how to get along with them.While many "typical" kids know someone with autism, they sometimes misunderstand the behavior of autistic kids, which can seem antisocial or even offensive–even if the person with autism really wants to be friends. The result of this confusion is often painful for those with autism: bullying, teasing, excluding, or ignoring. How to Talk to an Autistic is an antidote. Written by an autistic kid for non-autistic kids, it provides personal stories, knowledgeable explanations, and supportive advice–all in Daniel's unique and charming voice and accompanied by lively illustrations.Always straightforward and often humorous, How to Talk to an Autistic Kid will give readers–kids and adults alike–the confidence and tools needed to befriend autistic kids. They'll also feel like they've made a friend already–Daniel.

Caregiver


Rick R. Reed - 2011
    Volunteering for the Tampa AIDS Alliance is just one part of that new beginning, and that’s how Dan meets his new buddy, Adam. Adam Schmidt is not at all what Dan expected. The guy is an original—witty, wry, and sarcastic with a fondness for a smart black dress, Barbra Streisand, and a good mai tai. Adam doesn’t let his imminent death get him down, even through a downward spiral that sees him thrown in jail. Each step of Adam’s journey teaches Dan new lessons about strength and resilience, but it’s Adam’s lover, Sullivan, to whom Dan feels an almost irresistible pull. Dan knows the attraction isn’t right, even after he dumps his cheating, drug-abusing boyfriend. But then Adam passes away, and it leaves Sullivan and Dan both alone to see if they can turn their love for Adam into something whole and real for each other.

Clear Water


Amy Lane - 2011
    Patrick's been trying desperately to transform himself, and the results have been so spectacular, they've almost killed him. Meet Wes "Whiskey" Keenan; he's a field biologist wondering if it's time to settle down. When the worst day of Patrick's life ends with Whiskey saving it, Patrick and Whiskey find themselves sharing company and an impossibly small berth on the world's tackiest houseboat.Patrick needs to get his life together and Whiskey wants to help but Patrick is not entirely convinced it's doable. He's pretty sure he's a freak of nature. But Whiskey, who works with real freaks of nature, thinks all Patrick needs is a little help to see the absolute beauty inside his spastic self, and Whiskey is all about volunteering. Between anomalous frogs, a homicidal ex-boyfriend, and Patrick's own hangups, Whiskey's going to need all of his patience and Patrick's going to need to find the best of himself before these two men ever see Clear Water.

If I Die Young


Talia Jager - 2011
    Now, she’s sixteen and things are finally going her way. She has loving parents, the best friend ever, and the boy she has had a crush on since elementary school has finally noticed her. Then, she collapses in school one day. To her horror, she finds out her heart is failing and she must have a heart transplant to live. Caelyn struggles with her fear of dying and worries of having someone else’s heart.

Autism Every Day: Over 150 Strategies Lived and Learned by a Professional Autism Consultant with 3 Sons on the Spectrum


Alyson Beytien - 2011
    Autism consultant Alyson Beytien outlines over 150 tried-and-true techniques for home, school, and community. Alyson’s three boys cover the whole spectrum of autism—Asperger’s syndrome, high-functioning autism, and classic autism. She understands the wide range of needs these children have and has discovered what helps and what hinders. Covering a full gamut of issues—from picky-eating and echolalia to IEPs and “The Woes of Walmart”—Alyson’s ideas and interventions will inspire and inform all those who are connected to a person with autism. Alyson believes that each day brings more opportunities to learn, problem-solve, and celebrate the joys that children with autism bring to our world—after all, today’s crisis is tomorrow’s humor. Her family’s motto will soon become your everyday mantra:  “Improvise and Overcome!”

