Reviews

An essential text on disability and queer identity that also tackles class, abuse, neurodivergence, and ecology. I only wish it had more thoughtful things to say about asexuality other than as an identity foisted upon disabled bodies without consent.

driley1994's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

2.0

jadepfaefflin's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

sarahern29's review

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

11corvus11's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I am very grateful for this text for a variety of reasons. I read it in 2016, and it is still relevant despite being written in 1999. It is poetically well written. It tackles issues and perspectives all too often left out of the focus and politics of young middle class white suburb and city dwelling folks.

This book also helped me see how much internalized ableism I deal with. I constantly apologize for my existence and struggle with my identities. It does focus a lot on visible disabilities, but there are footnotes in the newer edition that mention this.

I really appreciated the last essay in the book that touches on many things but in particular- the intersections of being disabled, queer, trans, butch, sensitive, introspective, radical, working class, and a major sexual trauma survivor. I have honestly never met or read anyone that touched on all of these parts of themself (and of me) at the same time. That essay, also beautifully written, is something I've needed and searched for for many years.

This book validated and mentored me on many things I really needed someone to teach me. I'm a city and suburb kid, so it also taught me quite a bit about bias against rural communities and intersections with environmental and other movements.

This book holds so much for how very short it is. Definitely recommended.

More...