A Spirituality of Caregiving


Henri J.M. Nouwen - 2011
    Henri Nouwen shares heartfelt insights on what it means to be a caregiver and to be cared for and how the caregiving relationship can lead to spiritual growth

Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability


Jennifer Bartlett - 2011
    Crip Poetry. Disability Poetry. Poems with Disabilities. This is where poetry and disability intersect, overlap, collide and make peace."[BEAUTY IS A VERB] is going to be one of the defining collections of the 21st century...the discourse between ability, identity & poetry will never be the same." —Ron Silliman, author of In The American Tree"This powerful anthology succeeds at intimately showing...disability through the lenses of poetry. What emerges from the book as a whole is a stunningly diverse array of conceptions of self and other.”—Publishers Weekly, starred reviewFrom "Beauty and Variations" by Kenny Fries:How else can I quench this thirst? My lipstravel down your spine, drink the smoothnessof your skin. I am searching for the core:What is beautiful? Who decides? Can the lawsof nature be defied? Your body tells me: comeclose. But beauty distances even as it drawsme near. What does my body want from yours?My twisted legs around your neck. You bendme back. Even though you can't give the bonesat birth I wasn't given, I let you deep inside.You give me—what? Peeling back my skin, youexpose my missing bones. And my heart, longbefore you came, just as broken. I don't know whoto blame. So each night, naked on the bed, my bodydoesn't want repair, but longs for innocence. Ifinnocent, despite the flaws I wear, I am beautiful.Sheila Black is a poet and children's book writer. In 2012, Poet Laureate Philip Levine chose her as a recipient of the Witter Bynner Fellowship.Disability activist Jennifer Bartlett is a poet and critic with roots in the Language school.Michael Northen is a poet and the editor of Wordgathering: A Journal of Poetics and Disability.

Mending Defects


Lynn Galli - 2011
    Laid-back Glory Eiben learned long ago that keeping personal information and opinions to herself goes a long way toward staying hassle free in her chosen home town. Much adored by the residents, she’s maintained the life she’s always wanted with good friends, close family, and a successful career. For someone with a rare congenital heart defect, this life is more than she could have hoped for. Leaving behind big city excitement, a demanding position, and a failed relationship, Lena Coleridge thinks this small ski town may be exactly what she needs to come back from her wit’s end. She didn’t think that job politics or social landmines would exist in such a small town. Keeping to herself won’t be an option with these nosy locals. It doesn’t help that she lives next door to one of the more popular residents who seems too easy going and nice to be true. Friendship is inevitable, but as she gets to know Glory, friendship isn’t the only thing on her mind. After her last relationship, Lena doesn’t want anything to do with another complication, and dating her neighbor could definitely get complicated.

Blood on the Tracks: The Life and Times of S. Brian Willson


S. Brian Willson - 2011
    Brian Willson became a radical, nonviolent peace protester and pacifist, and this memoir details the drastic governmental and social change he has spent his life fighting for. Chronicling his personal struggle with a government he believes to be unjust, Willson sheds light on the various incarnations of his protests of the U.S. government, including the refusal to pay taxes, public fasting, and, most famously, public obstruction. On September 1, 1987, Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks. Providing a full look into the tragic event, Willson, who lost his legs in the incident, discusses how the subsequent publicity propelled his cause toward the national consciousness. Now, 23 years later, Willson tells his story of social injustice, nonviolent struggle, and the so-called American way of life.

Flying to the Light


Elyse Salpeter - 2011
    Michael discovers Danny has a special gift—he knows what happens after a person dies—and now others want to know too. The brothers must outwit and outrun Samuel Herrington, a lethal biophysicist, the FBI, and even fellow Americans in a harrowing cross-country chase, because whoever gets to Danny first will have the power to rule the world.

Love Intertwined Vol.1


Pepper Pace - 2011
    Someone to Love"God, I'm happy she's gone," one of Jill's friends said. "Yeah, looking at her face makes me sick to my stomach." Words like those have followed Raina every since she was a child and half of her face was destroyed by a tragic fire. Once upon a time, she was one of the ‘beautiful ones’ with her hazel eyes, light brown skin and long flowing hair. But now, Raina only watches the world around her. Too ashamed of her looks to actually interact, she finds joy in following Bill with her eyes. With her head down and her hair obscuring her scars she manages to get by.Bill doesn’t like anyone and has little patience for Jill’s flirtations. He has been described as looking like Brad Pitt on crack—and it’s not very far from the truth. The only thing that matters is getting through the work day so that he can get high. But one day he literally crashes into Raina and for the first time in either of their lives they allow themselves to actually be ‘seen’.The Way HomeJamie thinks too hard, reads too much and doesn’t much care for her looks. At fourteen, she knows that she’s never had a real childhood. When her mother died she was the one that had to step up to the plate and run the household—and for the most part she doesn’t mind at all. And then one day she sees a white boy coming from the woods who was dirty, hungry and obviously uncared for but with eyes so lost that despite her normal shyness she offers to help him. As they come to terms with the fact that their lives transcends the ‘norm’, Kenny and Jamie’s relationship reaches heights that they could have never imagined, and lows that their love may not survive.Baby Girl and the Mean BossNicole wasn’t sure why she had gotten the nick name Baby Girl when she was not-by far-the youngest employee of The Down Home Calabash. Her much younger co-worker complained, gossiped or talked about how attractive their boss was. But Nicole didn’t have the luxury of a fantasy existence. She was on a mission to make money and to get her degree and her plans most definitely did not include Marty. Besides he was mean and he yelled at her!But once she experiences a tragic accident, Nicole sees a different side of her sexy, boss. But each has their own secrets and if they can’t express their heartfelt emotions their relationship might be doomed even before it begins.

Sex and Disability


Robert McRuer - 2011
    The major texts in sexuality studies, including queer theory, rarely mention disability, and foundational texts in disability studies do not discuss sex in much detail. What if "sex" and "disability" were understood as intimately related concepts? And what if disabled people were seen as both subjects and objects of a range of erotic desires and practices? These are among the questions that this collection's contributors engage. From multiple perspectives—including literary analysis, ethnography, and autobiography—they consider how sex and disability come together and how disabled people negotiate sex and sexual identities in ableist and heteronormative culture. Queering disability studies, while also expanding the purview of queer and sexuality studies, these essays shake up notions about who and what is sexy and sexualizable, what counts as sex, and what desire is. At the same time, they challenge conceptions of disability in the dominant culture, queer studies, and disability studies.Contributors. Chris Bell, Michael Davidson, Lennard J. Davis, Michel Desjardins, Lezlie Frye, Rachael Groner, Kristen Harmon, Michelle Jarman, Alison Kafer, Riva Lehrer, Nicole Markotić, Robert McRuer, Anna Mollow, Rachel O’Connell, Russell Shuttleworth, David Serlin, Tobin Siebers, Abby L. Wilkerson

No Easy Choice: A Story of Disability, Parenthood, and Faith in an Age of Advanced Reproduction


Ellen Painter Dollar - 2011
    Her story brings to light the ethical dilemmas surrounding advanced reproductive technologies. What do procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) say about how we define human worth? If we avoid such procedures, are we permitting the suffering of our children? How do we identify a good life in a consumer society that values appearance, success, health, and perfection?Dollar considers multiple sides of the debate, refusing to accept the matter as simply black and white. Her book will help parents who want to understand and make good decisions about assisted reproduction, as well as those who support and counsel them, including pastors and medical professionals.

Scapegoat: Why We Are Failing Disabled People


Katharine Quarmby - 2011
    Every few months there’s a shocking news story about the sustained, and often fatal, abuse of a disabled person. It’s easy to write off such cases as bullying that got out of hand, terrible criminal anomalies, or regrettable failures of the care system, but in fact they point to a more uncomfortable and fundamental truth about how our society treats its most unequal citizens. In Scapegoat, Katharine Quarmby looks behind the headlines to trace the history of disability and our discomfort with disabled people. She also charts the modern disability rights movement from the veterans of WW2 and Vietnam in the U.S. and UK to those who have fought for independent living and the end of segregation, as well as equal rights, for the last 20 years. Combining fascinating examples from history with tenacious investigation and powerful first person interviews, Scapegoat will change the way we think about disability—and about the changes we must make as a society to ensure that disabled people are seen as equal citizens, worthy of respect, not targets for taunting, torture, and attack.

Sugar's Dance


Katie Mettner - 2011
    By day she was everybody’s favorite dance instructor, but by night she suffered the torment of her past. For over a decade she’d been trying to answer the question of ‘why’. Why did the three most important people in her life have to leave her? Why did she have to suffer every day, both physically and emotionally? As the summer turned to fall, her swirling mind drove her into a dark place; a place her family worried she may never find her way out of.By the age of thirty, Agent Donovan Walsh had already raised a child. Now, with his responsibilities behind him, he was adrift as he searched for a new path in life. Offered a stint as a bodyguard for a state witness, he agreed to fly to ‘the tip of the end of the world’, in hopes of finding himself again. Little did he know, the reasons for the rest of his life were in the blue eyes of a gorgeous, stubborn, and broken woman. When an attempt was made on Sugar’s life, she had to trust Van to lead her through a dangerous rumba of deceit, kidnapping, and murder. When everything fell apart, Van had to trust himself to do the right thing, and protect the one person he couldn’t live without. When the danger passes, and the music fades away, Sugar is left to answer the most important question of her life. Will Van lay the ghosts of her past to rest once and for all, or will he be another soul to haunt her, forever?

Whisper


Chrissie Keighery - 2011
    Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces.How do you know if your friends are talking about you behind your back or if a boy likes you? They could act innocent, but you'd know from the rumours. You'd hear the whispers. But what if you couldn't hear those whispers anymore? What if everything you took for granted was gone? Being a teenager is hard enough.But being a deaf teenager?

Split


Mel Bossa - 2011
    His fiancé Nathan wonders why Derek hasn't taken any interest in their wedding planning, and Aunt Fran -- his spiritual guru -- would like to know when her guilt-tripping nephew became a kept boy. When she drops Derek's childhood journal on his lap, he's forced to remember the name he's been trying to forget since he was twelve years old. Nicolai Lund. Nick was Derek's neighbor ... and first love. Weeks before Derek's engagement party, a chance meeting with Nick catapults Derek into the past. But Nick isn't that seventeen-year-old rebel anymore. He's a man hardened by invisible scars. A man struggling with grief. As Derek reads through his childhood diary, he realizes what Nick was to him, still is today, and yet might be ... NOTE: This edition has been expanded and substantially edited.

Why Are You So Scared?: A Child's Book about Parents with Ptsd


Beth Andrews - 2011
    Why Are You So Scared? explains PTSD and its symptoms in nonthreatening, kid-friendly language, and is full of questions and exercises that kids and parents can work through together.The interactive layout encourages kids to express their thoughts and feelings about PTSD through writing, drawing, and designing. This book can serve as a practical tool for kids to cope with and eventually feel better about their parent's PTSD.A comprehensive note to parents offers advice for using this book to help children communicate the emotions that may accompany their parent's PTSD recovery.From the Note to Parents:PTSD can negatively affect the children of parents or caregivers who experience it. In addition to being confused and worried about their parent or caregiver, children may experience fear and sadness of their own. A negatively affected child may suffer poor performance at school, act out at daycare, or withdrawal from family and friends. PTSD is not just a condition of the adult, but a condition of the family and others close to the child. There are several important aspects of their parent or caregiver's PTSD that children should understand. Although your child's age and maturity level, and your own comfort level, should dictate how much emphasis you give any particular issue, it's important that each of the following be acknowledged, at least to plant a seed for future discussion. This book, and the discussions it is meant to facilitate, should help your child:understand what PTSD is and what it is not;recognize and cope with his or her feelings; andrealize that things will get better and that help is available.This book is meant to be read by or to your child with guidance from a parent, teacher, counselor, or other adult that he or she trusts. Although you can accomplish this in several ways, it may be best to read it in sections. This way, several discussions can take place over an extended period, allowing time for your child to form questions and discover his or her own solutions to some of the concerns covered in the book. Regardless of how you decide to use this book, remember to watch for cues from your child. He is the best measure for how much information is too much and when it's OK to keep reading and talking.

Every Time I Think of You


Jim Provenzano - 2011
    Overcoming the distance of their separate schools, parental interference, and a nearly fatal accident, the two young men find a way to be together in spite of their own doubts and fears. Set in 1979-1980, 'Every Time I Think of You' recalls a halcyon era in America's past with a personal voice.

Disability in the Christian Tradition: A Reader


Brian Brock - 2011
    But never has one volume collected the most significant Christian writings on disability. This book fills that gap. Brian Brock and John Swinton's Disability in the Christian Tradition brings together for the first time key writings by thinkers from all periods of Christian history - including Augustine, Aquinas, Julian of Norwich, Luther, Calvin, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Bonhoeffer, Barth, Hauerwas, and more. Fourteen contemporary experts in theology and disability studies guide readers through each era or group of thinkers, offering clear commentary and highlighting important themes.

Feminist Disability Studies


Kim Q. Hall - 2011
    This volume, situated at the intersection of feminist theory and disability studies, addresses questions about the nature of embodiment, the meaning of disability, the impact of public policy on those who have been labeled disabled, and how we define the norms of mental and physical ability. The essays here bridge the gap between theory and activism by illuminating structures of power and showing how historical and cultural perceptions of the human body have been informed by and contributed to the oppression of women and disabled people.

Disability and Difference in Global Contexts: Enabling a Transformative Body Politic


Nirmala Erevelles - 2011
    This book explores the possibilities and limitations re-theorizing disability using historical materialism in the interdisciplinary contexts of social theory, cultural studies, social and education policy, feminist ethics, and theories of citizenship.

My Cursed Highlander


Kimberly Killion - 2011
    Laird Taveon Kraig would do anything to recover a magical amulet powerful enough to break the curse that has plagued his clan for a hundred years--even marry a woman determined to hate him. But the beautiful--albeit boldly defiant--woman stirs his passion like no other. He never dreamed his quest would involve surrendering his heart. A blind sculptress... Having survived two ruthless marriages, Viviana Gorini Dè Medici has no desire to take another husband--especially one who wants her most prized possession: a magical amulet that provides her with the gift of sight. Despite her pleas, she is forced into the marriage and sent on a dangerous journey with a man whose charms melt her defenses, whose touch sets her on fire, and whose kiss stirs her body in a way she's never known. A wicked enemy... Surrendering completely to an ecstasy that binds their hearts, neither of them foresees the sinister threat waiting to destroy both of their worlds. In a family torn apart by a centuries old curse, will love be enough to save them all?

A Guide to Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Hypermobility Type): Bending Without Breaking


Isobel Knight - 2011
    The author, who has the condition, looks at how it affects children and adolescents and explores pain management, pregnancy, physical and psychological aspects, and how it widely affects dancers and other performance artists. New material includes:changes in terminologyinformation on how osteopathy and nutrition can helppsychological approaches beyond CBThow to deal with professionals what to expect from support groups and rehabilitation programmesThis new edition will be a must for anybody who suffers, or suspects they might be suffering from, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Hypermobility Type) and provides everything needed to enjoy a fulfilling life with this complex condition. It will also be of interest to their families and friends, and professionals working with Hypermobility Type EDS.

The Blind Advantage: How Going Blind Made Me a Stronger Principal and How Including Children with Disabilities Made Our School Better for Everyone


Bill Henderson - 2011
    “You should get out of education.” That was the advice first-year teacher Bill Henderson received when he discovered he was gradually losing his vision. Instead, Henderson persevered and became principal of the Patrick O’Hearn Elementary School in Boston, an ethnically and economically diverse school where about a third of the students have mild, moderate, or significant disabilities. In The Blind Advantage, Henderson describes how the journey into blindness helped him develop key qualities—determination, vision, sensitivity, organization, collaboration, and humor—that made him a more effective principal. At the same time, he shows how the inclusionary policies and practices at the O’Hearn School (now renamed the William W. Henderson Inclusion Elementary School) elicited and developed these qualities in others. An audio version of this book is available for purchase. This audio version was created in collaboration with the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library.

Nothing is Right


Michael Scott Monje Jr. - 2011
    He's never had a friend before, even though his mother runs a daycare out of their house. Now, it's time for him to face the first grade. Will he finally figure out what it is about other people that he does not understand, or will he hide himself in is schoolwork? Will he stand out as one of the few first graders that can already read adult novels, or will he camouflage his abilities so that he can avoid the extra attention? Clay wants desperately for other people to realize that he is valuable, but every time they talk to him, it hurts."Nothing is Right" is a novel about not being able to be called autistic. Set in 1988, five years before Aspergers Syndrome was formally recognized, it follows Clay through his first year at school. Through his eyes, we can navigate a special education screening system that knows he is an anomaly but that lacks language to describe him. We can also follow his attempts to find a space for himself, and we share his frustration when he fails to find ways to communicate. Most importantly, though, we can see the world through his eyes. This book does not shy away from blow-by-blow descriptions of sensory overload, self-injury (and the shame of hiding it), and the sheer panic of finding yourself suddenly and completely incapable of speaking.From the author's afterword:"It's not easy, learning that you had a major developmental disorder that somehow slipped under the radar for years and years. The fact is, though, that they did not have the vocabulary or the support resources that are available today. When I was growing up, it was still assumed that autism was partially defined by cognitive deficits......it impossible for Clay to understand the differences between himself and others. Despite his high IQ and scholastic performance, and despite the fact that he knows something is different, he will always need someone else to explain to him what is different......It [the story] is the intersection of a family history of disorder, a socioeconomic niche that is always plagued by problems accessing support programs, and a moment in time when science and technology were almost, but not quite, capable of rising to the challenge of kids like Clay."Approximate Length: 65,000 words

Shawn's Voice


Project Amy - 2011
    As Christmas rolls around again, will Ryan finally get the present he's been wishing for all these years?Words: 19,332 complete

Figuring Out Fibromyalgia: Current Science and the Most Effective Treatments


Ginevra Liptan - 2011
    Huge progress in research over the past decade has established dysfunction in sleep, pain, and the stress response in fibromyalgia. Current research suggests that the muscle pain of fibromyalgia may be generated from the fascia, the connective tissue surrounding each muscle of the body.As medical understanding of fibromyalgia has increased, so have our treatment options. With the unique perspective of a physician studying fibromyalgia “from the inside,” Dr. Liptan explains the most up-to-date science and guides you to the most effective treatments from both conventional and alternative medicine.ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ginevra Liptan, MD, is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, and is board-certified in internal medicine. After developing fibromyalgia as a medical student, she spent many years using herself as a guinea pig in a search for effective treatments. She is now medical director of the Frida Center for Fibromyalgia, and an associate professor at Oregon Health and Science University.

War's Waste: Rehabilitation in World War I America


Beth Linker - 2011
    soldiers stationed around the world and engaged in multiple conflicts, Americans will be forced for the foreseeable future to come to terms with those permanently disabled in battle. At the moment, we accept rehabilitation as the proper social and cultural response to the wounded, swiftly returning injured combatants to their civilian lives. But this was not always the case, as Beth Linker reveals in her provocative new book, War’s Waste.   Linker explains how, before entering World War I, the United States sought a way to avoid the enormous cost of providing injured soldiers with pensions, which it had done since the Revolutionary War. Emboldened by their faith in the new social and medical sciences, reformers pushed rehabilitation as a means to “rebuild” disabled soldiers, relieving the nation of a monetary burden and easing the decision to enter the Great War. Linker’s narrative moves from the professional development of orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists to the curative workshops, or hospital spaces where disabled soldiers learned how to repair automobiles as well as their own artificial limbs. The story culminates in the postwar establishment of the Veterans Administration, one of the greatest legacies to come out of the First World War.

Hope Among the Deserted


Xavier Mayne - 2011
    21.8k words

Kea's Flight


Erika Hammerschmidt - 2011
    But they never planned for how many there would be, or how much control people would want over their offspring's genetic makeup.Kea was an exile before she was born. Grown from an embryo that was rejected for having autism-spectrum genes, she has been raised on a starship full of Earth's unwanted children. When a sudden discovery threatens their plan to find a home, Kea must join with other rejects to save the ship from its own government. For more info about this book, go to: http://www.erikahammerschmidt.com/kea...

Healing Painful Sex: A Woman's Guide to Confronting, Diagnosing, and Treating Sexual Pain


Deborah Coady - 2011
    Organized into three parts: naming the problem, getting a diagnosis, and overcoming pain, Healing Painful Sex includes medical checklists, illustrations, vignettes based on interviews with women and their healthcare professionals, treatment options, and guidance for moving forward after healing.Coady and Fish speak honestly and directly to sexual pain sufferers’ experiences, helping them address the problem of chronic pain, understand and prevent misdiagnoses, define medical terms and conditions, and regain sexual joy.Comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and deeply insightful, Healing Painful Sex offers women the tools to successfully take on the many challenges of sexual pain and move toward a healthy, happy future.

Fix This Mess: Selections 1993 - 2010


Billie Rain - 2011
    the themes that run through it are singular while speaking to the universal. the language is precise and unique, the content is intense and brave. you need this book. we all do. danielle montgomery, author of "the woman you write poems about"

Hideous Progeny: Disability, Eugenics, and Classic Horror Cinema


Angela M. Smith - 2011
    Most critics have interpreted these traits as symptoms of sexual repression or as metaphors for other kinds of marginalized identities, yet Angela M. Smith conducts a richer investigation into the period's social and cultural preoccupations. She finds instead a fascination with eugenics and physical and cognitive debility in the narrative and spectacle of classic 1930s horror, heightened by the viewer's desire for visions of vulnerability and transformation.Reading such films as Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Freaks (1932), and Mad Love (1935) against early-twentieth-century disability discourse and propaganda on racial and biological purity, Smith showcases classic horror's dependence on the narratives of eugenics and physiognomics. She also notes the genre's conflicted and often contradictory visualizations. Smith ultimately locates an indictment of biological determinism in filmmakers' visceral treatments, which take the impossibility of racial improvement and bodily perfection to sensationalistic heights. Playing up the artifice and conventions of disabled monsters, filmmakers exploited the fears and yearnings of their audience, accentuating both the perversity of the medical and scientific gaze and the debilitating experience of watching horror. Classic horror films therefore encourage empathy with the disabled monster, offering captive viewers an unsettling encounter with their own impairment. Smith's work profoundly advances cinema and disability studies, in addition to general histories concerning the construction of social and political attitudes toward the Other.

Aura's Journey: God's Faithfulness in the Life of a Young Honduran Deaf Woman


Barbara E. Northup - 2011
    Aura's Journey is filled with twists and turns of how God takes our deepest wounds and uses them for his purposes. What a great story of redemption and hope! I read it cover to cover and never put it down." - Dennis Rainey, FamilyLife Ministries, CEOAura’s Journey takes you through the life of a little girl found on the streets of Honduras to a woman sent on a mission for God. When you find yourself wondering God’s active role in your life, you’ll learn through this story to look for the little things. He has his hand guiding you to the right people and places and will show you His will, if you listening.

Sounds of Silence


Phillip Tomasso III - 2011
    After one particular game, he becomes sick and is rushed to the hospital. Treated for meningococcal disease, Marco wakes up to discover that he is deaf—and all of his dreams seem to crumble. Now Marco must come to terms with living in a silent world—and the grief, anger, and loss that seem to go with it. He is enrolled at the state boarding school for the deaf, leaving behind his comfortable home and his family and friends while he re-learns how to communicate and function without his hearing. As if that wasn't hard enough, he quickly discovers that being deaf does not exempt him from the “normal” anxieties he faced at home—bullies, girls, and fitting in. Will he ever find his way back to his dreams?

The Key to Charlotte


E.A. West - 2011
    Unfortunately, it prevents her from achieving two of her dreams--praising God through song and to carrying on a simple conversation using her own voice.Zakaria Rush is the new Director of Children's Ministries at Charlotte's church, and he can't keep his thoughts off the partially mute blonde with a love for guitar music. Her love of the simple things in life intrigues him and makes him long to give her what she wants more than anything: her voice.Can Zakaria help Charlotte find the key to unlocking her ability to speak, or will his attempt to help her only lock away their chance for love?

Blazing My Trail: Living and Thriving with Autism


Rachel B. Cohen-Rottenberg - 2011